Question

Tiny Invaders

They arrive on ships and trains, by planes and cars, on bicycles and by foot. They cling to firewood and human clothing, they float in water, or they wedge themselves into tire treads. These tiny organisms—the seeds of plants—travel long distances across geographical boundaries and climate extremes. Plants often spread from place to place through human travel and trade, quite by accident. The people who carry them may be unaware of these hitchhikers. Even the people who are aware of them may not understand the harm they can cause. Not all non-native species become invasive in their new environments. However, some become huge problems. They can cause drastic changes to the land and wreak havoc on native ecosystems.

In their native environment, these plants are harmless. They serve a purpose in the local food chain. In their new environment, they serve no purpose. In fact, they disrupt the food chain. When species are moved to new places, they often have no predators in the area. With no predators, they grow unchecked. Eventually, they may choke out local food sources other organisms need to survive. According to the National Wildlife Federation, invasive species are responsible for the decline of about 42 percent of threatened or endangered native species.

What are the tiny invaders being discussed in this article? Where are they arriving? Why are they arriving there?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The tiny invaders being discussed in this article are non-native plant species. They are arriving in new locations through various means such as human travel and trade. They are unintentionally being transported to new environments where they can become invasive and disrupt native ecosystems.