Introduced Species and Island Ecology: the Brown Tree Snake Invasion on Guam

Lisa kearney |

NQB321: Ecology |

Introduced Species and Island Ecology: The Brown Tree Snake Invasion on Guam |

|

4/24/2013 |

Introduced Species and Island Ecology: The Brown Tree Snake Invasion on Guam

Islands can serve as model systems for understanding how biological invasions affect

Community structure and ecosystem function. The intention of this paper is to show that the effects of an introduced species to an Island Ecosystem can be detrimental, often resulting in species extinction. This will be done by reviewing the available literature about the major case example of the Brown Tree snake invasion on Guam. Island Ecosystems are insular ecosystems, often unique and fragile, the introduction of an invasive species leads to a change in the ecological balance, often with negative repercussions for the native species.

Island Ecology has been a major keystone in the progression of modern evolutionary theory, impacting the minds of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Island floras and faunas have played a central role in the development of not only evolutionary, but ecological thought. M. Gorman, 1979, delves into the details of the importance of island ecology in the book ‘Island Ecology’, exploring the ideas of the science of island ecology, what it began as and where it is progressing to, and the larger benefits it provides to the scientific community. This book is an excellent source of information for the foundations of the science behind island ecology, and where the science is heading. The introduction of an outside catalyst to a balanced system will alter that balance either positively or negatively, in the case of island ecology, the introduction of invasive species is nearly always devastating to the insular ecosystem, as seen in the case of the brown tree snake invading Guam. Guam is the southern-most island of the Mariana Archipelago, and is located halfway between Japan and New Guinea. It is 49km long and 6-17km wide, and has an...