What are some invasive species on the Hawaii islands When an

What are some invasive species on the Hawaii islands. When and how/why were they introduced? What impact have they had? 100 words or more please.

Solution

Hawaii has been invaded by a number of invasive species – both plants and animals. Some of the invasive species and their effects are,

Rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea) – introduced to control the African snails, which are an agricultural pest, the Rosy wolf snail has destroyed the native snails of Hawaii. It has eliminated up to half of the 800 endemic species of snails in Hawaii

Miconia (Miconia calvescens) – introduced as an ornamental plant, it forms dense thickets that blocks sunlight and kills other plants

Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) – it is a highly aggressive species that is more vigorous than the native plants. It quickly reestablishes after fire and alters the natural fire regime

Fire tree (Myrica faya) – it forms dense monocultural stands. As a result it poses threat to native plants especially on young volcanic sites and lowland forests. It was introduced as an ornamental and as firewood plant.

Guava (Psidium gujava) – introduced for edible fruit cultivation. It forms dense thickets and poses threats to the native flora and fauna of Hawaii.

Mongoose – it was introduced to kill large rat population present in the sugarcane fields of Hawaii. If failed to kill the rats but harms the ground nesting birds on the island.