Invasive species

Non-indigenous species that often outcompete native species for resources or habitat, altering community structure and potentially leading to extinction. Such species may arrive in new areas through natural migration, but they are often introduced by human activities and are a major driver of biodiversity loss. They can affect the chemical makeup of the water, availability of resources, and even alter the food web.

Invasive species characteristics:

• Capability of adapting to diverse and a wide range of conditions (wide range of ecological tolerance)
• Rapid growth rates of individuals
• Characteristics that make them easily dispersible to new localities
• Reproducing allowing for rapid population growth.

Red fox is an invasive species in the Arctic, endangering Arctic fox populations