A recent report revealed an unaddressed topic, often ignored by journalists and environmentalists. The report suggests that the majority of the national parks in the United States are suffering from the presence of invasive animal species. The experts involved in the research revealed that a coordinated and well-planned effort could reduce the recent threat.
National parks are the prime locations to restore the lost ecosystem and to preserve the near-extinct species. National parks covered more than 85 million acres of land in the United States. Most of the parks are also important for American history. The governments of the country opened around 400 national parks since 1916 for the protection of wildlife.
Experts involved in the project studied the case for about three years to conclude their views. The National Park Service (NPS) formed this committee to find out the presence and effects of invasive animals in the national parks. The National Park Service previously carried out a program for the management of invasive plants in the national parks, but the presence of invasive animals often ignored.
More about the Study
The study revealed that there are around 1,409 numbers of invasive animals present in various parks. These 1,409 animals belonging to 331 different species. Among such a high population, only 11% of cases are in the control of the national parks.
Ashley Dayer, the lead author of the study, revealed that the issue acknowledged before several years, but the organizations and government were lacking in implementing the plan. The invasive animal population is present across the ecosystem, such as reefs, lakes, deserts, mountains, grasslands, and forests. And, these invasive animals belong to all groups, like birds, mammals, insects, and reptiles.
Problems like loss of wildlife population, damaging overall ecosystems of the parks, and reducing numbers of visitors are on the card if policymakers do not take appropriate actions, warned one of the authors of the study.
