Chapter ten - Waleska Reyes

Chapter ten - Waleska Reyes

Chapter ten opens up with a description of Albany, New York. Kolbert explains that a team of biologists is doing a routine bat census. During the census they realize that most of the bats are dead, Kolbert highlights there is a white powdery substance on them. Kolbert discovers that a fungus called Geomyces Destructans cause the death of the bats. It is important to note that this fungus if from Europe, therefore, an invasive species. The reason for the transportation of species from its homeland to a different area is due to humans. Therefore it is important to note that biodiversity is decreasing due to human activity like transportation.  

"Before human arrived on the scene, many whole categories of organisms were missing from Hawaii; these included not only rodents but also amphibians, terrestrial reptiles, and ungulates" (pg. 212). Humans altered an ecosystem by bringing in invasive animals. Invasive species are dangerous because they can kill off a native species, therefore, decreasing the biodiversity of certain areas. A

Once again I connect this chapter to the theme of humans altering natural systems. Due to our advancements in transportation, we have also transported invasive species that will kill off native species. My question is can we get rid of all the invasive species already living in certain areas? Can an invasive species become native?