kids encyclopedia robot

Invasive species facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Kudzu on trees in Atlanta, Georgia
Kudzu, a Japanese vine, is invasive in the southeast United States. Here it grows in Atlanta, Georgia

An invasive species is a species which is not native to the place where it is found. It has moved from its native area, where it grew naturally, into a new area. Often it becomes a nuisance species, because in its new habitat it lacks its old enemies. Normally, as a species evolves, so do the things which eat it or parasitise it. Free of natural restraints, the invading species outcompetes its new neighbours.

Kudzu, for example, is called "The weed which ate the South" because it went out of control in the southern United States. The introduction of starlings to North America is another example.

Related pages


Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Especie invasora para niños

kids search engine
Invasive species Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.