Species Info

What Are Invasive Species?

Non-Native

Harmful

Spreads Rapidly

INVASIVE

Not all introduced species are considered invasive (think: dandelions), and neither are all harmful species (think: poison ivy). It is the combination of these two qualities, along with the ability to multiply and spread rapidly, that earns invasive species this undesirable title.

Invasive species are living organisms (animals, plants, microorganisms) that have been introduced to an area outside of their native range, causing negative impacts on the natural environment by out-competing native biodiversity and altering ecosystem functioning. They also have negative impacts on the economy, human health, and livelihoods through damage to infrastructure and reductions in agricultural or natural resource yields. The economic impact of invasive species in Canada is significant and according to Environment Canada and Climate Change, the annual cost was estimated to be as much as $20 billion to the forest sector, $7 billion for aquatic invasive species (the Great Lakes alone) and $2.2 billion the agricultural sector.