In this short book, former zoo curator and research biologist, Roland Smith offers an informative and engaging look at invasive species and how they affect the natural world and human life on the planet.
Smith opens his book with the definition of an invasive species (one "not native to an ecosystem and causes harm") and and a non-native species (one that is not native to an ecosystem and does not cause harm"). From this definition, Smith mentions his first experience with an invasive species was as an eleven-year-old watching the film The Day of the Triffids. In this movie, Earth is invaded by plants called Triffids that arrive from outer space during a meteor shower, determined to eradicate humans. To that end, they hunt humans, who have gone blind after watching the meteor shower. Eventually the murderous Triffids are conquered but most of humanity is not blind. This movie led the author to develop a keen interest in animals. In They Are Here!, Smith presents approximately thirty invasive species, showing "the serious impact these animals and plants have on ecosystems."
The species Smith focuses on include rats, several birds including the European starling and
the European house sparrow. There is a chapter on the Burmese python which has infested Florida everglades, the Brown Tree Snake, the Black and White Tegu, the Nile Monitor, and the Green Iguana. Chapter Five, Catastrophe explores cats which are considered an invasive species to North America.
In Chapter Six, Swarms, Smith mentions a helpful invasive species, the western honeybee which contributes significantly to the U.S. economy. However, other invasive species such as the Africanized honeybee, Murder hornets, spongy moth, fire ants, the Emerald Ash borer, Asian Citrus psyllid, Brown Marmorated Stink bugs have all created serious problems.
Other species Smith focuses on include feral pigs and carp, both of which are becoming a serious problem in the United States and Canada. Plants can also be an invasive species including kudzu, Purple Loosestrife, and Giant Hogweed which is extremely toxic to humans.
Chapter Ten explores the infestation of Zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and the invasive species, African Giant Land snails.
Finally Smith considers whether human beings are an invasive species. While invasive species reduce biodiversity in an ecosystem, Smith encourages his young readers to develop their curiosity about the natural world around them and be willing to lend a hand.
Discussion
They Are Here is a fascinating and informative read about the different species that have invaded North America, wrecking havoc on native ecosystems. Some of us remember the demise of the Elm trees in North America in the 1960's as a result of the invasive sac fungi that was inadvertently introduced into the continent from Asia. The towering elm trees which graced many farms and towns, is mostly gone now.
Smith writes about each species, adding a touch of wry humour that makes the subject of invasive species both interesting and engaging. Each of the thirty or so species are described, and their effects on an ecosystem are explained so readers understand why each species is harmful. Efforts to try to eliminate or at least control the invasive species are discussed, with the author exploring the effectiveness of the various methods used.
This is a book that certainly could have used either pencil drawings or photographs of some of the animals and plants investigated. Smith has included a Glossary of terms used in the text, a Suggested Reading List for those readers curious about animals and invasive species, and a list of scientific papers and articles for those who wish to go much deeper into the subject. They Are Here is well-written and informative. Readers are very much encouraged to read The Day of the Triffids!
Book Details:
They Are Here: How Invasive Species Are Spoiling Our Ecosystems by Roland Smith
New York: Henry Hold and Company 2023
138 pp.
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