what is an invasive species

An invasive species is a living organism, such as a plant, animal, or microbe, that is not native to a particular area and causes harm to the environment, economy, or human health. Invasive species can be introduced to an area by human activities, often unintentionally, such as through ship ballast water, accidental release, and transport of goods. They can also spread aggressively and compete with native organisms for limited resources, leading to reduced biodiversity, altered habitats, and even extinctions of native plants and animals. Invasive species can be plants, animals, fungi, and microbes. Some examples of invasive species include the kudzu vine, Andean pampas grass, English ivy, Japanese knotweed, yellow starthistle, New Zealand mud snail, some water fleas, feral pig, European rabbit, grey squirrel, domestic cat, carp, and ferret.