Which term denotes organisms that have moved into regions where they are not native and disrupt ecosystems?

Which term denotes organisms that have moved into regions where they are not native and disrupt ecosystems?

• A. Invasive species
• B. Renewable resource
• C. Nonrenewable resource
• D. Acid rain

Answer: (A)

Organisms that move into regions where they are not native and disrupt ecosystems are invasive species. These species arrive in a new environment and often spread quickly because they lack natural predators or controls. Their rapid growth allows them to outcompete native species for resources like food, space, and mates, which can reduce biodiversity, alter habitats, and disrupt ecological interactions. Examples you might have heard of include zebra mussels in North American waterways, kudzu vines in parts of the United States, and cane toads in Australia. The other terms refer to different ideas: a renewable resource is something that can be replenished over time, a nonrenewable resource is finite and can be depleted, and acid rain is polluted precipitation that lowers the pH of soils and water, harming ecosystems rather than describing a species moving into a new region.

Organisms that move into regions where they are not native and disrupt ecosystems are invasive species. These species arrive in a new environment and often spread quickly because they lack natural predators or controls. Their rapid growth allows them to outcompete native species for resources like food, space, and mates, which can reduce biodiversity, alter habitats, and disrupt ecological interactions. Examples you might have heard of include zebra mussels in North American waterways, kudzu vines in parts of the United States, and cane toads in Australia.

The other terms refer to different ideas: a renewable resource is something that can be replenished over time, a nonrenewable resource is finite and can be depleted, and acid rain is polluted precipitation that lowers the pH of soils and water, harming ecosystems rather than describing a species moving into a new region.