What characteristics make invasive species a problem?
There are many characteristics of invasive species. The more a species may possess, the more it is likely to be widespread and troublesome. Here are a few: Productivity: More seeds mean more seedlings. Purple loosestrife and white and yellow sweet clovers produce hundreds of thousands of seeds per plant. Invasive animals are often very prolific as well. The zebra mussel can produce up to one million eggs per year. Round goby, can spawn several times per summer. Dispersal: Invasive plants often have seeds or other propagules that are easily spread by people, wind, water, or wildlife. They can establish in new locations far from their parent plants. Eurasian watermilfoil fragments can be carried on boats and trailers to new locations. Buckthorns and honeysuckle berries are eaten by birds, which later deposited where they fly. Tiny Siberian elm seeds are able to ride the wind far and wide. Purple loosestrife seeds can be carried by wind and water. Growth period or seasonal advantages: Buc
