This activity is designed to help youth in grades 3-5 to understand the effects of invasive species on the environment. An invasive species is one that puts an ecosystem out of balance because it has a competitive advantage (usually a lack of natural enemies) in its new location. The addition of an invasive species to an ecosystem results in a decrease in biodiversity, not an increase. Note: “Saldo” means balance in Spanish. (3 pages, 101 KB) Key words –  biodiversity, ecosystem, species, non-native, balance

Links

Saldo Island: An Unfair Game