November 13, 2014 - 09:18
This chapter talks about the spread of invasive species and, most especially, its impact on indigenous fauna/flora. The section focuses mostly on the severe extermination of bats in the northeast suffering what is now called "white nose syndrome". The little brown bats, which usually are hibernating, become contaminated with a cold-loving fungus which eats away at their skin, causing them to wake up and search for food or water—but it's winter, so they can't find any, and eventually die. The fungus is assumably caused by tourism; hundreds of people take underground tours in the caves in which bats hibernate, and these people brought on the fungus. Since the discovery of the fungus, over six million bats have died, and caves are completely empty.
The chapter discusses how humans have been transporting species everywhere across the world. Polynesians who settled Hawaii 1500 years ago brought rats and lice. Rabbits were introduced to Australia. Japanese Beetles have spread as far west as Montana. Scientists are terming this molding of species "the New Pangaea", as though we were all part of one giant supercontinent again. The spread of diversity, however, has detrimental effects on the local species. It's happening too fast; the "rate of reported invasions has increased exponentially over the past two hundred years". The process kills off many local species, ultimately decreasing the global amount of biodiversity.
There are times when humans are considered to be an invasive species, and I believe the chapter argues just that. Someone calls humans "the most successful invader in biological history". We travel to the ends of the Earth, bringing species with us, flourishing in new places. Tourism is killing off bats, introduction of other fungi is killing off frogs, our means of flourishing is killing off thousands of more species.