Invasive Species Council of Manitoba

What are Invasive species or "Invaders"?

Invasive species are plants, animals or other organisms that are growing outside of their country or region of origin and are out-competing or even replacing native organisms. Since they come from ecosystems in other parts of the world,"unwanted invaders" escape their natural enemies. They have a distinct advantage over our native species whose populations are kept in check by native predators, competitors, or disease.

With tremendous biological diversity and a large inventory of intact ecosystems, Manitoba is highly vulnerable to these new biological invasions. Over the last decade, there has been a growing awareness that introduced invasive species are having significant and increasing impacts on Manitoba's economy, ecosystems, native species and human health. The appearance of alien invasive plants in our lakes, rivers, ponds and wetland habitats is occurring at an accelerating rate.

What can you do?

Prevention, early detection and rapid response are critical for saving habitats from invasive species.

You can do your part by reporting any sightings of unwanted invaders to the Invasive Species Council of Manitoba at (204) 232-6021.

What is the Problem?

Invasive species can result in the loss of unique ecosystems and native species... (more)