Test your knowledge Aquatic environnement

Worms make farmers happy because they oxygenate the ground and circulate the nutrients. However, when in the forest ground they can cause problems... These little soil mixers reduce the organic layer and remove many elements that plants require to grow. They also have an impact on microbial communities, mushrooms and the vegetation found in North American forests. It is even believed that earthworms may be responsible for the disappearance of certain trees or fragile regional plants. They can inevitably offset the balance of the forest’s natural habitat.

Warning! Using live fish as bait represents a high risk of introducing a new species into a waterway.

Travelling increases the risk of introducing and spreading invasive species. Without even knowing, you could return with a plant fragment stuck on your windshield or an insect hidden in your luggage... Once well established in a locale, invasive species can spread naturally by wind, water or animal movement. We promote their dispersion in many ways: highway transportation, navigation, tourism, fishing, aquiculture, raising livestock, aquariums, etc.

Transporting freight unintentionally contributes to currency being distributed to countries all over the world. Insects and tiny larvae from shellfish hide in ships, cars and trucks loaded with consumer products. For example, insects may be housed between the crates used to transport your goods. Once in the country, they can infest a species of trees to the point of complete elimination. So remember: it's always better to buy local and prevent the introduction or dispersion of an invading species.

As a general predator, the cat, once outside our homes, may consume small rodents, birds, frogs, lizards and local insects. In addition, wild cats are the cause of the fragile situation of the ruby-throated hummingbird and bluebirds in North America. Moreover, cats can transport many diseases, some that can also affect humans. An example? Rabies.

The exchange of plants during horticultural shows and purchasing exotic specimens online, contributes to the introduction of invasive species. Taking a plant out of its natural habitat to replant in our own flowerbed may help to colonize and invade the new environment to the detriment of the native species.