Invasive Species and Wildlife Extinction

As the climate changes due to global warming new species find that they are well suited to a new environment and its different temperature and begin to invade, these new species are known as invasive species. One example of an invasive species in Rocky Mountain National Park is cheatgrass (Bromus Tectorum). Twenty years ago cheatgrass could only be found in the lowest elevation areas of the park, but no it can be found at much higher elevations, since these higher elevations have grown increasingly warmer. This change greatly affects the park, because cheatgrass spreads easily and is quite flammable,and therefore increases fire danger. This is a serious problem due to the increasingly warm and dry climate. As temperatures rise and invasive species such as cheatgrass continue to invade the par they become competitors for previous organisms and greatly change the physical appearance of the park. There are also many species in Rocky Mountain National Park that are either threatened or endangered, meaning they are on the verge of extinction. For example, the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is a fish that needs cold and clear water to swim in, as well as natural streams with high quality water and a large amount of space. Currently, this fish has 1% of its original habitat to live and swim in. It faces threats such as hybridization with newly introduced fish species, and severe pollution, as the use of the land around the waters are polluting the water and killing plants near the water. The Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout was just put on the Endangered Species Act waiting list this year.