Wildlife of the Falkland Islands
Encyclopedia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. The Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
have no native reptiles or amphibians, and the only native mammal, the warrah, is now extinct. However, a large number of bird species have been seen around the islands, and many of them breed on the smaller islands of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
. Insects play a large role in the ecosystem of the islands, and over 200 species have been recorded. The waters around the Falkland Islands sustain many animals, including a large number of marine mammal
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s. Three pinniped
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
species breed on the islands.
There are no trees native to the area, leading to a wide proliferation of grass species. This includes tussac grass, the dense leaves of which provide a micro-climate for many bird and invertebrate species. Small bushes are also found, along with a small number of freshwater plants. The plant species vary with different factors such as the fertility of the soil, the humidity, and altitude.
There is a lack of data about many species in the islands, as well as a lack of long term data about the environment. Introduced animals are having a detrimental effect on native wildlife, which is now mainly restricted to smaller offshore islands. Some native animals are protected, but many are not, due to a lack of information about them.
Ecological zones and habitats
The Falkland islandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
are an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
located 300 mi (483 km) off South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in the south Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Biogeographically
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
, the Falkland Islands are classified as part of the Antarctic ecozone and Antarctic Floristic Kingdom
Antarctic Floristic Kingdom
The Antarctic Floristic Kingdom is a floristic region first identified by botanist Ronald Good , which includes most areas of the world south of 40°S latitude...
. Strong connections exist with the flora and fauna of Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
in South America.
There are two main islands in the archipelago, East Falkland
East Falkland
East Falkland the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of and a coastline long. Most of the population of the Falklands live in East Falkland, almost all of them living in the northern half of the island...
and West Falkland
West Falkland
West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by Falkland Sound. Its area is and its coastline is long. Including the adjacent small islands the land area is .-Population:The island has fewer than 200...
, along with over 700 smaller ones. 19 land habitats are recognised.The soil types in the island vary, due to the relative dryness of the west compared to the east and differences in altitude. Many coastal areas have Tussac grass, which needs high humidity and salty air to flourish. Inland habitats are often heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
, either grass or shrubs, or Feldmark made of cushion plant
Cushion plant
A cushion plant is a compact, low growing, mat forming plant that is found in alpine, subalpine, arctic, or subarctic environments around the world...
s. Lowlands have acidic peaty soil with a low fertility. These lowlands support grass in wetter areas, but only shrubs in the drier areas. In the areas with high nutrient levels, the lowlands can support turf
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
. The mountains usually have clay or stony soils, on which only feldmark
Feldmark
Feldmark, also spelt fjaeldmark , is a plant community characteristic of sites where plant growth is severely restricted by extremes of cold and by exposure to wind, typical of alpine tundra and subantarctic environments.-Description:...
plants such as cushion plant
Cushion plant
A cushion plant is a compact, low growing, mat forming plant that is found in alpine, subalpine, arctic, or subarctic environments around the world...
s can grow and which support a very small diversity of species.
Fauna
The archipelago had only one terrestrial mammal upon the arrival of Europeans, the warrah. This was a kind of fox, and was found on both major islands. It was traditionally thought that PatagoniaPatagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
n Indians once brought the warrah to the islands as a hunting dog. However, a 2009 DNA study by scientists at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
suggested that the warrah arrived on the islands long before humans made it to the New World, and that its nearest relative was the Maned Wolf
Maned Wolf
The maned wolf is the largest canid of South America, resembling a large fox with reddish fur.This mammal is found in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west and south-eastern Brazil The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the...
, an extant South American canid. It became extinct in the mid 19th century as human settlement spread. 14 species of marine mammal
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s including Killer whales, Peale's dolphin
Peale's Dolphin
Peale's Dolphin is a small dolphin found in the waters around Tierra del Fuego at the foot of South America. It is also commonly known as the Black-chinned Dolphin or even Peale's Black-chinned Dolphin...
s, Southern elephant seal
Southern Elephant Seal
The Southern Elephant Seal is one of the two extant species of elephant seal. It is both the most massive pinniped and member of the order Carnivora living today...
s, and Southern sea lions frequent the surrounding waters. The elephant seal, the fur seal, and the sea lions all breed on the islands, and the largest elephant seal breeding site has over 500 animals in it. Other species, especially cetaceans, are also sometimes seen.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
There are five penguin species breeding on the islands, King penguin
King Penguin
The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about , second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p...
s, rockhopper penguin
Rockhopper penguin
The rockhopper penguins are three closely related taxa of crested penguins that have been traditionally treated as a single species and are sometimes split into two or three species. Not all experts agree on the classification of these penguins...
s, magellanic penguin
Magellanic Penguin
The Magellanic Penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil where they are occasionally seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus penguins. Its nearest...
s, gentoo penguin
Gentoo penguin
The Gentoo Penguin , Pygoscelis papua, is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. The gentoo penguin has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail - the most prominent tail of all penguins. Chicks have...
s, and macaroni penguin
Macaroni Penguin
The Macaroni Penguin is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the Royal Penguin, and some authorities consider the two to be a single species...
s. Approximately 494,500 breeding pairs are thought to live on the island, 500 of which are King penguins. Five other species have been recorded, but do not have a breeding population. The largest breeding population of black-browed albatross
Black-browed Albatross
The Black-browed Albatross or Black-browed Mollymawk, Thalassarche melanophrys, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae, and it is the most widespread and common albatross.-Taxonomy:...
is found on the islands, making up over 60% of the global black-browed albatross population. This is the only breeding species of albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
, although nine others have been recorded. Many species of Petrel
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
also nest on the falklands. Most remaining bird colonies exist on remote offshore islands.
Inland, upland and ruddy-headed
Ruddy-headed Goose
The Ruddy-headed Goose is a large sheldgoose, which breeds in southernmost South America.It breeds on open grassy plains in Tierra del Fuego, Chile and the Falkland Islands. The South American birds are now very rare. They winter on lowlands in southern Argentina, some distance north of the...
geese live near small freshwater ponds, along with Silver Teal
Silver Teal
The Silver Teal or Versicolor Teal is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. It breeds in South America....
, Chiloe Wigeon
Chiloe Wigeon
The Chiloe Wigeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. Unlike other wigeons, the sexes are similar and pairs are monogamous. This bird has a metallic green head, and a gray bill with a black tip. Its breast is barred black and white and its sides are orange brown...
, and White-tufted Grebe
White-tufted Grebe
The White-tufted Grebe is a species of grebe in the Podicipedidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
. There are six species of heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s that have been recorded, although only the black-crowned night heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
The Black-crowned Night Heron commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia .-Description:Adults are...
is known to breed in the area.
There are no native reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s or amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s on the islands. Over 200 species of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s have been recorded, along with 43 spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
species and 12 worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
species. Over 60 species of true flies live on the islands, 12 species of wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s, and 20 species of butterflies and moths. There is a high diversity of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s species, with 110 species of which 15 are ground beetle
Ground beetle
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, approximately 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe.-Description and ecology:...
s, 20 are weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
s, 16 are darkling beetle
Darkling beetle
Darkling beetles are a family of beetles found worldwide, estimated at more than 20,000 species. Many of the beetles have black elytra, leading to their common name...
s, 15 are hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
, and 12 are booklice. Only 13 terrestrial invertebrates are recognised as endemic, although information on many species in lacking and it is suspected up to two thirds of species found are actually endemic, including 16 spiders. Insects are important as decomposer
Decomposer
Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition. Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use organic substrates to get their energy, carbon and nutrients for growth and...
s, and also make up a large portion of the diet of some bird species. Due to the island environment, many insect species have developed reduced or absent wings. There are around 129 freshwater invertebrates, the majority being rotifer
Rotifer
The rotifers make up a phylum of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate animals. They were first described by Rev. John Harris in 1696, and other forms were described by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1703...
, however the identification of some species remains in dispute.
Six species of fish are found in freshwater areas, including zebra trout and falklands minnows. Different species of krill
Krill
Krill is the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Also known as euphausiids, these small invertebrates are found in all oceans of the world...
are found in Falkland waters, with Lobster Krill inhabiting the warmer waters in the north. A small number of giant squid
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
have been caught in Falkland waters.
Flora
Vegetation on the archipelago is composed of grassGrass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s. Around 363 species of vascular plant
Vascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s have been recorded on the island, 171 of which are native and 13 of which are endemic. 21 species of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and clubmosses are recorded, and 278 species of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s have been recorded. There are no native tree species, although there are two species of bushes, fachine and native box
Hebe elliptica
Hebe elliptica is a plant of the family Plantaginaceae, which is endemic to New Zealand, Aisen and Magallanes in Chile, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. It is an evergreen, bushy shrub of 1 m or more in height, with green, oval leaves, 2–4 cm long. Flowers are white to pale...
. Some bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s exist and support some freshwater plant species, but these are not common on the islands.
Tussac grass, which averages 2 m (6.6 ft) in height but can reach up to 4 m (13.1 ft), consists of a tussock
Tussock
Tussock most often refers to a small hillock of grassy, or grass-like plant growth, but may also refer to Plants and ecology, Insects.- Plants and ecology :*Tussock *New Zealand tussock grasslands*Serrated Tussock...
of vegetation around a fibrous central pedestal. They are known to live for over 200 years, and can become large enough for birds to nest on them. Due to the need for high humidity and salty air, tussac grass is not found more than 300 m (984 ft) away from the coast, causing it to form bands around larger islands. The dead leaves that accumulate in these areas make them highly fertile, although few other species can grow due to the density of the grass. The dense canopies formed create an insulated micro-climate suitable for many birds and invertebrates.
Heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
is found commonly inland, made up of either grass or shrubs. The most common grass species is whitegrass (Cortaderia
Cortaderia
Cortaderia is a genus of 20-25 species of grasses in the family Poaceae. Members of the genus are native to South America , New Zealand and New Guinea . The name of the genus is derived from the Argentine Spanish word cortadera, which in turn refers to the sharp serrations on the leaves....
pilosa), and this grass heath covers the majority of the main islands. These grasses support other flowering plants, along with insects and birds. The shrub heath is composed mostly of low-growing shrubs such as diddle-dee
Empetrum rubrum
Empetrum rubrum, known as red crowberry or Diddle-Dee , is a species of plant in the Ericaceae family with a distributional range in Chile from Talca to Cape Horn ; in areas of adjacent Argentina; in the Falkland Islands; and in Tristan da Cunha. One of its northernmost natural growing places is...
, and also hosts many other plant species along with invertebrates and small birds. In the feldmark environments formed on exposed ridges and higher areas, cushion plant
Cushion plant
A cushion plant is a compact, low growing, mat forming plant that is found in alpine, subalpine, arctic, or subarctic environments around the world...
s such as balsam bog (Bolax gummifera
Bolax
Bolax is a genus of flowering plant in the Apiaceae, with 4 or 5 species. It is endemic to temperate South America.It resembles moss, but is firm and prickley and tends to grow in mounds. It can be found on the Falkland Islands....
). Species of fern can also grow in such areas. In the most extreme areas, only lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
and specialised plants such as snakeplant
Snakeplant
"Snakeplant" or "Snake Plant" may refer to either:Nassauvia serpens ,orSansevieria trifasciata , also called Mother-in-law's Tongue....
s can grow.
The Pale Maiden (Sisyrinchium jubatum) is the Falkland Island's national flower.
Issues and introduced species
There is little long-term data on habitat changes, so the extent of human impact is unclear, although threats such as invasive speciesInvasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
and camp burning are recognised. Vegetation such as tussac grass, fachine, and native box have been heavily affected by introduced grazing animals. Tussac grass now exists in only 20% of its former range, mostly offshore islands, as a result of its extreme sensitivity. Many breeding birds similarly only live on offshore islands, where introduced animals such as cats and rats are not found. The only native terrestrial mammal, the Warrah, was wiped out in the mid-19th century.
Wildlife tourism is growing, and steps are being taken to protect the wildlife of the islands. Some protection exists under the Conservation of Wildlife and Nature Ordinance 1999. Only two bird species lack legal protection. One fish species, the zebra trout, is protected. Amid a lack of information on invertebrates, legislation only exists to protect butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
.
Virtually the entire area of the islands is used as pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
for sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
. There is also an introduced reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
population, which was brought to the islands in 2001 for commercial purposes. Rats have been introduced in the area, and Guanacos were introduced south of Mount Pleasant in 1862 so Prince Alfred
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
could hunt them in 1871. However, the introduction was generally unsuccessful, and they died out everywhere except Staats Island
Staats Island
Staats Island is one of the Beaver Island Group in the Falkland Islands. It lies between Beaver Island and Weddell Island, parallel to Tea Island and is in area. It is known for its Patagonian foxes and guanacos, both introduced species; the former is not to be confused with the closely related...
. South American Gray Foxes were introduced and are having a detrimental impact on birds that nest on the shores, as are feral cat
Feral cat
A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.In many parts of...
s. A number of invertebrate species have been introduced since the arrival of Europeans, some filling niche
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
s that were not previously filled. House sparrow
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
s and domestic geese are the only introduced bird species. Introduced fish species exist, such as the brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. Twenty-two introduced plant species are thought to provide a significant threat to local flora.