(bright music) Belle Isle is a 600 acre urban oasis just across the James from downtown RVA, and this oasis has a fascinating history.

It started as a fishing village for indigenous populations.

During the Civil War, Belle Isle was used by the Confederate Army as a prison for captured Union soldiers.

It also has a granite quarry and has housed a nail factory.

Today, Belle Isle has been reclaimed as natural land and is part of the James River Park system.

Its beautiful, serene landscape serves as a recreational escape from urban Richmond.

This might look like a pristine ecosystem with just the right amounts of biotic and abiotic resources, but hidden in this beauty are dangerous forces at work, invasive plant and animal species who are not welcome here.

We're going to learn more about invasive species on today's episode of "Spotlight Earth."

(bright music continues) For a more comprehensive look at this problem, let's head to the studio where Ellen is standing by for a deeper dive.

Thanks, Jarel.

Non-native and invasive species can be a real ecosystem killer.

Let's take a deeper dive.

Within each ecosystem, there are native species that naturally belong to a specific area or region.

Think of them as the original residents of a place, the characters that have always been in the story of that place.

They play important roles in the ecosystem they're a part of.

For example, in Virginia's forest ecosystems, native animals like deer and squirrels are essential to that system.

Other native species in our state include the Appalachian cottontail, the barking tree frog, and the sweet bay magnolia.

Non-native species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are not originally from a particular area, but have been introduced there by humans either accidentally or on purpose.

Agriculture organisms like cows, horses, honeybees, and potatoes were brought to Virginia throughout history.

While these species are non-native, they are fairly well-controlled.

Other introduced organisms like kudzu or accidentally introduced animals like nutria quickly have grown out of control.

You might think not a big deal.

People move and they and their communities adapt, right?

No, not exactly.

Some of these organisms can be real troublemakers.

Invasive species are those non-native organisms that cause ecological, environmental, or economic harm.

Invasive species are often really good at reproducing and spreading fast.

Since they're new to the system, they haven't been a part of the species' interactions that set the carrying capacity and equilibrium, things like predation and competition.

Once an invasive species gets into an environment, it can cause all sorts of trouble.

They might eat all the food the local animals need or take over the space where native plants grow.

Let's check back in with Jarel to learn more about how this impacts Virginia.

Thanks, Ellen.

I'm here today with Lesley Starke, Chief of Natural Area Stewardship with Virginia Natural Heritage.

Lesley, tell us about the dangers of invasive species here in Virginia.

There are invasive species that are easy to see and that are problematic because they're in low concentrations everywhere, and then there are other types of invasive species that are extremely problematic for a certain subset of Virginia resources.

Agriculture, you can imagine if you have an invasive species that is harming our agricultural system, well, we don't have backup agriculture, you know, if we suddenly have crop failure.

The kinds of examples we might see here are not likely to harm anybody, but they do harm the other native plants that could grow here.

You know, to a lot of folks when they walk by, they just see green plants, and as long as they're green, they seem good.

They can't necessarily tell immediately that some are good and some are bad.

When you understand better what it should look like, you might have a better appreciation for what the detriment actually is.

Why are they so detrimental to an ecosystem?

They can be detrimental usually by gobbling up the resources that are in a better harmony when they're just being consumed or interacted with with the native species.

If it's a plant, maybe it sucks more nitrogen outta the soil and it starves the other plants, or maybe it grows on top of the other plants or takes up all the space.

If it's an animal, it might be eating too much of the vegetation around, so you can sometimes see invasive insects that will defoliate trees.

They'll eat all the greenery where the natural ones would just eat some and move on.

How do invasive species typically get introduced to Virginia?

The answer to that kind of depends on when you're asking.

Historically, we had a lot of introductions that were absolutely on purpose, but in this day and age, we have so many opportunities for introductions.

We live in a global society and we do business all around the world.

We have active ports, we have a rail system, we have roads, and so things are getting moved around every day.

Are there any unique challenges of invasive species in Virginia compared to other areas?

Within our area, the Mid-Atlantic or even the whole East Coast, we have many of the same problems, but where Virginia might stand out is that we have so many types of habitats, and so it's sort of a potential opportunity for a lot of different types of things that might land here and find a new home.

Thank you so much for your time, Lesley.

I really appreciate it.

Happy to be here.

Invasive species are a global challenge and every effort to combat them, no matter how small, contributes to the preservation of native ecosystems.

And you can be part of the solution.

There are lots of ways to take action.

Organize or join habitat restoration projects in your area.

Removing invasive species and replanting native plants can be a hands-on way to make a positive impact.

Many organizations like the Invasive Species Task Force here on Belle Isle involve citizen scientists in tracking invasive species.

High school students can join such programs, report invasive species sightings, and contribute data that helps researchers understand their spread.

You can write letters to local politicians or attend town hall meetings to advocate for stronger regulations and policies regarding invasive species prevention and management.

If you enjoy gardening, you can choose native plants for your garden instead of invasive species.

This helps promote native biodiversity and provides habitat for local wildlife.

We need to pay attention when we notice a change and work to remove invasive and non-native species when we can.

Together we can preserve our native environment and help it grow.

Thanks for joining us on "Spotlight Earth."

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