CASE STUDY: INTRODUCED SPECIES

CASE STUDY: INTRODUCTION OF NEW SPECIES 

GREY SQUIRREL

• Grey squirrels are native to North America and were first released in the UK in 1876. 
• It's not clear why exactly they were introduced, perhaps part of the fashion of the victorians.

Negative Impacts:

• Grey squirrels can carry squirrelpox virus, which can cause severe clinical disease and mortality in red squirrels. This disease and competition resulted in displacement of the red squirrel, and nowadays red squirrels are still very rare. 

The threat to flora and fauna:

• Caused damage to coniferous and broadleaved trees such as beech, oak and sycamore.
• Degraded timber quality.
• Raided bird's nests to prey on eggs.
• Deprived natie British wildlife both in the wild and gardens. 
• Damaged orchards and gardens. 
• Invaded and caused damage to domestic and commerical premises eg: wires, stored goods, insulation etc. 

In the 1920's/1930's, grey squirrels were beginning to cause damage to commercial forestry in particular beech trees. A…