Ministry of higher and secondary specialized

Flora and ​ ​fauna​ are terms that mean plants and animals, respectively. They refer broadly to the diverse species that exist in a given ​ecosystem​.
Once humans began to move goods around the world, animal and plant species came with them. Before this, ecosystems evolved in physical isolation from one another. When an ​organism​ is introduced to a new ecosystem, one of several things can happen: the new organism can be out-competed for resources by the ​native​ species and die out; it can co-exist with the native species; or it can out-compete the natives and become ​invasive​. Invasive species of flora and fauna are a global problem, threatening ecosystem ​biodiversity​ and competing with native species for water, nutrients and space.
There are various ways to categorize flora and fauna, which are often debated by ecologists. The terms “native,” “invasive,” “exotic”, and “​introduced​” all connote particular values and goals depending on whether the goal is to restore, conserve or let an ecosystem manage itself without human intervention.
The categories used in this unit are chosen to illustrate what type of role or function particular species play in an ecosystem.
Native species ​(indigenous) are organisms that existed in a local ecosystem before globalization and are integrated into the ecosystem.
Introduced species​ are organisms that come to a new area from another place as a result of human activity.
Invasive species​ are introduced species that create an imbalance in the ecosystem by outcompeting native species.
Many people assume that due to Newtown Creek’s toxicity and ​industrial​ uses it is devoid of plant and animal life. As we will see, this notion is incorrect and local environmental improvements continue to allow for increased biodiversity. This unit explores some of the plant and animal species in the Creek today as well as historical species that are no longer found in the current Creek ecosystem. Each species has an impact on the health and vitality of the waterway. For some species their contribution is clearly positive or negative, but for others the story is more complicated. For instance, invasive plants can provide ecosystem services such as shore stabilization, oxygen transpiration, shading or ​habitat​.
Students will gain practice closely observing the characteristics of specific plant and animal species, practice identifying the species with field guides, and have the opportunity to explore the roles these species play or played historically in the Creek urban ecosystem. It is important that we understand which species of flora and fauna we want to encourage to flourish in the Creek.