naturalized species
Non-native now thriving
A naturalized species is a plant or animal that originated elsewhere but has established self-sustaining populations in a new region, reproducing and spreading without human assistance.
Unlike invasive species, naturalized species integrate into their new environment without necessarily causing ecological harm, though the distinction can be blurry.
The ring-necked pheasant is a naturalized species across much of North America.
Many familiar plants, like dandelions in the Americas, are technically naturalized rather than native.
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- native plantsFlora original to area
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- genetic driftRandom allele frequency change
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
niche · trade routes · globalization · gene flow · hybridization · acclimatization · dispersal · transportation networks · nonnative · habitat · selective pressure · food web · foreign · botanical gardens · migration · habitat modification · spreading · escaped
naturalized speciesnative species
Organisms originating in a region
indigenous species · endemic species · native wildlife · indigenous plants
naturalized speciesprotected species
Organisms legally shielded from harm
native flora and fauna · indigenous wildlife · keystone species