How does a possum affect the ecosystem?

Answer 1

Possums are not the cause of environmental damage in Australia, but where they have been introduced in New Zealand, they cause major damage.

In New Zealand, possums are taking over native bushland, pushing out native species of birds, for which New Zealand is unique. Possums eat the birds' foods, nest in their trees, and are one of the greatest threats to native bird species. They have been recorded eating eggs and chicks from birds' nests.

Their feeding habits also disrupt the food supplies for native bats, lizards and even insects. They feed on the vegetation, reducing its availability for native species, and nest in the trees, forcing smaller species out. There are no natural predators of the possum in New Zealand, so their population has increased dramatically.

Possums strip the native plants of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds, meaning less chances of propagation. New Zealand trees do not have defensive chemicals of some Australian native trees, meaning the possums can continue to eat from one tree until the tree has been severely affected.

Many of these plant species are disappearing from the New Zealand forests, and allowing invasive non-native species to take hold of the forests.

Economically, possums are a disaster because they eat pastures and crops, resulting in loss of farmers' income. They also eat the young pines in pine plantations. The figure spent by government agencies on possum control in 2006 was $111 million.

Answer 2

Possums do not damage the environment in their native land of Australia, but they cause considerable damage in New Zealand.

Possums are causing considerable destruction to New Zealand's environment, to which they were introduced in the 1800s. In New Zealand, possums are taking over native bushland, pushing out native species of birds, for which New Zealand is unique.
Possums eat the birds' foods, nest in their trees, and are one of the greatest threats to native bird species. They have been recorded eating eggs and chicks from birds' nests.

Their feeding habits also disrupt the food supplies for native bats, lizards and even insects. They feed on the vegetation, reducing its availability for native species, and nest in the trees, forcing smaller species out. There are no natural predators of the possum in New Zealand, so their population has increased dramatically.
Possums strip the native plants of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds, meaning less chances of propagation. New Zealand trees do not have defensive chemicals of some Australian native trees, meaning the possums can continue to eat from one tree until the tree has been severely affected.

Many of these plant species are disappearing from the New Zealand forests, and allowing invasive non-native species to take hold of the forests.

Answer 3

Possums are not doing anything to the Australian environment to which they are native. However, they are causing considerable destruction to New Zealand's environment, to which they were introduced in the 1837s. In New Zealand, possums are taking over native bushland, pushing out native species of birds, for which New Zealand is unique. Possums eat the birds' foods, nest in their trees, and are one of the greatest threats to native bird species. Their feeding habits also disrupt the food supplies for native bats, lizards and even insects. Possums strip the native plants of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds, meaning less chances of propagation. Many of these plant species are disappearing from the New Zealand forests, and allowing invasive non-native species to take hold of the forests. For more details on the damage possums do to the New Zealand environment, see the related link below.

Answer 4

In New Zealand, where they have been introduced they do harm the environment.They ringbark native trees which kills them and they compete with native birds for food. They also have been filmed eating native nestlings in nests and have contributed to the decline in some native birds.

Further information:

Possums cause considerable destruction to New Zealand's environment, to which they were introduced in the 1830s (for the fur trade). They have taken over native bushland, pushing out native species of birds, for which New Zealand is unique. Possums eat the birds' foods, nest in their trees, and are one of the greatest threats to native bird species. They have been recorded eating eggs and chicks from birds' nests.

Their feeding habits also disrupt the food supplies for native bats, lizards and even insects. They feed on the vegetation, reducing its availability for native species, and nest in the trees, forcing smaller species out. There are no natural predators of the possum in New Zealand, so their population has increased dramatically.

Possums strip the native plants of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds, meaning less chances of propagation. New Zealand trees do not have defensive chemicals of some Australian native trees, meaning the possums can continue to eat from one tree until the tree has been severely affected.

Many of these plant species are disappearing from the New Zealand forests, and allowing invasive non-native species to take hold of the forests.

Answer 5

It depends on where the possum is.

Possums are native to Australia, where there are dozens of species, and they are uniquely suited to the ecosystem. They aid with seed dispersal for native plants, and live in tree hollows, sometimes forcing out birds that already inhabit that hollow.

in New Zealand, it is a different story. Possums are causing considerable destruction to New Zealand's environment, to which they were introduced in the 1830s (for the fur trade). Here, they are affecting the ecosystem in many negative ways.

In New Zealand, possums are taking over native bushland, pushing out native species of birds, for which New Zealand is unique. Possums eat the birds' foods, nest in their trees, and are one of the greatest threats to native bird species. They have been recorded eating eggs and chicks from birds' nests.

Their feeding habits also disrupt the food supplies for native bats, lizards and even insects. They feed on the vegetation, reducing its availability for native species, and nest in the trees, forcing smaller species out. There are no natural predators of the possum in New Zealand, so their population has increased dramatically.

Possums strip the native plants of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits and seeds, meaning less chances of propagation. New Zealand trees do not have defensive chemicals of some Australian native trees, meaning the possums can continue to eat from one tree until the tree has been severely affected.

Many of these plant species are disappearing from the New Zealand forests, and allowing invasive non-native species to take hold of the forests.

Economically, possums are a disaster because they eat pastures and crops, resulting in loss of farmers' income. They also eat the young pines in pine plantations. The figure spent by government agencies on possum control in 2006 was $111 million.

Answer 6

Yes they are quite capable, including people sometimes they can be pretty vicious.