Florida has many native species of plants and animals that have lived here for hundreds of years. Over the past 50 years, non-native plant and animal species have become a serious problem. For example, pythons have been released accidentally in south Florida, where they live and reproduce well in the mild climate. Today virtually all of the roughly 30,000 living in southern Florida were born in the Everglades. As a result, ecologists report that populations of mammals have dropped by more than 90% throughout the pythons’ expanding range. What is the most important thing scientists can do to prevent invasive species from continuing to spread?
a. Import predators and consumers from other ecosystems to eat the invasive species
b. Charge fines when people have released an invasive species
c. Pass laws banning the importing of invasive species into Florida
d. Provide information to the public about the dangers of invasive species

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