Which term refers to plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native?

• A. Invasive species
• B. Renewable resource
• C. Speciation
• D. Nonrenewable resource

Answer: (A)

When organisms end up in places where they didn’t originally occur, the key idea is that they are not native to that area. If they establish populations and spread, often causing harm to ecosystems, economies, or health, they’re described as invasive species. This term captures both their non-native status and their impactful, spreading presence in a new environment. For example, certain plants and animals introduced to new regions can outcompete local species, change habitats, and disrupt food webs, which is what makes them invasive in many cases.

The other terms don’t fit this situation: renewable and nonrenewable resources describe how we categorize energy or materials by whether they can be replenished, not anything about organisms moving to new areas. Speciation refers to the evolutionary process by which new species arise, not to migration or introduction to new locations.