Hardly an exciting "creation," but I thought I'd share my knowledge of the issue of non-native plants with you guys anyway. This is a topic I feel extremely strong about, so please ask any questions. Also, if you have a good argument about why non-native plants are good, please post as well. (I'll definitely retaliate. It will help me work on arguments in my favor, as well as educate you more.) I'm breaking it up into sections so its 7 pageness won't be too overwhelming. I'm also including citations, just in case people want to learn a bit more. Now without further adieu, I present to you:
The Negatives Of Non-native Plants
Every day, everybody walks unknowingly past one of the least known, yet worst problems facing our world. Non-native plants have been ruining ecosystems for thousands of years, yet stores continue to sell them and people continue to buy and plant them. The negatives of planting non-native plants tremendously outweigh any possible positives. Not only do we need to stop planting non-native species, but we must also remove them immediately. Though some non-native plants are “pretty”, very few provide any wildlife value, they are extremely invasive, and are causing major problems for the environment and people. Plus, they require more water, fertilizer and pesticides than native plants. By discontinuing the planting of non-native species, as well as removing the ones that have already been planted, we will be reviving millions of acres of habitat, saving ecosystems, and contributing to the growth of native species that might otherwise go extinct.
Humans have been introducing plants to new areas for centuries. In fact, it was one of the first actions they took when Europeans arrived in the new world. Since then, there have been over 50,000 non-native species of plants introduced to the U.S. alone, compared to a mere 18,000 native plants. (The Invasive Problem) Non-native plants are normally brought for a specific reason, such as erosion control, food for humans and livestock, or for their ornamental value. Whether or not they do their intended job, they are now competing with the native flora for space and resources. The non-native plants have very few, if any, predators so they grow without being eaten back by insects or animals. After they've grown for a little while, they begin to reproduce. That is when the invasion begins.
Many of the non-native species brought over from other countries become invasive. Invasive species spread extremely quickly and take over vast areas. Out of the 50,000 non-native species in America, 4,300 have been classified as invasive and that number continues to grow. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Some of the country's most invasive plants are growing in our own town and possibly even our own yards. Japanese Knotweed, Multiflora Rose, English Ivy, Japanese Maple, Garlic Mustard, Norway Spruce and Norway Maple are just a few of the many non-native and invasive species people are walking by every single day. What is even worse, is that the Norway Maple has passed every native species and has become the most common shade tree in America. (Bringing Nature Home) Through humans and natural spreading, these plants are taking over and killing the native flora of the U.S. When a non-native tree is planted, it grows quickly and without the intervention of predators. Trees grow to the point where they block the sunlight of native plants, vines strangle trees, and flowers are able to simply crowd out any native competitors and kill them. They then reproduce, quickly cover the area that was once covered by a variety of native plants in a fully functioning ecosystem, and turn it into a wasteland where very few species can live.
The fact that no native species eat non-native plants is good for the non-native plant, but not for the natives. Melaleuca quinquenervia, also known as the Paper Bark Tea Tree, was introduced over 120 years ago and only supports eight native herbivores, a mere fraction of the 409 species supported in its native Australia. Also, opuntia ficus indica, or the Prickly Pear, may only support 16 herbivores in England, but it doesn't support even a single one in America. (Bringing Nature Home) The lack of wildlife value combined with the rapid spreading and destruction of native plants makes it easy for non-native plants to take over areas and destroy our environment.
While many homeowners would pay top dollar for a plant that no insects would eat, they don't realize how damaging that actually is. After plants, insects are one of the lowest organisms on the food chain, which means they are some of the most important species out there. Hundreds of bird species rely on insects to feed themselves, as well as their young during nesting season. If an area is dominated by non-native plants, there will be very few insects for the birds to eat and feed to their young. The lack of songbirds contributes to a lower population of a predator of the birds, such as hawks. This pattern continues, ultimately affecting every species living in the ecosystem and possibly making it collapse. By taking away even the smallest creature from an ecosystem, you are aiding in its destruction, and that's exactly what non-natives are doing.
In addition to forcing insects out of the Everglades because of the lack of food, the Paper Bark Tea Tree has done much more damage to the Everglades. Once one of the most unique and important ecosystems in Florida, this amazing grassland has been converted into a dense forest of non-native trees including the Paper Bark Tea Tree, Australian Pine and Brazilian pepper among others. (Bringing Nature Home) Now, there is little grass for grassland birds to nest in, Egrets have limited space to hunt for fish, hummingbirds can't find nectar, butterflies can't find host plants and the threatened American Alligators can't make their wallows. The serious damage that non-native plants have done to the ecosystems can only be undone if they are removed.
If being invasive and useless to wildlife isn't enough, non-native plants have also brought over diseases. The plants that carried the diseases are immune to them, but native species aren't. When planted, the disease spreads to native plants and may result in the death of an entire species. Two famous cases of diseases introduced by non-native plants include chestnut blight and Dutch Elm Disease. Chestnut Blight has killed nearly every American Chestnut, which was once an extremely important tree in hardwood forests. Dutch elm disease has also killed off almost all of the seven species of elms native to the U.S. Without these trees, insect and animal populations plummeted and ecosystems crashed. Some species of insects that could only reproduce on these trees even went extinct, all because people wanted a new, interesting species. (Bringing Nature Home) It is necessary that we stop planting non-native species so that an incident similar to this can never happen again.
Not only are non-native plants causing problems for the environment, they are also directly causing problems for people. The U.S. spends around 134 billion dollars annually trying to control non-native species and the world spends about 1.4 trillion dollars removing invasives. (Teacher's Guide 3...Non-Native Species) 2 trillion dollars, which is enough money to pay off more than one eighth of our national debt, have been spent solely on removing non-native species in the U.S. since I was born, yet people continue to plant them. Florida alone spends 14 million dollars every year trying to control a single plant, the Hydrilla, a plant common in their waterways. (Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants) Also, The Great Lakes Sport and Commercial Fishing Industries, which account for more that $4 billion annually in revenue and more than 7500 jobs, is in danger because the plant sea lamprey, as well as non-native fish and mussels, are decreasing commercial and sport fish caught by them. (Teacher's Guide 3...Non-Native Species) Invasive aquatic plants also result in annoyances such as jamming boat motors or making water difficult to swim in. Removing these plants would save jobs and trillions of dollars that would otherwise be wasted.
Even if you couldn't care less about the damages non-native plants are doing to our environment, there are still more benefits to native plants as opposed to non-native plants for the common homeowner. According to epa.gov, 26 billion gallons of water are used daily in the U.S. and 7.8 billion gallons, or 30 percent, are devoted to outdoor uses. (Conserving Water) Native plants have adapted for millions of years to live in the specific climate and soil that they live in, and because of this they require less watering, fertilizers and overall care. This means that anyone can have beautiful gardens and only rarely water their plants. This conserves water, therefore lowering your water bill. Non-native plants, however, are not adapted to where they have been introduced, and therefore require much more care. This means you will spend money and time watering and fertilizing plants that can be easily replaced by a more useful, yet just as ornamental native plant.
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