TERMINOLOGY TUESDAY 🌿
w/ the Florida Native Plant Society!
National Invasive Species Awareness Week begins on Friday, so we’re kicking off several episodes discussing what invasive species are, why they are harmful to our ecosystems, and what we can do to prevent and mitigate that harm.
Invasive Species:
Invasive plants are non-native species that do not have functional roles in the ecosystems they’ve been introduced. They have no natural checks and balances and cannot pass energy through the food web. They cause dysregulation in our ecosystems, which can lead to their collapse. Therefore, they are likely to cause harm - economic and environmental, as well as harm to human health.
Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica, is a highly invasive grass species that forms dense monocultures that push out all of our native herbaceous plants and even prevent forests from regenerating. It’s also highly flammable, and burns exceptionally hot, so is a threat to human habitation as well.
Thanks for tuning in! 👋🏻
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