How do invasive plants effect the environment?
• They disrupt normal ecological processes. The presence of invasive plants can alter many functions of a native ecosystem. Invasive plants change the rules by which other species in the ecosystem must live. Invasive species can alter nutrient cycling, soil composition, hydrology and other ecological processes. • They cause native plant communities to decline and decrease biodiversity. When introduced to a new ecosystem, invasive plants have a competitive advantage over native plants because they are freed from the normal ecological influences that control their growth (such as insects, diseases, etc. from their native range.) They often out-compete native plants for limited resources. As a result, what was once a biologically diverse ecosystem may become a plant community of just a few species with the non-native species dominating. • They may create safety problems in park areas. Dense areas of buckthorn, for example, can reduce visibility along pathways and at intersections. This la
