Beware of Exotic Species

Do you have a parrot in your home? How about some sort of tropical plant, or a flower not native to the area? If you do, please keep track of them!

Introduced species are one of the main reasons for decreasing biodiversity. When organisms that are not native to an area are let out into the environment, they have no natural predators and may quickly spread. Of course, not all species can be established in an area. On average, out of every 10 introduced species, 1 will become established. Out of 10 established species, 1 will become a "pest." This is known as the Tens Rule.

These "pests" can out-compete native animals and plants, and completely change the structure of an ecosystem. Examples of introduced species include the African Honey Bee, which preys on North American bees and has really destroyed a great part of the honey-making industry, and Kudzu, which has really taken over a lot of plant communities. Zebra Mussels too, have threatened the biodiversity in the Great Lakes.

So, don't just let your pets or plants out into the wild if you don't feel like keeping them any more! You never know what may happen.

This image is from The Hedonistic Imperative.

Grow native plants in your yard

The next time you are at a plant nursery eying that exotic Brazilian plant, remember something- it is to your advantage and to nature's benefit to bring home something that indigenous to the region. There are a number of reasons why this is so.

Flowers, shrubs, and trees that are native to an area are already acclimated to the local temperature, rainfall, soil nutrients, etc. Therefore, it will be less work for you if you chose these species, since they will most likely not need special care or extra attention.

Many exotic plants require extra water, meaning you will have to turn on your sprinklers more often. Remember from the last post, water = valuable resource + money! You want to conserve it, not find ways to use it up.

Additionally, these plants may require special fertilizers or pesticides since they may not have developed protection against local insects or need nutrients not found in the area's soil. Let me explain to you why the less fertilizer/pesticide you use, the better.

After you apply these chemicals to your land, they stick around in the soil and on the plants. When rain comes, they are washed away with the runoff. Eventually, most of the runoff flows in bodies of water such as lakes. Now, pesticides and fertilizers from farmlands and yards accumulate into the lake. The pesticides can kill off beneficial organisms that are essential to the ecosystem of the lake.

The fertilizers also cause a grave problem, known as eutrophication. In this phenomenon, the nutrients in fertilizers such as nitrogen and phosphorous feed the algae in the lake. Because of the excess food, the algae can grow to enormous proportions, in groups known as "algal blooms." Now, when the algae die, bacteria swarm in large numbers to decompose the massive blooms. These bacteria use up a lot of the oxygen in the lake and cause oxygen-free areas known as "dead zones." With little to no oxygen, fish and other creatures die. Eutrophication is a major issue today, especially in the Chesapeake Bay.

Lastly, native plants simply cost less! They don't have to be ugly either- there are many attractive species located in all areas of the world!

The other dangers of exotic species will be addressed in an upcoming post, hopefully. Meanwhile, pay attention to what you are planting in your yard!

The above image is from www.jstryker.com