The Effects Of Noxious Weeds On Rangeland

The Maryland ecosystem is being ravaged by several invasive species. These species are introduced into the ecosystem in several ways, with several discoveries of invasive species every year. Whether it be Wavyleaf basketgrass or Purple loosestrife, these plants are capable of outcompeting with native plants and causing devastation to the native ecosystem. These invasive species are damaging to the environment and we should work as a community to halt the spread and limit its impact on the ecosystem of Maryland.

Invasive species come in many forms; they can be plants, animals, insects, fish, fungus, organisms, and bacteria. Invasive plants are those which cause environmental, economic and human harm and originate from another area or region. They are a complex and difficult problem to tackle. There are more than 4,000 plants species found in Florida, of those 1300 or more are non-native or invasive. Many invasive species are taking over Florida’s waterways disrupting their natural ecosystem by outgrowing and replacing Florida’s native plants. Relieving the damage they cause is not easy, but scientists and members of the communities being affected are finding that it is achievable, as long as everyone works as a team to address the issue.

Invasive species are animals, plants, or fungi that are non-native to the place they are currently in. Some non-native species are not invasive, but if the organisms cause harm to the native species, then they become invasive. Some invasive species on the Pacific Northwest are nutria, bullfrogs, and yellow star thistle. These plants and animals ruin the ground, eat whatever they can fit in their mouth, and can cause diseases. These invasive species don’t help the environment or the organisms living in the Pacific Northwest.

Currently, the sagebrush ecosystem is rapidly declining across the Western United States, with over 350 associated plant and animal species at risk of being lost and imperiled. The main reason for the sagebrush decline is the steady encroachment of cheatgrass and pinyon-juniper. The invasion of these plants are fueling larger and more frequent fires that are out competing sagebrush as well as the associated grass species that are native components of the ecosystem, taking over much land that sagebrush once occupied. Cheatgrass was introduced to North America through contaminated grain seed, straw packing material, and soil used as ballast in ships sailing from Eurasia in the late 1890’s and is now the main culprit behind sagebrush decline.

Herbicides and pesticides are not a natural way to achieve a beautiful lawn, contrary to what lawn care companies would like people to believe. They are broad-spectrum biocides, and by their very nature can harm organisms other than the targeted species (Dieglman, 1996).

An invasive species is a non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. The term "invasive" is used for the most harmful aggressive plants & animal. These species grow and reproduce rapidly, causing major harm to the biomes in which they are introduced too. If most invasive species are left uncontrolled in certain situations they can destroy the ecosystem they’re in leaving it useless for native species. The longer we ignore the dilemma the harder, more expensive the battle for the biomes will become. Most invasive species can terrorize your ability to enjoy hunting, fishing, boating or other outdoor recreational activities. “The United States suffers from $1.1-120 billion per year in economic losses due to exotic, invasive species.” (Invasive)

Georigia Invasive Species Task Force. (2005, March). Invasive Weeds in Georgia. Retrieved from Georigia Invasive Species Task Force:

The rangelands of the west are the legendary rolling hills and wide-open spaces of American history and folklore. Federal and nonfederal rangelands include grasslands, deserts, tundra, mountains, canyons, and riparian areas. Federal rangelands are primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rangelands include wilderness areas and provide habitat for millions of plants, wild animals, and fish, including 74 threatened or endangered species (“Rangeland Health”). Rangeland is the base of forage for most of the livestock industry in America. They also provide recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and off-site

The Puget Sound Prairies, are an important example of a rare and unique ecosystem, that are quickly disappearing. Their disappearance is mainly due to human development and invasive plants, specifically nonnative perennial grasses, which pose another serious threat to these prairies (Stanley, Kaye, & Dunwitti, 2008).

I don’t think that this will be very good for our environment. All of those chemicals are also dangerous for humans and animals. Consequently, the weeds will eventually grow resistance to these chemicals too. This is why we need to find another way to prevent weed infestations safely. There are multiple ways to prevent weeds such as, corn starch based film or paper mulch to help prevent weeds from growing. Another way is called cover cropping, this is a method where farmers grow other crops in between the rows such a clover and alfalfa that become living mulch and recycle nutrients back into the soil as they

Invasive species are plants or animals that spread to a non-native ecosystem and cause harm to that area. Common characteristics of invasive species include their ability to permit a variety of conditions, produce lots of seeds or eggs, separate easily, has long growing period or quick reproduction time, and their new environment has comparable conditions to the original habitat. Invasive species most often have negative impacts when they are transported to another environment. A recent study done by the Center for Aquatic Conservation describes the effect some invasive species have. In various states of the U.S, it has been found that invasive species are costing more than “$200 million a year in losses to commercial

Invasive species got their name for a reason, and that’s because they’re invasive. Which basically means: They’re spreading everywhere even though, no one wants them to. Now let’s look at invasive plants. They’re about 1,300 non-native species inhabiting California (ipm.UCdavis.edu). And some have the potential to become a very harmful invasive species. They can cause many things: 1) Changing the soil fertility in an ecosystem, 2) Promoting a shorter interval (or in some cases longer) fire frequency that is not conducive to the survival of native species, 3) Creating a saline environment as roots absorb salts from deep in the soil and redistribute them from the foliage to the soil surface (ipm.UCdavis.edu). As you can see, non-native plants could really damage a new ecosystem. Especially when invasive plants thrive in said ecosystem, which could limit space and water for the native plants. And based on my research, invasive plants are as problematic as invasive

In California today, there are a lot of plants and animals populating the region. The Environmental Protection Agency states “French broom (Genista monspessulana) is an invasive shrub from Europe now abundant in California”(EPA). Though French broom does not sound imposing, the problems it has caused are copious. If French broom is not stopped at an early stage, it can grow rapidly and have drastic effects. Today, the effects are becoming more and more unmanageable because it is deleterious to the environment and other species. All of these reasons can make the issue of French broom quite a pressing one, especially now more than ever.

As a homeowner with a beautiful yard, the last thing you want to have to deal with is a yard with weeds in it. In order to effectively deal with this problem, you can try these weed-killing methods.

Cheatgrass is the common name for the species Bromus tectorum L. and belongs to the grass family Poaceae (USDA 2015). This invasive plant was originally reported in eastern North America but now it is dominant in the Intermountain West (Huttanus 2009). The genetics of 192 North American populations of Bromus tectorum is studied so far (Huttanus 2009). Cheatgrass grows mostly in coarse texted soils whereas it cannot develop in saline or compacted soil (USDA 2014). In addition, it can invade rapidly in troubled areas such as burned areas, overgrazed rangelands, and cultivated fields. The spreading of the plant to shorter distance occurred as a result of transportation of hairy seeds by wind, birds, water, and to greater distance by vehicles carrying seeds in its undercarriage (USDA 2014).