What’s The Problem With Non-Natives?

Not all non-native plants are bad. Many can be very beneficial, such as agricultural crops. However some non-native plants can escape into natural habitats and compete with native plants for resources. These plants are known as “invasives” because they invade native habitats and replace native plant communities.

Often these invasive species possess certain adaptations that make it easier for them to take advantage of native habitats, thereby exploiting the necessary resources typically used by native plant species. In some cases these adaptations may include the ability to reproduce quickly, produce many offspring all at once, grow in disturbed habitats, or germinate before other plants emerge. Some invasive plants possess special adaptations that enable them to take competition a step further by producing chemicals, called allelopathic chemicals, which impact other plants or animals. These allelopathic chemicals are often otherwise toxic chemicals, but which are beneficial to the plant itself. For example, some plants may leech chemicals into the ground that inhibit the growth of other plant species. A good example of the effect of allelopathic chemicals can be seen when you look under pine trees. Chemicals leeched from fallen pine needles inhibit the growth of plants under the trees. Many invasive plants do the same things.