A Silent Genocide
One of the biggest problems facing Florida’s communities is the introduction of invasive species. These nonnative plants have led to a genocide of local ecosystems. They have created an ecological disaster that affects all forms of life including humans.
According to the Ecological Society of America, there are over 500 species that currently threaten Florida. This includes only 4% of species in Florida, however, they also count for over 1/3 of plant biomass. This disproportionate representation has pushed over 100 species to the brink of extinction.
These invasive species don’t just impact native plants but also native animals. These plants clog waterways which prevents larger predatory fish finding prey, choke out vital trees that provide housing for birds, and kill many of the native food sources for a variety of animals.
Photo by: Ann Weru
These problems have all occurred due to human activity which brought non native species into the region. According to Bio One, a major source of these invasive species come from ornamental plants in people’s yards and gardens. These then spread out of yards and into the ecosystem where they are free to grow as rapidly as they want. This leads to these plants taking over ecosystems and spreading without any competition.
One of the best ways to solve this issue is having Florida residents take responsibility for their yards and not plant any invasive species. This would severely cut back on the possibility of any new invasive plants being introduced into the ecosystem. Work is currently being done by the government to tackle the issue, but if residents continue to add new species, conservationists will struggle to fight the spread of all these additional species.
However, removing all these invasive species from yards and gardens will cause holes and hurt the aesthetics of homes. That is why these invasive species should be replaced with native ones. There are hundreds of beautiful native Florida species that can be used. This will help to preserve the biodiversity of Florida by protecting specimens of these endangered species.
Photo by: Anna Mardo