When looking at a park or forest, it-s easy to fall into the mindset that a plant is just a plant. If it-s green, it-s good, right? Wrong! For any green space to be healthy, it needs to have biological diversity (more commonly known as bio-diversity).
What is bio-diversity? Before human contact, every natural space has a variety of native plants that thrive together. In an untouched forest, for example, trees that need the sun to survive in turn provide shade for the plants that like the shade. Each plant in a natural forest has adapted over hundreds of years to its surroundings and is very good at coexisting with the plants around it. This makes for healthy soil and good habitat for animals.
When humans introduce non-native plants, they can take over and choke out native species. Plants like ivy and blackberries are extremely hearty and can grow almost everywhere, often killing off weaker native plants by taking their sunlight and nutrients. These plants take a toll on the soil by draining away vital nutrients and can even cause species to go extinct. Any habitat dominated by a few plants is far less healthy than one with good bio-diversity.
October 13th, 2011UncategorizedRead More >No Comments
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