Invasive Plants in North America

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the spread of invasive plant species, specifically in the United States, and explains the nature of some of these invasive species. The writer discusses how these plants are introduced to the United States, their negative effects on the environment, and methods of control. The The writer also discusses the leading hypothesis for how nonnative plant species become invasive, known as the "escape-from-enemy" hypothesis. The paper concludes that more education and awareness is needed in order to fight these invasive species which have the potential to destroy native ecosystems.

From the Paper:

"Invasive plants are a major, if not well understood, threat to ecological stability in the United States if not the world. Some nonnative species that are introduced into a new habitat are entirely innocuous and have no detrimental effects. Others are ill-suited to the new environment and quickly expire. Some, however, are exceptionally well-suited for their new place in the world and quickly overcome all of the native species. The kudzu vine and the zebra mussel are examples of such aggressive, invasive species. Unfortunately for those environmentalists and social agencies interested in preventing the spread of invasive species, the attributes of a successful invasion are not well understood (Wolfe 705). Understanding how nonnative species become invasive must be one of the first priorities in the fight against their spread and the subsequent destruction of ecosystem stability."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Beware of Invasive Species." Public Roads 63.5 (Mar. 2000): 25-29. Callaway, Ragan M. and Aschehoug, Erik T. "Invasive Plants Versus Their New and Old Neighbors: A Mechanism for Exotic Invasion." Science 290.5491 (20 Oct. 2000): 521-523.
• Davenport, Roberta. "Control of Knotweed and Other Invasive Species and Expereinces Restoring Native Species in the Pacific Northwest US." Native Plants Journal 7.1 (Spring 2006): 20-26.
• Devine, Robert. Alien Invasion: America's Battle with Non-Native Plants and Animals. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1998.
• Horan, Richard D., Lupi, Frank, and Bulte, Erwin H. "Biological Pollution Prevention Strategies under Ignorance: The Case of Invasive Species." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 84.5 (Dec. 2002): 1303-1310.
• "Invasive Exotic Pest Plants in Tennessee." Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 77.2 (Apr. 2002): 45-48.

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