Understanding the Threat and How to Combat It
Invasive plant species pose a significant threat to our environment. Conservationists and environmentalists have long been concerned about their impact. Since the beginning of time, humans have often attempted to outsmart nature. When the Americas were discovered and migration began, people brought animals, plants, bees, culture, and diseases. Some of these imported wildlife species adapted well, while others were unsuited to the new environment. The same holds true for plant species. Tobacco, for example, became a cash crop for many years in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Kentucky, although it is not native to these areas. While tobacco required some effort to thrive, our focus here is on plant species that are not native but could and are causing significant problems in our environment.
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