How are native plants related to climate change? And how do invasive species worsen it?
This is a Gaviota tarplant, an endangered native plant species in California! (Photo by Connie Rutherford; Found at CNPS.org)
Climate change is a large issue that can be partially tackled by growing more native plants in California, but let's start with the basics. What is climate change, why is it harmful, and how do native plants prevent further escalation of it?
Climate change can be defined as "a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels," (Oxford Dictionaries).
Climate Change
Climate change is now an extremely controversial topic, but it is important to understand the facts. For one, a major cause of climate change is global warming, which is documented increase in temperature at the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans. Major contributions to these temperature changes are human activity that directly releases greenhouse gases by deforestation and fossil fuel combustion from the production of electricity, and light, among other causes, into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases then trap heat and continuously induce global warming and increase climate change. Along with invasive plants, greenhouse gases are one of the largest factors in climate change. This results in irregular climate patterns, leading to more fires, flooding, air/water pollution, and even risk to human health (all according to GlobalChange.gov)! So, we are here to talk about another contributing aspect of climate change: invasive species.
Native Species' and Invasive Species' Effect on Climate Change -- and Vice Versa
Let's start with native species; expectedly, it's defined as a species that normally lives and thrives in a particular ecosystem (YourDictionary.com). On the other hand, invasive species are harmful, nonnative species, also called alien species, that disrupt ecosystems (Britannica.com). According to Audubon.org, Native species are good because they preserve biodiversity by increasing the variety of plants in California and, to some extent, oppose climate change. Not only this, but some such as native oak trees support hundreds of animal species, and native plants generally require little maintenance, including less water. Native trees, like oak trees in particular, can store a lot of carbon dioxide, preventing it from getting to the atmosphere. This improves our situation with climate change. Native plants also need less maintenance, so fewer greenhouse gas emissions need to be released from lawnmower exhaust. Invasive species are harmful, as they spread more rapidly and have one huge negative effect on native species: killing them off by outcompeting them in access to resources, among other things. In some cases, invasive species directly kill the native species. Either way, they worsen our situation with climate change by killing off the native plants that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the increase in climate change causes more invasive species to take over.
Researchers have found that nonnative species, or invasive species, change their blooming schedule in adaptation to the longer growing seasons, as opposed to native species reacting much more slowly to the new climate changes (SmithsonianMag.com). Basically, climate change benefits the invasive species because the native species cannot keep up as easily as the invasive species can.
Overall, native species are suffering because of climate change, and invasive species are thriving, while at the same time further killing native species as we speak. As climate change escalates, it is crucial that we take the initiative to revive the native plant species populations in California, decrease the invasive species, and fight climate change.
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