Invasive Plants
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:24 am
What's So Bad About Salt Cedars
There are several reason that salt cedars are considered to be invasive plants. First of all, they displace native species, but they do damage beyond just reducing the numbers of naturally occurring plants. For example, they are allelopathic.
On top of that, they are facultative phreatophytes.
Also they are highly fire resistant, but at the same time they encourage fires.
For more check out this article:
LINK: http://suite101.com/article/salt-cedars-a54241
There are several reason that salt cedars are considered to be invasive plants. First of all, they displace native species, but they do damage beyond just reducing the numbers of naturally occurring plants. For example, they are allelopathic.
Salt crystals that form on their stomata drop to the ground beneath the plant, poisoning the soil in increasingly larger circles. Few plants can survive around salt cedars. None can survive for long.
On top of that, they are facultative phreatophytes.
Phreatophytes are drought-tolerant plants that send long deep roots (30 feet is not unusual) to exploit groundwater deposits. But they are also facultative, which means that in addition to those deep roots they send out other roots to seek out any other sources of water, ground or surface. These “advantageous” roots can be extensive.
Also they are highly fire resistant, but at the same time they encourage fires.
That’s because they kill or weaken native species, making those species susceptible to fire damage. When fire does come, the salt cedars survive, and the other weakened species die. Then, salt cedars take over the niches of the native plants.
For more check out this article:
LINK: http://suite101.com/article/salt-cedars-a54241