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Invasive Plants |
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Protecting illinois’ native resources |
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Invasive Non-Native Plants in Illinois
What is the problem with invasive alien plant species ?
Most of the non-native plant species that have been introduced into the United States are relatively harmless to our native ecosystems. Less than 10%, some 350 of the more than 4,000 alien plant species currently found outside of cultivation in the United States are considered to be invasive. Invasive plant species wreak a level of havoc on the United States environment and economy that is matched only by damage caused by floods, earthquakes, mudslides, hurricanes, and wildfire. Non-native plants in the United States, also called exotics and non-indigenous plants, are considered to be those that are either directly or indirectly, deliberately or accidentally introduced by human action. Each year non-native plants have a serious negative impact on our economy and environment. Farmers and ranchers spend more than $5 billion each year in control measures, while the losses to crops and rangeland productivity account for another $7 billion in losses. There are approximately 100 million acres of land in the United States that are dominated by invasive non-native plant species and the current yearly increase is estimated at 14%. Invasive plant species become the dominant vegetation on approximately 4,600 acres of public land each day in the United States; this accumulates to nearly 3 million acres each year or a land area that is the approximate size of the state of Connecticut. As a couple of examples to the severity of this problem, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) costs $45 million year to manage in the 36 states where it occurs. Florida spends $11 million each year to manage water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and $28 million to manage tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum). The purpose of this list contains information about the serious invasive plant species in Illinois.
For a list of invasive species of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants please click here: Invasive Plant List
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