Lower Biodiversity
Changes soil chemistry (nutrients, toxins, allelopathic influences, alters pH) Ehrenfeld et al. 2001
Negative Impacts on native animals and pollinators DeBerry & Hunter 2024 Impacts of Invasive Plants on Native Vegetation Communities in Wetland and Stream Mitigation
Disruption of food chains
Invasive Shrubs inhibit Native Tree Regeneration (succession) Gorchov & Trisel 2003. Plant Ecology 166: 13-24
Suppression of native herbaceous plants (succession)
Reduced leaf litter (alters fuel load which impacts ability to have a controlled burn)
Increases erosion, causing sedimentation
Hybridization with native species (e.g. cattails)
Invasives are considered the second highest threat to biodiversity
Learn to identify and control invasives to enhance biodiversity
Source: Precious Heritage:
The Status of Biodiversity in the United States © The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe
Robins and Thrushes nest in native hawthorns and viburnums. Buckthorn & Honeysuckle leaf out earlier which attracts birds sooner
The buthorns and honeysuckles are shorter than hawthorns so birds build nests are lower to the ground. Buckthorn and Honeysuckle also lack big thorns.
The net result is that the birds suffer increased predation by raccoons and “other marauders”
“By documenting increased nest predation in songbirds nesting in exotic shrubs, our results suggest that restoring native plant communities may benefit the surrounding avian community”