Non-native
plants in homeowners' yards endanger wildlife
Date: October 23, 2018
Source: University of Delaware
Human-dominated
landscapes are one of the most rapidly expanding and least-understood
ecosystems on Earth. Historically, in urban areas, landowners convert native
plant communities into habitats dominated by non-native species. While less
susceptible to pest damage and demanding less maintenance, non-native plants
are extremely poor at supporting insects -- critical food for higher order
consumers like birds.
In the
first study of its kind, University of Delaware researchers Doug Tallamy and
Desirée Narango teamed up with Peter Marra, director of the of the Smithsonian
Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) to investigate the link between non-native plants
and birds' population growth in these landscapes. The research was published
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America (PNAS).
"This
is the first time that the breeding success of a bird has been directly tied to
landscape decisions that homeowners make. Quite simply, humans are changing the
vegetation of North America with these non-native species," said Tallamy,
professor in the UD Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology.
In the
United States, 432 species -- more than one-third of birds -- are insectivorous
and, thus, could be harmed by declines in food availability and at risk of
local extinction in urban and suburban areas.
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