Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The deliberate introduction and subsequent diffusion of invasive plant species
can not only alter primary productivity, it can also change the very appearance of
affected ecosystems: kudzu vine ( Pueraria lobata ) is perhaps the most disturbing
example of this undesirable effect. This prolii c vine was brought to the United States
from Japan in 1876 as an ornamental and forage plant, and during the 1930s its
planting was promoted by the Soil Conservation Service to reduce soil erosion on
farms. The vine is now an uncontrollable invader (often entirely smothering even
large trees) throughout the U.S. Southeast, from east Texas to Virginia (Webster,
Jenkins, and Jose 2006).
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