[concordsonata (OP)]

We've got quite a lot of them; mostly ornamentals that really, really like it here, though I'm sure there are some more subtly corrosive ones that get here on the bottoms of yachts, &c. For the purpose of this question, I'm concerned about plants.

Invasives are typically defined as artificially introduced species that crowd out native species and thin out the diversity and habitat, with repercussions up and down the ecochain. My questions are:

Are there instances "in nature", that is without a sudden and artificial introduction (e.g. the Bozo who brought multiflora rose to eastern Connecticut!), where "stronger" plants have crowded out entire populations of more docile or nondescript natives, resulting in a particular area being depleted or significantly altered?

If not, why not? Is there something common to the plant world that benefits from a sort of status quo, while animals are more, uhh, rough-and-tumble about adapting? It seems to me that a lot of deciduous trees crave similar habitat, but they don't seem to drive each other out of existence.

Or am I completely missing something that's obvious to the educated?

Thanks.

[bezoar]

The Kudzu vines in the south have done is all over Alabama and Georgia. It was originally a forage crop, but has gotten out of control.  Originally from Japan, in the southeast, the vines thrive and can grow as much as a foot a day.  Check out some of the sites on the net.

[Ray hinton]

GREAT AREAS OF SCOTLAND HAVE BEEN BURNT TO RID IT OF RHODODENDRONS(PHEW) THAT HAVE GONE WILD AND SMOTHERED NATIVE VEGETATION.AND IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND WE ARE FIGHTING A PLANT WE CALL JAPANESE KNOT WEED,I DONT THINK WE WILL WIN,IT SEEMS RESISTANT TO MOST WEED KILLERS AND GROWS LIKE A TRIFFID.

every village has one !

[VAlibrarian]

I do not have the impression that there is a big difference between the amounts of damage that animal and plant invasives can do. Here in Virginia, USA, we are struggling with the fact that we have a colony of the Snakehead fish from China that is probably going to kill most of the native fish in the Potomac River. European mute swans are causing terrible problems in the Chesapeake Bay by crowding out native ducks and eating all their food. But even though I am less aware of the plant invasives, I do know that Kudzu is a mess in the southern USA, and I think there are some foregn garden plants that escaped in the western USA and have really replaced all the native shrubs and grasses for miles and miles. I think one of them is called Purple Loosestrife? It is a terrible terrible problem because after a certain point there is no way to stop it.

chris wiegard