Invasive plant species can be an expensive problem for farmers, stealing vital nutrients away from crops.
Invasive plants can be found just about anywhere in the world. They can endanger the environment by directly competing with native plants for vital moisture, sunlight and space.New research from the University of California, Davis, shows that some invasive species could be lying dormant, going unnoticed until they suddenly spread.
Mohsen Mesgaran, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, has developed formulas that help predict the potential emergence of these invasive species 'time bombs.''We should be very concerned about this,' Mesgaran said.Invasive plant species can be an expensive problem for farmers, stealing vital nutrients away from important crops.'The best-known impact in agriculture is reducing the production and ultimately affecting the food security, so the price of food,' Mesgaran said.With the help of computer modeling, scientists like Mesgaran can predict the potential emergence of one of these 'time bombs.''Like what you do with a weather forecast, you say, 'Tomorrow it's going to be raining.' I can tell you, tomorrow you’re going to have 10 weeds coming out of your field,' Mesgaran said.Plant scientists make these forecasts by analyzing variables like soil condition, air temperature and moisture and lining them up with the timing of a specific plant species emergence.In a recent publication, Mesgaran and his co-authors analyzed more than 5,700 species of invasive plants around the world. They found that some were dormant for decades to centuries.'It’s a problem because you ignore them. You think they’re going to always stay dormant but it’s just a matter of time,' Mesgaran said. 'The sooner you get on a problem and eradicate them or control them, it’s better. It’s way cheaper than when are exploding and they’re everywhere.'Other research shows that human-caused climate change is expected to have an impact on where and when certain invasive weeds could take off. Increasing amounts of carbon in the atmosphere are leading to rising temperatures in some regions. Those temperature changes could be enough to tip off an invasive species 'time bomb.'Mesgaran says model predictions can help the agriculture industry get ahead of invasive plants. Currently, preventative planning is not a common practice for invasive species in the United States.
UC Davis Invasive Plants Time Bombs Mmnd
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