Fountaingrass and Buffelgrass In The Dry Creekbed of Sabino Creek — Image by kenne
If you Google “Fountaingrass,” you will find a lot of information on these attractive ornamental plants, such as where to buy, care, etc. However, these beautiful grasses are a threat to our environment. The spread of these invasive species create serious environmental problems. The web-site, INVADERS (Invaders of the Sonoran Desert Region a Product of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum) states:
“Fountaingrass (and bufflegrass) is a large grass that produces lots of seeds that spreads rapidly from cultivation into nearby disturbed areas, and eventually into natural habitats. It often forms dense stands and aggressively competes with native species, especially perennial grasses and seasonal annuals, for space, water, and nutrients, and is most common in riparian habitats within paloverde-saguaro desertscrub in the Arizona Upland Sonoran Desert.”
Alberto Búrquez MontÍjo has stated, “We know … that the replacement of Sonoran Desert plants by buffelgrass means a large loss of species, so large that 90 of every 100 species disappear in dense buffelgrass stands. …”
These invasive grasses from Africa and the Middle East have created severe fire hazards to the Sonoran Desert, especially for saguaros and other cacti who have a low tolerance for fire. “Once these plants have been killed by fire, it takes many years for new ones to mature. The grasses, on the other hand, are fire-adapted and come back robustly with the next rain.”
In the desert, it is important to grow native — don’t plant a pest! Let nature create its own beautiful environment. Often, man’s good intentions have a way of backfiring.
kenne
Related articles
- Humans: Earth’s Most Invasive Species (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
- The threat of invasive species (cbsnews.com)
- National Invasive Species Awareness Week: January 10-14 Summit Focuses on Minimizing the Impacts of Harmful, Nonnative Species in a “Green” Economy (prweb.com)
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