When invasive species are introduced to an area where they are not native, they can cause ecological damage. Many times the species are brought accidentally or purposefully through trade then spread rapidly in the new region due to a lack of predators and competition. Climate change is also increasing the spread of invasive species, with the number of alien species on every continent expected to increase 36% by 2050 according to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology .
These 5 invasive plants causing problems around the world. Japanese knotweed Japanese knotweed is a species native to eastern Asia that has been wreaking havoc in North America and in the U.K.
It looks like a "clumpy, bushy bamboo plant," and "its white flowers, which appear in late summer, are beautiful," said The Wall Street Journal . It also requires very little care and grows quickly. "These qualities made it very popular with gardeners ignorant to the weed's inherent evils.
" The beautiful plants can be deadly, as they can degrade wetland habitats. "Dense thickets can reduce sunlight penetration by more than 90%, and its thick mats of dead and decaying vegetation in fall/spring prevent other plant species from growing by shading them out," said the Invasive Species Centre . The plant can also destroy building foundations for new developments because it grows through concrete and asphalt.
Guinea grass Guinea grass is a highly flammable invasive plant species, which greatly contributed to the .