Non-native species: These are species that have been moved from their native habitats to a new environment, usually as a result of human activities. Non-native species can be any type of organism, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Invasive species: These are non-native species that not only survive in their new environments but also reproduce rapidly and spread widely, causing harm to the local ecosystem, economy, or human health. They can out-compete native species for resources, alter habitats, and disrupt ecosystem functions.

Here is a study on Stinknet in the Sonoran Desert. If you read through it I think most would say is qualifies as invasive in this environment https://sdcwma.org/docs/stinknet_desert_plants.pdf

Conservation isn't about keeping the environment in a bubble but rather being stewards promoting the overall health of the ecosystem.

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A weed is swallowing the Sonoran Desert 3 years ago

It does not require cleared land. It will grow under other bushes and trees and pop up right in the middle

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A weed is swallowing the Sonoran Desert 3 years ago

The Mountain Lions agree with you

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A weed is swallowing the Sonoran Desert 3 years ago

I have worked on a conservation project that was trialing out some pesticides for use on stinknet.

Some points people are missing is that

1. the Sonoran desert is not a barren ecosystem. It is the most biodiverse desert in the world it does not need to have its soil “fixed” it is doing fine.

2. the actual problem with this plant is how fast it grows. Almost all ecosystems are subject to wildfire at some point and it matters how frequently these wildfires hit. The Sonoran desert is not build for frequent and intense fires and with stinknet growing and dying and building up lots of flammable material the fires are happening much more frequently and are much hotter. This is killing native animals and cactuses that are not adapted to these frequent fires.

The desert is not dead.

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