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Invasive Species: Kudzu. By: Christina George. Natural History. It is also called the Japanese Arrowroot It is a vine native to Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and some Pacific Islands It is considered a weed Climbs over other plants Often kills other plants by heavy shading
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Invasive Species: Kudzu By: Christina George
Natural History • It is also called the Japanese Arrowroot • It is a vine native to Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and some Pacific Islands • It is considered a weed • Climbs over other plants • Often kills other plants by heavy shading • It is edible but often sprayed with herbicides
Native Habitat • Eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and some Pacific Islands
Kudzu in the United StatesIntentional! • The Kudzu was introduced to the US in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia • It was sold to shade porches, and used to help soil erosion
How Kudzu affects the Ecosystem • Kudzu kills plants by putting a lot of weight on them and keeping the light from hitting them • Low plant diversity means not much food for herbivores • Higher amounts of Nitrogen in soil, can be bad for plants • Higher amounts of Nitrogen in atmosphere also creates pollution
Controlling/Preventing the spread of Kudzu • In 1953 the United States Department of Agriculture removed Kudzu from a list of suggested cover plants • In 1970 it was listed as a weed • Some ways of removing Kudzu is mowing it or cutting it back • Herbicides • Wild Goats and Sheep
In Conclusion Kudzu was brought to the United States because it could be a good fertilizer, livestock feed and it can be used for erosion control. It has become a nuisance because it kills other plants, which has a negative affect on ecosystems. In China, where it is indigenous to, the cold winter temperatures kept it from becoming a nuisance. The Kudzu was brought from it’s natural ecosystem into one of which it does not belong.