this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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Science Memes

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submitted 2 years ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] scratchee@feddit.uk 35 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Try doing that in Iceland. They’re both very aware and conflicted about invasive species up there. Lupin is invasive and covering the country and also building soil from nothing, Pine trees are invasive and the quickest way to get treecover that is desperately needed.

Makes for weird discussions, I guess Iceland is such and extreme case that nobody really knows if they should be saving the ecosystem it had managed to scratch together before we turned up or if they should be trying to rush a healthier ecosystem with imports (Iceland was pretty thin and fragile even before humans and we wrecked what little there was)

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In California, we have Tumbleweed, and it's actually really useful for stabilizing/fertilizing loose, disturbed soils and making shelter for native grasses and plants to start growing near. They also love to fuck with cars by jumping out in front of them at every opportunity.

[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In California they are a danger to the environment. They can spread fires quicker and spread it to different areas. No bueno.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

The California Invasive Plant Council found that Tumbleweeds had no meaningful impact on wildfire risk one way or the other.

[–] mrbaby@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Of course a council full of invasive plants would say that

[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Link?

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

While waving a flaming Deku stick around probably isn't safe I don't think you can blame California's wildfires on a pointy-eared kid with a floppy hat.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

My friend your paper states

Plants may add oxalate leachate to soil, making phosphorous more available and facilitating colonization. Can increase fire hazard, especially along tree rows and fences when dead plants build up.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Direct quote from the same item:

Increases fire hazard (though may be a hazard primarily to human landscapes).

In other words, it doesn't meaningfully contribute to the overall ecological fire hazard, you're mostly talking highway veg fires and stuff, which happen with or without tumbleweeds.

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Are there many species there that are specific to Iceland which would be harmed by lupines and pines taking over?

If it's most an amalgamation of stuff that commonly found elsewhere I think it would be fine.

If pine seeds came to Iceland on the wind 100 years before humans got there it would have been considered native. Most the seeds of all the other stuff got there the same way I imagine, unless they've been isolated since the island split from a continent somewhere.

[–] scratchee@feddit.uk 2 points 2 years ago

Well there’s the native birch forests, which get outcompeted. But given the vikings killed them off it’s mostly just the opportunity cost of planting pine over birch. There was a bit of both, so it’s not all or nothing of course

[–] oshitwaddup@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)

If you're also pointing out cool native plants and their uses and benefits you're amazing

also check out crime pays but botany doesn't on youtube

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't

YES. I love that channel.

Also, if you're interested, I'm going to take this opportunity to shamelessly promote the community I set up dedicated to California native plants.

https://lemm.ee/c/ca_native_plants

[–] CommunityLinkFixer@lemmings.world 1 points 2 years ago

Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !ca_native_plants@lemm.ee

[–] Aremel@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I would also like to give a vote for Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't.

[–] theotherone@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I’ve only seen a few episodes but the desert plants/succulents content was just riveting.

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Dat guy has sure got da way wit werds right? Who’d da thought Chicago accents could be so goddamn soothing.

[–] MuhammadJesusGaySex@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I mean down here we just embrace the kudzu. Ok, that’s not true. Down here if you sit for too long, but not as long as you’d think. The kudzu embraces you.

[–] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Kudzu is a wildly useful plant. I sometimes regret never taking the opportunity to forage it when I lived in Georgia.

[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes but it’s still invasive and shouldn’t be there

[–] Draconic_NEO@mander.xyz 3 points 2 years ago

I mean it's already there and isn't going anywhere, might as well make the best of a bad situation and get some good out of it.

[–] kofe@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago

Growth rate: about one foot per day

Holy shit

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 years ago

We should hike together. I genuinely love hiking with people who won't shut up about plants, rocks, fungi, or animals

[–] Drusas@kbin.social 8 points 2 years ago

English ivy. English ivy everywhere.

[–] zories@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago

Tree of Heaven. I dislike this tree and point out its growth to friends and family when we pass by them all the time.

[–] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 5 points 2 years ago

Ughhhh this is me. I can't unsee the invasive species.

[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Me looking at all the invasive grass in socal....

[–] BarrierWithAshes@kbin.social 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

For me its zebra mussels. I see those, it's a firefight on sight.

[–] 1847953620@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Gotta have those high-capacity magazines

[–] weariedfae@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Oh hey, it's me. But seriously fuck mullein.

[–] Nurgle@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pointing out earth worms are invasive in many places has been my go to recently.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 3 points 2 years ago

Not the permafrost!!

[–] krimsonbun@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 years ago

The species aren't invasive the people that took them from their natural habitat and then abandoned them are.