Invasive grass is overwhelming U.S. deserts and providing fuel for wildfires
People have begun planting grass in places they shouldn't, which is affecting the deserts environment. The grass that is creating these problems is called Buffelgrass. It is a perennial arid climate-adapted grass from Africa. It was planted through Arizona, Texas, and Mexico to control soil erosion in the 1930's. It has spread so much that it is labeled a noxious weed, and has spread through many states, and invaded undisturbed deserts. The main reason it is bad is because it is major fuel for fire. It was the main cause of some of the largest fires in Arizona.
I think this is a major problem, especially since it has been spreading so rapidly. It is a great idea that volunteers were going into national parks to remove the Buffelgrass. It will take more, but anything will help.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/volunteers-help-fight-invasive-buffelgrass-in-sonoran-desert-parks
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ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how the solution to one problem (in this case soil erosion), ended up creating another (fuel for wildfires) even though the original intend of the Buffelgrass was to help the environment. Though I agree with removing the grass from areas its not supposed to spread into, I believe they should be working to find a replacement for it as well- one that would perhaps not become an invasive weed species in the future. A possible solution could be grazing- often viewed as a problem in massive farm production and environmental terms of space and land usage. Using the grass as food will control the grass and provide an already cleared, okay area for cattle to graze- solving two problems with one solution. However the success of this solution is unknown, as farmers would first need to figure out if the cattle liked/wanted to eat the grass for this solution to move forward.
DeleteThis really can mess up the environment. To solve one problem, it was a good solution. Although, even though it soled one issue, it created even more problems for the environment. Hopefully, it will be stopped soon and the environments that have been effected will be okay.
ReplyDeletePlacing grass in desert is very bad. It messes with the enviorment, and the habitats of animals. Also once you plant it, it can easily spread. Hopefully people start to realize what it can do to certain enviorments.
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