Chapter 6: Invasive Weeds
6.6 Summary
Invasive weeds are particularly concerning in that they can quickly overtake a complete local ecosystem. Fortunately only a small percentage of potential plants are able to become truly invasive. Normally there are environmental constraints or diseases and insects that keep populations from spreading uncontrollably. Agronomic weeds, while challenging for field crop systems, are not truly invasive outside of that system.
Key Takeaways
Key takeaways from this chapter include:
- Only a small percentage of weeds are truly invasive.
- Invasive plants are those that spread uncontrollably.
- Invasive plants must transition through transport, introduction, establishment, and spread to be truly considered an invasive weed.
- Many agronomic weeds have invasive properties, but are not truly invasive.
- Plant species considered invasive vary by location.