Invasive Species
This type of plant spreads aggressively and harms native ecosystems.
What is an invasive plant species?
This part of a leaf is the flat surface where photosynthesis mainly occurs.
What is the blade?
This preserve is where the “Dirty Eight” invasive species are found.
What is McWilliam’s Nature Preserve?
This term describes the role an organism plays in its environment.
What is a niche?
This type of organism breaks down dead material and recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem.
What is a decomposer?
This invasive tree is commonly planted for landscaping but spreads rapidly and is considered problematic.
What is the Bradford Pear?
This connects the leaf blade to the stem.
What is the petiole?
This invasive tree species is also known as juniperus virginiana.
What is the Eastern Red Cedar?
This kingdom includes all plants.
What is plantae?
This relationship occurs when both organisms benefit, such as fungi helping plant roots absorb nutrients.
What is mutualism?
This invasive shrub is known for forming dense thickets and crowding out native plants.
What is Chinese Privet?
This is the point where a leaf attaches to the stem and where buds can form.
What is the axillary bud?
This thorny tree is named gleditsia triacanthos.
What is the Honey Locust?
One way to remove invasive species is by physically pulling or cutting them—this method is called this.
What is mechanical removal?
The Billion Agave Project highlights this type of renewable energy made from plants in dry environments.
What is biofuel (ethanol)?
This vine species is known for climbing and smothering other plants.
What is Japanese Honeysuckle?
This type of leaf has multiple leaflets attached to a single stem.
What is a compound leaf?
This species is the outlier in the list and may not be invasive in the same way as the others.
What is an Eastern Red Cedar? Overgrowth due to lack of fire.
Using chemicals to control invasive plants is known as this method.
What is chemical control (herbicides)?
A diagram showing evolutionary relationships between organisms based on shared traits is called this.
What is a cladogram?
This invasive plant from the “Dirty Eight” is known for nitrogen fixation and altering soil chemistry.
What is Korean Lespedeza?
This leaf arrangement alternates sides along the stem rather than growing directly across from each other.
What is alternate leaf arrangement?
This is the ulmus pumila.
What is the Siberian Elm?
Introducing natural predators or competitors to control invasive species is called this.
What is biological control?
The fungus shown in the preserve image belongs to this kingdom, which includes mushrooms and molds.
What is Kingdom Fungi?