FORESTRY
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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a noncompetitive species
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an invasive, nonnative species
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an agent of erosion
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an abiotic factor
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Detailed explanation-1: -Kudzu and other invasive weeds pose a significant threat to the biodiversity in the southeast. They reduce the environment to impoverished “vine barrens".
Detailed explanation-2: -As with much of the Eastern United States, Polk County has its share of the big leafy green vine called kudzu. It was brought to the United States from Asia as a plant for livestock, and in the 1940s and 50s, farmers were encouraged to plant the crop as a soil erosion control.
Detailed explanation-3: -The infamous kudzu was introduced as an ornamental plant in the 19th century and its use expanded during the 1930s when farmers were encouraged to use it to manage erosion. Within 20 years it has invaded southeastern ecosystems. It kills other plants by growing over them – at an extremely rapid rate (1’ in a day!).