Weeds




BIO326 : Predation/Competition : Competition : Weeds

Weeds

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DUE: 3-Mar-2000 Assignments sent after the due date will receive a grade of zero.

Weeds are plants which cause problems in specific habitats. They may be in ecological balance in their native habitats, but not in others. Some examples are: tamarisk in the southwestern United States and prickly pear in Australia. Sometimes weeds outcompete native species in the wild, changing the ecological relationships among numerous other species. When weeds compete with commercially valuable crops, there is an added dimension to the ecological problem. Control methods include biocontrol and integrated pest management.

1. Pick a species which is a weed somewhere in the USA. Do not pick a species on which you have reported previously. List the species in the assignment database. Make sure your species is not already listed in the assignment database.

2. Describe the weed: where it is native; where it is considered a weed; how it is (was) dispersed to locations where it is a problem. What source(s) of information did you use?

3. What characteristics give this weed its noxious properties? What source(s) of information did you use?

4. What methods are currently used to control the weed in habitats where it presents a problem? What source(s) of information did you use?

5. How do the control methods affect the relationship of the weed with its competitors and/or herbivores? What source(s) of information did you use?

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E-mail Professor Gaud at William.Gaud@nau.edu
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