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The importance of native plants in maintaining healthy ecosystems cannot be overstated.
When native plants dominate a landscape, they create a balanced ecosystem in which local species can coexist harmoniously. Native plants, those that occur naturally in a specific region, have evolved over millennia and many continue to thrive in the local environment 鈥� supplying three of the four essential components of habitat for wildlife and humans鈥� space, shelter, and food. Native plants also provide additional critical ecosystem purposessuch as stabilizing soil and regulating water cycles. However, the introduction of invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species is threatening this balance. Invasive plants, animals, and other organisms, not native to an area, can cause significant harm and often outcompete native plants for sunlight, water and nutrients - disrupting ecosystems and reducing biodiversity.
Invasive plants pose noteworthy environmental and economic threats.
Invasive species often grow faster and more aggressively than their native counterparts. For example, can suppress the growth understory of plants as it climbs up and shades out native sapling trees. Given time to spread, it has potential to change the plant diversity of the understory permanently. While bird vetch is a legume with the ability to fix nitrogen, enriching the soil in an ecosystem that is naturally nutrient poor 鈥� this small benefit is far outweighed by negative effects that have cascading impacts, such as decreased growth of willow species that are important forage for moose.
Also, invasive plant species often lack natural predators or controls in the new environment, allowing them to grow unchecked. As they crowd out native plants, invasive species can reduce biodiversity in turn diminishing the resilience of ecosystems to disturbances such as drought, fire, and disease. Moreover, the spread of invasive species can disrupt pollination networks, food webs, and even hydrological cycles, ultimately impacting fisheries, subsistence, and agriculture.
The propagation of native plants offers a vital solution to the problem of invasive species.
Across Alaskan landscapes people are developing native plant nurseries, a proven, key strategy to restore the disruption caused by invasive species. Native plants are well-adapted to local soils, climate conditions, and ecological processes, making them more resilient to environmental stresses. They also have established relationships with local pollinators, herbivores, and microorganisms, supporting the entire ecosystem. By focusing on native plant propagation, we not only restore the plants themselves but also the interconnected web of life that depends on them.
Issues with the restoration strategy
Before you get overly excited, it is important to understand that very few sources exist for purchasing native plants in large quantity or diversity, making our few sources expensive and very precious. Alaska has a scarcity feedback loop problem. The scarcity and cost of native plant materials lowers market demand, thus de-incentivizing growers to produce them. To break this cycle of low demand and unfeasible costs, Tribal and State Conservation Districts have stepped up to host demonstration nurseries, in turn, passing the expertise and growing market demand to the agricultural sector through outreach workshops and hands-on experiential programs.
Due to Alaska鈥檚 vast size and ecologically diverse landscapes, the long-term goal is for Tribal and State Conservation Districts to help establish available sources of native plant materials within the Northern, Interior, and Southcentral regions of the state. The mission of Conservation Districts is to help farmers and conserve natural resources, placing them in a pivotal role to support farmers producing native plants for restoration, pollinator support, and reclamation. By cultivating and reintroducing native plants into degraded habitats, we can restore the natural balance and prevent the encroachment of invasive species.
The Early Heroes
Through coordinated efforts by the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Invasive Species Partnership, the US Forest Service, State of Alaska, Tribal organizations, and many others, Alaska鈥檚 first regional native plant nurseries were established in 2023. The goal of regional plant nurseries is to provide genetically appropriate, regionally acclimated plant material for soil erosion control to natural resource practitioners, farmers, landscapers, and all other conservationists dedicated to creating wildlife habitat. Propagating locally adapted plants will ensure the highest likelihood of establishment and success.
Additionally, Tribal and State Conservation Districts nurseries are developing novel native plant products, such as sod block analogs and pre-vegetated mats, to address specific challenges of environmental degradation. The pre-vegetated mats are especially useful for revegetation projects following invasive species management with herbicide spot applications. The mats suppress the seed bank and can be placed over a biodegradable barrier, such as cardboard, to prevent damage while herbicide is still active in the soil or in the root zone.
Establishing a network of native plant nurseries in Alaska
Regional native plant nurseries will play a crucial role in future restoration efforts and how quickly habitats adapt to stressors and change. These plants can be reintroduced to areas impacted by invasive species and other disturbances, such as wildfires and mining. Replanting with a variety of locally sourced native species could help kickstart a resilient forest, skipping vulnerable stages of slow seed dispersal when invasives species could potentially establish on disturbed lands. By providing native species with a competitive advantage we can reduce the chance of invasive plants taking root.
As we face increasing challenges related to changing habitat conditions, promoting the use of native plants is a simple but effective strategy for building resilient, sustainable ecosystems.
Want to learn more or get involved with this effort?
Check out the National Seed Strategy:
Read more about the assessment of native seed needs and capacities:
