Purple Loosestrife

Environmental Impact:

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It only takes one growing season for purple loosestife to spread across the vast area. It also easily adapts any wetland conditions.It chokes the native plants and also takes away lot of amount of food from the soil, causing inadequate for the rest of the vegetation that are native to the place. Thus native vegetation is reduced along with the native wildlife. As it does not provide efficient cover and food to the animals, which are assosiated to wetlands. 
For example:
  • Songbirds do not eat the purple loosestrife's seed, muskrats do not utilize the plant for building their homes, and waterfowl avoid areas that have been taken over by purple loosestrife. It is also capable of overcrowding the native plants as well as clocking the water ways thus leading to elimination of water creatures.


Economic Impact:

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As we read in previous section purple loosestrife is capable of clogging water ways along with chocking of  irrigation or drainage ditches on farmlands or causing degradation and loss of forage value of lowland pastures. It has also affected sales of honey, it has been estimated loss of $ 1.3 million in honey sales in 19 states (over the next 20 years) is attributable to purple loosestrife control.Negative impacts of purple loosestrife is far more than its positive impacts. At first it was purposely introduced to beautify the gardens and to use as medicine and for ornamental purposes but due to its rapid growth and monoclonal system it has overcrowded other native vegetation. Due to this reason, government has to invest a lot of  money for precaution and prevention of the invasive species. Every year government spends approx. 90,000 dollars for the removing of Purple loosestrife.