Plant biodiversity has a direct effect on wildlife biodiversity

The loss of biodiversity in an area will, in almost every case, begin with the loss of botanical diversity. It is really pretty simple. The wildlife that inhabits a region will be there primarily because of the food supply and cover provided by native plants in that area. If the food supply and cover that they need to survive somehow changes, they will move on in search of “better pastures” so to speak.

It should be obvious that the native plants and native wildlife are well suited to each others needs, and that any disruption in the normal cycle which would change the plant makeup, would change the animal makeup as well.

Rapid loss of plant biodiversity

The loss of plant biodiversity can occur rapidly when construction, timber harvesting, forest fires, or other events take place.These activities may be necessary, or unavoidable, and often result in the recurrence of native populations at a different level of the natural cycle.

In the case of forest fires, some of this is natural, and will result in the natural resurgence of plant and animal populations in keeping with the cyclic nature of forests. If the forest has been allowed to go through these cycles under normal conditions without human intervention, the results will be profitable for the forest ecology. If man intervenes by preventing all fire in the understory, the result will eventually be massive fires, and massive destruction.

Slower loss of plant biodiversity

Whether you agree, or disagree about the results of rapid, large scale temporary loss of biodiversity, there is something that should be of concern to all of us, no matter where we live. That is the slow and insidious encroachment of non native invasive plant species. Plants which have long been staple food and cover plants for native animals, are disappearing slowly from their native homes, because of invasive plants from other areas. And as plant biodiversity goes, so goes wildlife biodiversity.

Non Native invaders growing with natives in a Tyler park