Native Plants & Our Ecosystem

According to Audubon, Native species are plants (or animals) that occur naturally in the region in which they evolved.

Native species play a crucial role in their ecosystems. The biggest way native species directly impact the environment is insects. Insects specialize in eating certain types of plants that they need to survive, which are usually the native plants that are found in their ecosystem. The reason they can eat these plants and no others is because plants develop guards against bugs, and it takes bugs a long time to evolve (in the same ecosystem as a plant) to be able to bypass that. Therefore, bugs rely on native plants. If there are no native plants, insects might struggle to survive. This would bring the ecosystem's whole food chain toppling down because insects, the primary consumers, are what all other organisms in an ecosystem depend on. Birds, reptiles, some small mammals, and amphibians all rely mainly on insects as a food source. Insects also pollinate plants, which allows them to be able to reproduce. 

An relevant example of this is the monarch butterfly, which only feeds on the native plant milkweed because it can break down the chemicals it contains. If there is no milkweed in the monarch’s native ecosystem, then the monarch will die off, which is what we see problems with today in our area. 

Native plants are also important for the biodiversity of an ecosystem. 

Having monotone laws and yards, with only grass and a limited selection of primarily non-native species greatly limits biodiversity in plants. More diverse plants attract more diverse insects, and the diversity of insects means that a diverse selection of birds and other animals are also attracted. Humans, too, rely on biodiversity in plants and animals, because it supports the ecosystems that we obtain natural resources from. Biodiversity is crucial to all ecosystems because species are interconnected and rely on each other, all serving a purpose. If some species cannot survive, it will bring down the entire ecosystem.

Humans are mainly the ones responsible for the decline of native species and biodiversity in our ecosystems -- but we can also be the ones to stop it. 

As we expand cities, towns, and other developments further, tons and tons of natural habitats are lost. Most houses just have grass lawns, and in cities and urban areas, it can be hard to find a green space. 

In addition, people often want the easiest and most aesthetic plants to grow in their gardens and yards. Most of the plants we choose, therefore, are non-native.  Gardens and yards, therefore, become very monotone. Most are covered by grass, with a few other plants, most of which are non-native. Additionally, what we decide is a ‘weed’ versus not a weed is largely determined by a plant’s appearance. We do not consider the important functions that a plant might serve in an ecosystem. 

The plants widely planted in gardens are often non-native or even invasive species. Because these species are not meant to exist in the environment they are thrust into, they do not support the other plants living with them or native animals. Many garden shops sell mainly foreign species, limiting the availability of native species to the everyday person.