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It has five quadrilateral petals of varying shades of orange, yellow or white. They are smaller than the size of a palm and soft to the touch. At first glance, it is a beautiful and delicate plant.
He had no shortage of names. It comes in a variety of colors, from the poet’s eye, black eye, bull’s eye, Susto herb to Susanita witch’s eye. Depends on the platform Naturalisthas been used to treat the evil eye, bad air and fright.
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However, His presence was not welcomed in Quito. In the city, it has become a danger due to its invasive behavior, wiping out native species.
“It’s a climber, they are species that have not evolved in our ecosystem, which means there is no control. Native species have predators, they have diseases that naturally control their populations,” said Iliana Herrera, a research professor at the University of Espirito Santo.
Susanita Witch Eye, scientific name is Start Thunbergfrom the African continent, especially from Zambia in the south.
“When the species arrived at this new location, in Ecuador it had very few predatory herbivores.”diseases can regulate their populations and then give them a competitive advantage,” explains Herrera, who adds that it climbs to the top of the trees.
When this happens, native plants are unable to photosynthesize because it is completely covered and die, the researchers said.
“Plants or species below Susanita (also called It starts to die because it’s no longer receiving sunlight, which completely changes the ecosystem cycle.” said Sebastián Pillajo, head of the Natural Heritage Department at the Quito Municipal Secretariat of the Environment.
What are you doing?
The mayor’s office identified two areas. The first is in the streams, where they are taking action through prevention. The second area is in Cumbayá, Tumbaco, Puembo, Nayón, Zámbiza and Conocoto, where control and eradication measures are in place.
How is it done? According to Pillajo, the first option is Manual Including using hooks to uproot plants. The second is a Organic control through vinegar-based products.
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“This allows us to reach hard-to-access areas on the canyon slopes,” Pirahão said, adding that fumigation drones are usually used.
The third tool is Prevent the propagation or sale of this species in nurseries. “We have spoken to Agrocalidad to ban its sale,” Pirahão said.
“Susanita has a peculiarity that it can propagate both by seeds and by cuttings, but also by vegetative plants, that is, branches, stems, any part of the plant can produce roots. Therefore, as a species that requires too much light, in this case it corresponds to the hours of daylight, it will climb on anything,” explains Pirahão.
The Quito City Government plans to hold a Minga event, inviting university students and citizens in general to continue eliminating the bullseye.
“This is not just happening in Quito”
Researcher Herrera believes eradication is the best option, but he says it is difficult because it is inefficient. Because it’s everywhere.
“In this case, what you can do is prioritize, for example, what are the areas that I want to get rid of? Start ThunbergWe have to focus on understanding which protected areas it has reached and start controlling it there. It is difficult for us to have all the economic resources to eradicate this species because it is not only in Quito, It is also in Cuenca, Ambato, and is constantly expandingHerrera said.
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In the capital, besides the gullies, Start Thunberg It is located on the bank of the river; Guangüiltagua Park, La Armenia Park in Quito and Los Algarrobos Park in Cumbayá.
Meanwhile, the only problem is Start Thunberg It’s not like that Other species die in order to survive, but what is called hybridization of these species.
“I think this effect, while unnoticed, is the worst. It’s called hybridization. For example, we have reports of hybridization between two species. Lepidoura“As a result, invasive species will become more abundant and reproduce more, which will lead to the loss of the genomes of native species in the medium and long term. You will have many hybrid individuals with more genes from the invasive species,” warned researcher Herrera.
Can the introduction of species be avoided?
Herrera said controlling the entry of species is extremely complex, especially for seeds. There are several entry points, land, air, rivers, and they can even be unintentional, such as attaching to people’s clothes, etc.
“These species can be transported by human activity. Once the species is introduced, about 10 to 20 percent manage to escape cultivation, for example, some plants introduced as ornamentals accidentally appear in seed form. Once the species establishes a population, it can reproduce on its own without human help,” Herrera said.
The researchers mentioned that Most invasive species tend to form monospecific patches, that is, they do not allow other species to establish their own populations and have a negative impact. “Invasive plants can compete with native plant species for space and pollinators. Some plants have allergic pollen, which can increase maintenance costs to control them,” he explains. (I)
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