EnACT
Invasive Plant Species in Illinois
Document Type
Presentation
Type
EnACT
UN Sustainable Development Goal
UNSDG #15: Life on Land
Start Date
27-4-2022 10:20 AM
End Date
27-4-2022 10:40 AM
Abstract
A major problem faced in the Illinois area is the overwhelming amount of invasive plant species. One singular invasive plant species can disrupt an entire ecosystem of native life, causing biodiversity to significantly be altered and decline. A native species can be defined as, according to USGS.gov, is an organism that is not native to the ecosystem they are introduced to, and outcompete the native species. Our solution is to combat this and work towards the UNSDG of life on land. As stated by invasive.org, Illinois has over 53 invasive plant species, each negatively affecting the ecosystems they’re in, and statistics have shown that these plant species cause over 100 billion dollars of damage per year to the national economy. 42% of endangered and threatened native species have declined because of invasive species. Our plan to combat this is to spread awareness via a social media campaign. Under the account username invader.plant, we are going to create biweekly posts in order to spread awareness on invasive species and how to safely and effectively get rid of them, thus preserving our native wildlife and ecosystem. This helps life on land, since the awareness of invasive species provides people with the knowledge on how to handle them. With more people spotting and getting rid of them, the more our native plants can thrive. The most important component of combating these species, we believe, is awareness.
Invasive Plant Species in Illinois
A major problem faced in the Illinois area is the overwhelming amount of invasive plant species. One singular invasive plant species can disrupt an entire ecosystem of native life, causing biodiversity to significantly be altered and decline. A native species can be defined as, according to USGS.gov, is an organism that is not native to the ecosystem they are introduced to, and outcompete the native species. Our solution is to combat this and work towards the UNSDG of life on land. As stated by invasive.org, Illinois has over 53 invasive plant species, each negatively affecting the ecosystems they’re in, and statistics have shown that these plant species cause over 100 billion dollars of damage per year to the national economy. 42% of endangered and threatened native species have declined because of invasive species. Our plan to combat this is to spread awareness via a social media campaign. Under the account username invader.plant, we are going to create biweekly posts in order to spread awareness on invasive species and how to safely and effectively get rid of them, thus preserving our native wildlife and ecosystem. This helps life on land, since the awareness of invasive species provides people with the knowledge on how to handle them. With more people spotting and getting rid of them, the more our native plants can thrive. The most important component of combating these species, we believe, is awareness.