Guernsey Lake Association
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Once established in a particular area, purple loosestrife can displace native plant and animal species, greatly reduce biodiversity, degrade wetland habitats, and block irrigation channels and waterways.
• Purple loosestrife can form dense, monospecific stands that help to crowd out native wetland vegetation, like sedges, cattails, grasses, and rushes.
• The plant itself is of little to no value for wildlife, both as a viable habitat and food source.
• As purple loosestrife spreads, it can fill in wetland ecosystems, which drastically reduces flood retention.• Purple loosestrife can trap sediments, causing the aquatic ecosystem it is growing in to become increasingly shallow. .
Invasive Phragmites is often characterized by large, tall, and extremely dense monoculture stands that prevent sunlight from reaching other species and effectively crowds them out. The invasive stems break down slowly, further contributing to the appearance of exceptionally thick vegetation.
