The Non Native Planst and Animals of Hudson River Valley

Non-Indigenous Occupiers of the Hudson River Valley

There are animals and plants that are often considered to be native to any given region, they are vital to the ecosystem of the regions and need to be kept in balance to perpetuate the ecosystem of the region. When there is an elimination of threat to one of the native occupiers of the region, then there is a potential for risk of decimation of the other members of the ecosystem as well. However, the indigenous occupiers of Hudson Valley have faced threats elimination since the 1930s with the onset of new developments and housing which came along with non-indigenous species some of which were invasive. It is important to know that most of the time, the indigenous species, are considered to be those that are found on the East of Mississippi thriving naturally and can grow well in the prevailing weather in the U.S.A. This is a historical definition that follows the North-South migration of birds who are largely responsible for the dispersion of the seeds.

The introduction of the non-indigenous species came in the form of ornamental plants that people used in their homes to decorate their yards since they were perceived to be more beautiful, easier to manage and tend to, grows at the required pace as per the location planted and looked unique and different from the native plants. These new plants came with their negative effects on both the native plants and the animals. The invasive species decimated the other indigenous species and since birds and animals lacked food for not being able to eat the new species and absence of the killed native plant, they too migrated to other regions where they would find suitable food for themselves. It also meant that the high number of animals and birds now had to turn to the remaining alternate source of food as the supply declined, hence making more plants pollutions to decline further. The non-indigenous plants thrived since there were no native predators to feed on them and with the continued shortage of food, many animals and bird left the valley for other regions, effectively skewing the animal population or even decimating some species all together.

This decimation effect of the new developments and settlements in Hudson river also saw the decline in the smaller animals like butterflies, moths, grasshopper and other crawling and flying insects. This was majorly occasioned by the onset of use of chemicals in faming and lawn works as people settled in the region. The chemicals were carries across the region by wing and the river in effect affecting even the aquatic life.

Some of the non-indigenous occupiers of the Hudson river valley are Barberry and burning, which are highly invasive plants and need to be avoided at all costs. Other invasive plants that Hudson river valley residents need to be weary of and control or even eliminate are the Japanese forest grass, wild rose, phragmites, and the Japanese Knotweed (FernCreek Design & Build, 2016). There are fruits and vegetable that are not native as well yet human beings rely on them for food hence are propagated in gardens and even greenhouses, such include the peach trees, currant trees, raspberry, blueberries, strawberries, asparagus, horseradish and rhubarb among others. These species are considered to have been introduced into the ecosystem through the artificial methods like importation from other nations for garden decorations or for commercial purposes hence are largely responsible for the shift in the plant consistency in the region. They take up the valuable space that should have been accommodating the indigenous plants and displaces them.

It is hence important to know which species were or still are the indigenous species of the Hudson River valley despite some having gone almost extinct. These are the white dogwood, elderberry, Juneberry, American cranberry and the black chokecherry. There are also the Foam flower, Black-eyed Susan, wild geranium, cardinal flower and Oxeye Daisy which are highly considered to be native perennials (Hudson River Garden Calendar, 2016 ). There are the larger trees which are also native to this region like the Catalpa tree among other common trees in the region, growing mainly along the river banks.