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Noxious
weeds are usually alien to the
area, and not a part of the "native" plant
community. The life cycle
and competitiveness of a weed determine how serious its threat to
the native plant community will be. In other words, it is the biology
and ecology of a weed that sets it apart as an invading species.
Another
factor that influences the ability of a weed to compete against
local plants and dominate an area is their lack of natural control
agents. A control agent is any living thing that can hinder or control
the growth of a plant species. This may come in the form of animal,
insect, or plant diseases that feed on or infect the plant. When
alien weeds came to the Unites States, they left most, if not all,
of their control agents behind. On the other hand, native plants
must cope with the pressures of numerous control agents, native
to their own environment. Its like making all of the native plant's
walk down the path of life with illness and injury, while strong
invading plants have few of these hardships. Who will win the race,
or in this case, who will increase in population size and strength
and who will not?
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