160k views
3 votes
How does the burning bush affect the native organisms that it directly competes with in its new ecosystem?

a. The burning bush has no impact on native organisms.
b. The burning bush outcompetes native plants for resources.
c. The burning bush provides food and shelter to native organisms.
d. The burning bush helps native organisms thrive.

User Tourniquet
by
7.5k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The burning bush outcompetes native plants for resources and alters fire regimes, which can lead to decreased abundance of native woody plants and potentially the extinction of native species in the new ecosystem.

Step-by-step explanation:

The burning bush affects native organisms that it directly competes with in its new ecosystem by outcompeting native plants for resources. This invasive species can establish in native vegetation, increasing the abundance of fine fuels that promote frequent, intense fires. This scenario is often referred to as the grass-fire cycle. The cycle begins with invasive grasses establishing in native vegetation, increasing fire frequency and intensity. Consequently, the invasive species recover more rapidly from fires while woody plants decrease in abundance, leading to native species potentially going extinct due to lost habitat or direct competition.

The process of secondary succession explains that after a disturbance like a fire, the ecosystem will gradually recover, going through stages of growth from pioneer species to an eventual climax community, characteristic of the given climate and geology. However, when invasive species like the burning bush are introduced, they can disrupt this natural progression by altering fire regimes and outcompeting native species.

User Drpng
by
8.3k points