Image by Nina via Flickr (pictured: Bahama Senna Flowers)
Dayami Padron | Contributing Writer
opinion@fiusm.com
Last semester, graduate teacher assistant, Andrea Salas, was taking a walk on campus when she saw that her favorite native shrubs were being removed. Salas was angered because, as an environmental scientist, she knows the shrubs provide homes for caterpillars and nectar for ants. They are a key component that drive various biological interactions. The shrubs that the landscaping crew replaced were the threatened native plants known as the Bahama Senna. These are currently scattered around South Florida because their endemic pine rockland ecosystem has suffered serious habitat fragmentation. Because the fragmented pine rocklands are located in close proximity to agricultural and urban sites, it is important that the University encourages conservation outside of designated “protected areas” through the reintegration of threatened native species. In other words, our landscape must reflect our commitment to species preservation.
In reality, the new plants are not invasive. Some of them are native and others are non-native or exotic. Clusias are now planted where the Bahama Senna once stood. Although the plant is native, it is not a threatened species and it presents new issues for its surrounding environment.
“This happened between ECS and the Greenhouse. You can see the Clusias there”, said Salas.
She said that the Clusias are going to grow large enough to obstruct sunlight for other plants in the enclosed area outside of the greenhouse. In fact, an undergraduate student was using the outside edge of the greenhouse for a plant experiment, but the Clusias’ shade affected the growth of her plants. The prettier landscaped plants have already begun to disrupt a campus habitat.
The problem at hand stems from a lack of information. Most students and faculty probably cannot differentiate between threatened, native, and invasive species at plain sight. Those who have the knowledge to do so, are endowed a sense of responsibility and a source of frustration even. Salas spoke to her advisor, a Botanist who also studies the Bahama Senna and its interactions with other organisms and one way or the other, she managed that landscapers no longer be allowed to plant by the Greenhouse. The ecological victory, however, was short lived. On separate occasion soon after, gardeners unknowingly removed plants in the butterfly garden of the Greenhouse that were host plants for pollinators—insects like bees and butterflies that spread seeds which are also our biggest agents of biodiversity. This just goes to show that protecting species is a tricky business.
The morale of the shrub hub tale is that University students are situated on a unique ecosystem that they must cherish and protect. If students were to inform themselves, their families, and their communities then defending endangered native species would be much simpler. Our landscapers would already know. Salas was able to explain the importance of the shrub and other threatened native plants to landscaping crew members. The men continue to apologize to her each time they see her. She learned that the University employee in charge of hiring them deals with the removal and selection process—choosing plants that will make the school look nicer. Usually, many of the same shrub species are planted to create a uniform aesthetic and it further decreases biodiversity.
Like Salas, University students can protect native species on campus if they spread the word and volunteer. They can do this by volunteering at the Greenhouse, supporting research projects related to conservation, removing weeds they can recognize, planting natives and keeping themselves informed about current threats to endangered species.
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