Many people enjoy mustard, but for California's Coachella Valley, this invasive plant is having an unexpected and negative impact.

What's happening?

Mongabay reported on a 17-year study recently published in Ecology that discovered that Sahara mustard, or Brassica tournefortii, is outcompeting native plant species for vital resources in the Mojave Desert. The result is less stable plant communities, which raises the issue of whether native species can continue to exist and thrive in environments overrun by changes to the climate and the introduction of invasive species.

The study found that whereas many native species in the desert wait for germination cues to bloom, invasive plants, like Sahara mustard, are capable of germination at any time of the year. This flexibility in germination allows the Sahara mustard to have an advantage, which means the plant will take over areas of the desert before native species even think of blooming, thus blocking the native species from growing at all.

Desert ecologist and university professor Scott Ferrenberg, who was not a part of the study, explained to Mongabay how this contributes to less stable communities of plants. "You get this one-two punch that you have a climate system that's changing and potentially decreasing the abundance of native species that are otherwise moderate- to low-abundance, and you have this invader that's affecting the overall stability of the system," he said. 

Why are invasive species concerning?

As this study shows, one of the most significant issues with invasive species is their ability to grow incredibly fast and take over areas. As they do so, they outcompete native species for vital resources, leaving the native species with less opportunity to grow and thrive.

Invasive species come with other issues, too, as they can change the chemistry of the soil they grow in, make plant communities less stable, and even impact human food supplies.

As such, protecting and prioritizing the native species of an area is beneficial not only to the native plants but also to local fauna and even people, as it helps conserve natural resources and protect food supplies.

What's being done about invasive plant species?

Invasive plants can be difficult to deal with due to how quickly they proliferate. 

However, many groups help fight back against these plants by organizing days to go through local parks or forest areas and remove any invasive species they find. These groups are always looking for volunteers, so you may want to see if your town or city has any such groups. 

Government organizations are also hard at work to eradicate invasive species by educating the public on them, as well as via eradication strike teams and conservation efforts, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported.

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