Conservation Biology
In conservation biology, a monotypic habitat is a habitat that is dominated by a single species, often an invasive one, at the expense of biodiversity.
The monotypic habitat occurs in botanical and zoological contexts. In restoration ecology of native plant communities or habitats, some invasive species create monotypic stands that replace and/or prevent other species, especially indigenous ones, from growing there. A dominant colonization can occur from retardant chemicals exuded, nutrient monopolization, or from lack of natural controls such as herbivores or climate, that keep them in balance with their native habitats.
- A botanical example of a monotypic habitat is that of the yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis, which currently dominates over 15,000,000 acres (61,000 km2) in California alone.
- A zoological example of a monotypic habitat is created by the non-native freshwater zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, which colonizes areas of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. A single female can produce upwards of one million eggs per year – without its home-range predator control, it thus chokes out competing flora.
Read more about this topic: Monotypic Taxon
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