2.22.97
Biology & Ecology
Biodiversity
diverse.html
Weed Biodiversity
"The more diversified the descendants from any one species become
in structure, constitution and habits, by so much will they be better enabled
to seize on many widely diversified places in the polity of nature, and
so enabled to increase in numbers."
-Charles Darwin
Although Charlie's prose was a little stiff, what I think he was trying
to say was the more ecotypes or biotypes a weed species has (or the more
species present in a field), the better it will be in taking advantage of
opportunities left open by our weed management systems, and thus able to
produce seed ensuring future survival. Charlie was no weed scientist, but
he knew then what I want you to know: weeds are diverse; their diversity
allows them to have at least a few variants (if not many) in the seed bank
ready to take advantage of any opportunities left open in our weed management
systems. These opportunities mean crop losses, and more weed seed returned
to that field.
Biodiversity within plants and weeds can be defined narrowly or broadly.
Broadly, weed biodiversity includes genetic, somatic, habitat, temporal
(time) and floral community diversity. To know more about habitat
diversity go and look at the material in that section. Temporal diversity
is covered in our section on weed life
cycles.
In this section we will look at weed biodiversity in a somewhat narrower
way: genetic and floral diversity, as well as somatic diversity:
