What is a MONOCULTURE? 🌿

TERMINOLOGY TUESDAY 🌿
w/ the Florida Native Plant Society!
Today, we’re defining the term MONOCULTURE!
Monoculture:
In biology, it refers to the cultivation or growth of a single species or organism. This term is often used specifically to refer to the agricultural planting of a single species on a large scale, but can also refer to any occurrence or region dominated by a single species.
In Latin, “mono” means “one” and “cultura” means “growing, cultivation”.
Monocultures do naturally occur in nature, typically in areas of extreme conditions where only one species is adapted to thrive in such a harsh niche, or in areas of recent disturbance, where fast-growing annuals are often the first to (temporarily) fill that void.
Monocultures are often a sign of disturbance or imbalance in an ecosystem - typically due to the introduction of invasive species. Next week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and we will begin defining what an invasive species is, and discussing the impact and harm they cause.
Thanks for tuning in! 👋🏻
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