How a Grass Planted for Cattle Turned Invasive
Weeping lovegrass was brought to the US in the 1930s to fight soil erosion after the Dust Bowl and to feed cattle. One strain was later planted across about 2 million acres of Oklahoma and Texas. The grass has since turned invasive.
Context
The Dust Bowl was a series of severe dust storms and drought that hit the US Great Plains in the 1930s, ruining farmland. Invasive species are plants or animals that spread beyond their native area and crowd out local species.
Burning Potato score: 62%