Author: Joe Sarnicola
Biodiversity. That’s a big word we hear all the time, but what does it really mean?The word itself has its origins in both ancient Greek and Latin. “Bio” is from the Greek word for life, and “diversity” is from the Latin word for variety. Biodiversity is a contracted form of biological diversity. Aren’t you glad we cleared that up?
That may be the literal meaning, but how does it apply to us as native plant gardeners? Let’s use a typical lawn: all grass, no weeds, no flowers, no shrubs. In other words, no place where an insect could feed on a leaf, no place where a bird could find a caterpillar for its chicks, no shelter for a small mammal. This is essentially a wildlife desert.
Suppose a neighbor hires a company to install some non-native ornamental flowers and shrubs. They offer little, if anything, for wildlife. So, we still have a wildlife desert, it just looks a little prettier.
One way or another the lives of insects, birds, animals, and humans depend on plants. If the plants in a garden do not provide food or space for insects, there will be no insects. The birds who eat those insects or their larvae will have nothing to eat, so there will be no birds. Same goes for any foraging animals who eat the plants and the predators who eat those animals.
But due to a process of evolution and adaptation over thousands of years or more, different creatures have come to depend on specific plants within their local environment. The wider the variety of plant life, the wider the variety of wildlife there will be. That is true biodiversity.
The local (native) plants and other living things that have evolved together form an interdependent ecosystem which may be able to function if parts of it are disrupted, but drastic changes could be catastrophic for the plants and creatures within it. By using native plants, the wildlife that depends on them will find the food and shelter that they need, which will help to replenish the different species that may be close to the edge of extinction.
When you plan your garden consider the function the plants will serve in the system. Will they provide food, a nesting site, shelter? Could they be host plants for a variety of species? And take into consideration your soil conditions and the amount of sunlight and rain. If you plant a full-sun-needing flower in the shade, it won’t prosper and consequently will not serve a function in the system.
And just as important, consider the work you do planting native flowers, trees, and shrubs to be your contribution to the ecosystem. When you create or restore a native plant garden you help to heal the earth. Nature isn’t something we view from a distance; it is something we are a part of, and we should live accordingly.
