THINK OF EACH SPECIES IN AN ECOSYSTEM AS A
MEMBER OF A TEAM. THE TEAM WEAKENS EVERY TIME A
MEMBER IS LOST. THIS LOWERED BIODIVERSITY MAKES
LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS MORE VULNERABLE TO THREATS.
Continued from Page 6
Many ecosystems in the Columbia-Pa-
cific region are pale shadows of what they
used to be, with native species partly or
entirely replaced with invasive ones. Even
if a place has some native plants, it’s likely
that the number of species represented is far
lower than it was a couple of centuries ago.
Think of each species in an ecosystem as a
member of a team. The team weakens every
time a member is lost. This lowered biodi-
versity makes local ecosystems more vulner-
able to threats like pollution, severe weather,
habitat fragmentations and climate change.
While local ecosystems can’t necessarily
be restored to their pristine state, they can
be helped by an increase in the number of
native species in the area. It’s not practical
to suggest breeding rare butterflies in your
yard. But by using native plants in your gar-
den, you can create a habitat that helps to
also attract native insects, birds and other
wildlife that rely on them for food.
First, determine how much space to set
aside for native plants. If you have a large
yard space, that’s great. However, a pot of
native wildflowers on an apartment porch
is worth the effort too. Pay attention to
how much sun that a location gets, both
through the day and throughout the year,
because this will help determine which
plants may thrive the best. If you’re plant-
ing in the ground, take note of the soil.
Most local native plants are going to be fine
with going straight into the ground since
they’re adapted to local soil profiles. How-
ever, some may need the ground to stay
wetter, so planting them in the middle of a
sun exposed yard that dries out quickly isn’t
going to be the best option for them.
If you want to do extra homework,
research what the original ecosystem was
like where you live. While mixed conifer
forests are common in the Columbia-Pacific
region, the coast has also historically had
both long grass and short grass meadows,
most of which have either been plowed up
for agriculture or development or taken
over by non-native beach grasses. Trying
to recreate that historic ecosystem may not
be fully feasible now given yard and garden
constraints. Land mostly shaded by trees
probably won’t be ideal for meadow plants.
But do the best with what you’ve got.
Next, it’s time to select your plants.
There are several native plant nurseries in
the Pacific Northwest, including a few on
the coast. Many general plant nurseries in
the region also tend to have at least some
native species available, even if it isn’t their
specialty. Don’t expect to see them at big
box stores, instead go with locally owned
nurseries. Even nurseries that don’t nor-
mally carry native plants can sometimes
order them for you, though you may have to
give more information on which species are
actually native and which ones are non-na-
tive plants that simply do well in the region.
Finally, search for local native plants and
see them ranked by how many native insect
species they support using the National
Wildlife Federation’s native plant finder.
This tool shows how well each plant can
contribute to an entire food web. So if you
only have room for a few species, consider
choosing those that support more insects.
Rebecca Lexa is a naturalist, nature edu-
cator, tour guide and writer living on the
Long Beach Peninsula. Find more about
her work at rebeccalexa.com.
Photos by Rebecca Lexa
ABOVE: A freshly planted bed features beach strawberry and kinnikinnick, both local native
plants that make good groundcovers. BELOW: Domestic currants and native salmonberry
bushes grow together, demonstrating a successful mix of native plants.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 // 7