Natural History Wanderings

Bay Nature reports How much damage does trampling do to wildflowers? Here are a future excerpts from the republishing of an earlier article

No other state is as iconic for its flora as California, so it’s no surprise that thousands of Californians have flocked to Southern California to experience wildflower heaven in this year’s “super bloom.” But as social media users post glamour shots of themselves smothered in wildflowers, others have raised concerns about tourists stepping on or trampling rare wildflower habitats.

When wildflowers are crushed they can’t produce seeds

Even stepping lightly compacts the soil and alters the soil structure. Compaction reduces oxygen levels, access to water, and presses some minerals together in a way that makes the minerals difficult for plants and their symbionts to access.

Read full article at Bay Nature: How Does Trampling Damage Wildflowers?