The Impact Cogongrass has on Biodiversity at Circle B Bar Reserve

by Stacy West

Submitted : Spring 2013

Cogongrass is one Florida’s many exotic invasive plants species. In fact, it is listed as one of the top ten worst exotic invasive species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (“Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Lists”). It is responsible for an extensive amount of damage to Florida’s natural habitats. We make an effort to determine the impact cogongrass has on the native species by studying how it affects the biodiversity of Circle B Bar Reserve, in Polk County Florida. For this study we determined the population size of cogongrass as well as five other species of plants on two separate quadrants of land at Circle B Bar Reserve. In order to estimate the biodiversity and assess the impact cogon grass has on the native species we use the Shannon-Wiener Index and the Simpson’s Index of Biodiversity.

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