Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) Practice Exam

Which option is NOT a characteristic of invasive plants?

1. Compete effectively for water, light, space, and nutrients

2. Modify the populations of rare species

3. Enhance biodiversity

4. Affect human health and well-being

The correct answer is: Enhance biodiversity

The correct answer identifies that enhancing biodiversity is not a characteristic of invasive plants. Invasive species are typically known for their ability to outcompete native plants and disrupt ecosystems, which often leads to a decrease in biodiversity rather than an increase. They tend to thrive in new environments due to a lack of natural predators, allowing them to proliferate and displace native flora. While invasive plants can compete effectively for resources and modify populations of rare species, their overall impact is generally negative, contributing to ecological imbalances. Additionally, certain invasive species can indeed affect human health and well-being, either through direct means, such as allergies or through the spread of diseases, or indirectly, by altering landscapes that humans interact with. Thus, enhancing biodiversity stands out as a characteristic that is not applicable to invasive plants, reinforcing the selectivity of their impact on ecosystems.