Kudzu question. If all humans suddenly disappeared from the earth, would

[raccoon]

kudzu take over the southeastern US?

Do plants do things like that, or does Nature have some mechanism to stop them?

[Berlum]

1. I believe Plato and Socrates wrestled with this very same question in ancient Athens

[raccoon]

9. I love it! nt

[ananda]

2. LOL

Kudzu and cockroaches.

[1-Old-Man]

3. Given time something will evolve that thinks Kudzu tastes great

Over time no great food source goes un-eaten.

[Shankapotomus]

4. I imagine plants

would have as hard a time taking over territory as they did before there were humans around.

[csziggy]

5. Some animals eat kudzu

Cows do and you usually don't see it in cow pastures. If the cows or other animals that can eat it go free, they'd at least keep it under control.

[Erose999]

6. Kudzu is an invasive species with no predators in the SE . It will spead until it is stopped by

factors like topography or climate. Although I would think that without humans the populations of indigenous large grazers like Buffalo, Elk, etc would come back so maybe those would have more of a taste for kudzu and keep it in check. One thing that is being done in GA now is keeping a colony of goats on the land being cleared to eat the kudzu right as it sprouts back.

But Kudzu can keep coming back in an area until the soil is depleted of nutrients. Its crazy resilient.

[tularetom]

7. Kudzu - it's not just in the south anymore

It's increasingly appearing in places like PA, WV and IN.

And guess what - it's showing up in Canada as well.

http://scrippsnews.com/node/26245

It may take over the entire world and not even have to wait for humans to disappear.

[loli phabay]

8. i welcome our kudzu overlords now fertilise puny humans.

[RobertEarl]

10. We are doomed

We will be assimilated.