Kudzu Invasion Doubles Q:1 Emissions of Nitric Oxide and Increases Ozone Pollution

Stoney Brook University via newswise.com
Released: 5/13/2010 4:00 PM EDT
Embargo expired: 5/17/2010 3:00 PM EDT

Newswise — Kudzu, “the vine that ate the South,” is not just swallowing landscapes and altering ecosystems in the southeastern U.S., it is also increasing ozone pollution according to a new report published in the May 17, 2010 on line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Planted in the early 20th century to help control erosion, this Asian native is a fast growing legume that can fix atmospheric nitrogen at a high rate, potentially altering the nitrogen cycle where it invades.

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