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 * North American Ecology article

Summary
While the climate has remained relatively stable, the natural world has been heavily affected by the sudden loss of human life. Some species have made comebacks, some have been unleashed from their human cages to find new life, and some invasive species have completely choked the life out of ecosystems.

Invasive

 * Brazilian Pepper: 20 years after the war, Brazilian Pepper is taking over former Miami, growing tall enough to completely cover houses. Because the plant is the festive colors red and green, Brazilian Pepper was imported into Florida for use as an ornamental plant at Christmas time but it soon became invasive. Some use it as a source of food, though it has not integrated well.
 * Bamboo: the iconic tall grass-like plants have spread throughout subtropical and even deciduous regions in america. Where it grows, it is a source of food, lumber, and other things. It currently has no natural predators other than humans.
 * Kudzu: Kudzu was imported from Japan in 1876 to use as erosion control and farm feed. It can grow up to a foot a day and has a root network that can spread 15 feet underground. Kudzu soon became an invasive species in the American South, becoming known as “The Vine That Ate the South,". Left unchecked, it quickly covers buildings and rips them down.
 * Autumn Olive: (often called the misnomer "Atamala") When ripe, the fruit is juicy and edible, and also makes a good dried fruit. Though the fruit are small, the tree bears them abundantly. They are tart-tasting, with chewable seeds. Their seeds are spread far and wide, and they grow well in swamps and marshes. Luckily, these plants have begun to integrate due to use as food and winter frosts.
 * Water Hyacinth: a purple flower imported from South America, is now taking over and killing rivers and lakes across the American South from Florida to Louisiana. It will often cause a large die-off in lakes and rivers, wherein native plants or more hyacinth recolonize.

Native

 * Lichen & Moss: these two plants open the doors for forests to grow in abandoned cities and suburbs. They create the first topsoil, paving the way for their successors.
 * Clover: when topsoil forms over roads and concrete, it is nutrient poor, and can only be colonized by Clover which draws nitrogen from air. This applies legumes as well.
 * Maple Tree: the iconic syrup-yielding plants are moderately fast growers, and have quickly colonized the countryside, along with the equally well-known White Pine and Red Oak.
 * White Pine
 * Red Oak
 * Queen Anne's Lace: better known as White Carrot, this plant grows very well in both grasslands and marshes, and is a common source of food for humans and animals.