A recent scientific study has revealed a silent threat to Guayaquil's biodiversity: the sale and use of exotic ornamental plants, specifically from the genus Thunbergia, which act as invasive species. Julián Pérez, a research professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS), emphasizes the urgent need to regulate irresponsible landscaping that is "planting an ecological time bomb" in the region.
Species such as Thunbergia grandiflora, native to Asia, are freely traded in local nurseries due to their attractive flowering. However, these vines grow aggressively, blocking sunlight and forming dense mats that eventually topple native trees and displace local flora. According to Pérez, these invasive plants also facilitate the arrival of pests and diseases that affect endemic species.
