Invasive species increased range on 2011 floods

Hurricanes and flooding last year helped spread invasive species, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Flooding in the Northeast from Hurricane Irene washed landscapes clean of native plants and trees, paving the way for invasive, bamboo-like Japanese knotweed to take root and thrive without competition. Fresh knotweed sprouts in flood-affected lands are prompting control efforts in Vermont.

When the Missouri and Mississippi rivers overfilled their banks, Asian carp were able to pass over dams and invade a new set lakes.

Read more at MSNBC.