Wildfires are a familiar threat in Southern California, but when Sophie Zeng began looking more closely at what helps some fires spread, she became interested in something much smaller than flames or drought: plants growing quietly across the landscape.
The California student learned that some invasive plants can alter ecosystems and, in certain landscapes, add readily combustible vegetation that contributes to wildfire cycles. She also saw another problem. Many people who encountered these plants might not know what they were looking at, much less how to remove them.
