--- title: "Entire Island Strangled by Choking Vines" description: "Fiji's Vanua Levu is being absolutely overrun by vines, including an invasive species introduced by US troops during WW2, The Guardian reports." date: "2022-11-29" modified: "2022-11-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/island-strangled-choking-vines" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "fiji" - "invasive species" - "the digest" --- # Entire Island Strangled by Choking Vines ![Fiji's Vanua Levu is being absolutely overrun by vines, including an invasive species introduced by US troops during WW2, The Guardian reports.]() *\Image: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images\* ## Choking Vines Fiji's second largest island, Vanua Levu, is being absolutely overrun by vines, [*The Guardian* reports](), in a dramatic display of the sheer power of nature. Culprits abound. An invasive species introduced by US troops during WW2 is largely to blame, exacerbated by other challenging species and fierce natural disasters that are choking out competing flora. Experts have long predicted that climate change would cause storms such as tropical cyclones to become more intense. Indeed, since the 1980s, scientists have observed an increase in the intensity and number of storms that [can't be chalked up due to natural variation]() over time, suggesting climate change is likely to blame. Here, they believe, we're seeing yet another an effect of that planetary imbalance: nature going haywire, as evidenced by the *Guardian*'s extraordinary photography of the phenomenon. ## Invasive Species Species including kudzu, a vine from the morning glory family, are literally engulfing entire tree canopies over several miles. (Seriously: we beg you to check out the [*Guardian*'s photography.]()) Other species such as Merremia peltata, while present in the Pacific region for hundreds of years, only [became invasive]() over the last couple of years since tropical cyclones have grown in intensity, according to the paper's reporting. Local residents are struggling to keep paths clear of the vines. Cultivating other plants is also becoming increasingly difficult. But there's a silver lining to the trend as well. Villagers have figured out a way to use one of the vine species as string, allowing them to bundle taro roots together at the market. It's a dramatic demonstration of the unexpected consequences of climate change — a pertinent reminder that rising tides are far from the only threat facing humanity. **READ MORE:** [The Fijian island being strangled by vines]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on invasive species:** *[Furious Fire Ants "Rain Down" on Hawaiian Residents]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()