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Attention landscaping professionals, landowners, road crews, gardeners, environmental enthusiasts and more; Friends of the Mad River welcomes you to a presentation and community discussion on the thorny subject of invasive plants. The event will feature an informative presentation by Sharon Plumb, invasive species coordinator for The Nature Conservancy of Vermont; and will take place at the 1824 House on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:30 pm. This event is free and refreshments will be provided! Additionally, an invasive plant bake-off competition will be held, to be judged by localvore leader Robin McDermott. Have a go at cooking a dish with Japanese knotweed; it will be fun and you may win a prize! Exotic plants are widely used in flower gardens, landscaping and as
food crops. Most of these non-native plants do not pose a problem
because they more or less stay where they are planted. Furthermore, if
you decide that you no longer want them, you can take them out. When
you put them in the compost, they die. Invasive plants, however, are
those that can get out of control. They don’t stay put, they are
difficult to get rid of, and sometimes they can use your compost pile
as a convenient mode of transport!
Invasive plants spread
prolifically and aggressively out-compete native plants. Traits that
invasives commonly possess which give them this competitive advantage
include: an ability to reproduce and disperse efficiently, tolerance of
a variety of growing conditions, rapid growth and the ability to
dominate resources of sunlight, nutrients and water. These attributes
make invasive species very difficult to eradicate. In their native
habitats the plants are kept in check by pests, pathogens, tough
competitors, harsh growing conditions or some other balancing factor.
When moved to a new ecosystem and released from the checks and balances
that they evolved with, some plants become problematic invasives.
Invasive
plants are a threat to natural communities of plants and animals. By
crowding out the natural vegetation invasives can alter the species
composition of the landscape; generally reducing biodiversity. The
integrity of the ecosystem is diminished when the ability to regenerate
the natural species that make up that ecosystem is hampered by invasive
species. For instance, if the forest understory is inundated with
barberry, burning bush, or garlic mustard, then the seedlings of sugar
maples and other forest trees cannot gain a foothold. The spring
wildflowers disappear giving way to the unrelenting invader. The
long-term effect is the conversion of vegetation from a diverse suite
of native species to one dominated by an invasive. This can be
detrimental to the wildlife that is specially adapted to utilize native
plants for food and shelter. Invasive plants can also alter ecosystem
processes such as streambank erosion. The rhizomes of Japanese
knotweed do not hold soil well, thus, in areas with heavy knotweed
cover the river banks tend to be destabilized. Finally, invasives can
be detrimental to the aesthetic beauty of the landscape and the
productivity of farms and forests for human needs.
Some
invasives arrive unwittingly, often the result of long distance
transport of goods. Many arrive intentionally for horticultural
purposes. Japanese knotweed, which now grows prolifically along the
Mad River and in some upland areas, was brought to the U.S. as an
ornamental plant. It escaped cultivation and spread profusely. Case
studies of knotweed eradication programs show that efforts to remove it
are very costly, require a long-term commitment, and most often involve
the use of herbicides. Even so, success has been limited. On the
brighter side, there is still time to prevent the invasions of some of
the other invasive ornamentals that are currently wreaking havoc on
other areas of the Northeast. Burning bush, barberry, and Norway maple
are examples of potentially invasive species which are planted around
homes and around town. These species are not yet heavily established as
invasives in the Mad River Valley, however they are spreading and pose
a very real threat to our forest ecosystems. The most efficient way to
prevent the spread of invasive species is to stop intentionally
planting them. Additionally, early detection and removal of small
patches that have escaped cultivation is preferable to waiting for the
problem to take root and grow.
The Nature Conservancy
(TNC) has been working for decades to protect natural ecosystems. They
are at the forefront of the effort to stop the spread of invasive
species. The Wise on Weeds! (WOW!) initiative, a program of the
Vermont Chapter of TNC, promotes awareness and provides information
about using non-invasive alternatives for ornamental plants around
homes, businesses and public places. Their motto is “Recognize,
Remove, and Replant.” Many have joined this movement by removing
invasive plants from their landscaping and replacing them with
non-invasive alternatives. Several schools, businesses and public
places have become “demonstration sites” of invasive-free landscaping.
Wise on Weeds! presentations are held across the state to share
information about invasive plants and to provide guidance on removal
methods and more. We hope that you will attend the presentation on
April 28, at the 1824 House.
Difficult problems such as
these need community wide solutions. Come learn about invasives and
share your concerns and ideas. We hope that the discussion following
the presentation will help to identify actions, however large or small,
that we can take to stop the spread of invasives in the Mad River
Valley and guide community efforts to protect the native vegetation and
the ecosystems that we love.
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