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Invasive Species
Many invasive species in the Midwest
have been planted for  their
aesthetic beauty, like Chinese privet,
or for wildlife cover and deer browse,
like Autumn olive. These plants have
been recommended by local, state, and
federal agencies to be planted for these
uses, only to be reconsidered later
after they choke out native trees and
plants and devastate ecosystems. It is
true that deer browse honey suckle,
and that an Autumn olive patch makes
great cover for them, but at what cost?
It is this ethical question that
must be considered. Think of it
this way... In a natural and
healthy ecosystem there may be several
edible plants available to wildlife in
all four seasons. When we bring invasive
species into the ecosystem, these
aggressive plants out compete all other
plants, even trees, which takes the
number of edible plants down to only 1.
Another consideration... If there is a
small infestation of bush honeysuckle in
a forest floor and the landowner
harvests the forest, or a wind storm
blows down trees, either will make holes
in the canopy, allowing more sunlight to
come in. the most aggressive plant
will take over, and in this case that
will be the few honeysuckle plants in
the understory. Within a few years
all competing plants and tree seedlings
could be choked out and the forest
devastated.
It is important and
critical to eliminate these plants from
your forests, fields, and edge rows.
Almost always this takes the use of
herbicides. Long Forestry has
trained and licensed herbicide
applicators on staff. We know
what to use, where and when to use it,
and how much of the chemical it takes.
We have the ability to apply herbicides
at the right time of year and in the
right amounts to eliminate residual
effects on non-targeted plants.
Prescribed burning is also a great
management tool against invasives, and
is often used with herbicides in the
invasive species battle. |
| Garlic Mustard |
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| Autumn Olive |
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Kudzu
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| Chinese Privet |
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