Invaders Are Taking Over!

Last week, an article appeared on the site vtdigger.org, about the rise of a particular invasive species in Vermont - Japanese Knotweed.

We have Japanese Knotweed here on campus. The closest patch I know of is directly across the school entrance on Academy Road, just to the left to the entrance of the trail down to the woodlot (we passed it last week. Mr. Bugg also has noticed a lot of knotweed around his house). Alien plants are plants that come into new areas from other areas. Typically, their seeds or bits of plant are carried in by animals, boat ballast water, or people not careful about what's attaching to themselves (or their forest products - especially wood). Invasive plants are like alien plants, only they come into new areas and take over.

Invasives are particularly good at adapting to live in new habitats. And they multiple quickly. End result: they force native species out but conquering the habitat and depriving native species of much needed sunlight and/or nutrients. Or they simply multiply so quickly, that they literally smother native plants out. (There are also invasive animal species that operate in the same manner).

Some foks believe that climate change is making Vermont a more hospitable place for more and more invasive species. Tim Schmalz, a plant pathologist with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, says he isn't so usre. Schmalz remains skeptical of studies that say particular weeds will spread as the climate changes. "“There are a lot of things that may happen or may not happen,” said Schmalz. “It’s very hard to predict environmental change on that scale.”

Others belive that invasive plants and weeds will become much more acclimated to Vermont as our weather continues to change due to carbon dioxide build up. Invasives including Poison Parsnip, which secretes an oily substance that transfers easily to your skin. The substance (its sap) reacts with sunlight to give you a good (bad?) case of phytophotodermatitus (phyto = plant, photo = light, dermatitus, well, you know). The end result is that your skin feels like it's on fire. While it subsides over time, it never truly goes away.

Someimes there is no single cause. A bit of invasive comes in on manure. Or. farm equipment on loan. Or transport for intra-state commerce. There is so much change going on in our state. But maybe - just maybe - climate change is making Vermont a more hospitable place for these new invaders.

Take Japanese Knotweed for example. This hollow-stemmed plant spreads by underground stems. When it’s torn apart by floods, (or Hurricanes, as in "Irene") pieces of the stem wash into new areas. In a matter of weeks, it takes over - destroying gardens, natural habitats, and sometimes wreaking economic havoc.

Sometimes, invasives are good. Invasives have been known to speed up the re-forestation efforts in some areas devastation by flood or fire. They can also assist in re-establishing riparian growth, the shrubs or trees that grow along a riverbank and help maintain the strength and integrity of the soil that forms along the bank, preventing flooding.

But in truth, there is little saving grace in Japanese Knotweek. It's a nasty plant that is hard to get rid of, and takes over habitat. It deprives natural native plants of resrouces, and in so doing, deprives native animals of food from the plants that they replace. So what do you think? How can we - as a class - make a difference? How can we develop some kind of service learning project to clear our campus (and Mr. Bugg's yard?) from this invasive plant?

Please share your thought about invasive species and their eradication in your comments below! Thanks!