INVASIVE PLANTS 101

WHAT ARE THEY?

The spread of plant and animal species around the planet is an ongoing and natural process. Ultimately, then, everyone is invasive from somewhere else. Thanks to human “help” in recent decades, though, some species are moving far more rapidly than the typical snail’s pace of species dispersal – and far more rapidly than native ecosystems can adapt and equilibrate. Global commerce, travel, military engagements, agriculture, and horticulture – all of these activities can rapidly distribute plants and animals to new lands. Most species lack the evolutionary adaptations to colonize foreign soil, but some flourish. When these species have no natural enemies in their new habitats and possess traits like high reproductive output and long-distance dispersal ability, they become what we call exotic or non-native invasives.

 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Non-native invasive plant species have become a prominent feature of the vegetated landscape over the past twenty years, and it is evident that they pose a very real threat to the integrity of native ecosystems. Native plants often lose out to their aggressive neighbors, and native wildlife species in turn lose critical food and habitat resources. Even food-producing invasive plants such as common buckthorn and Japanese barberry are harmful to wildlife, because the fruit they produce is often less nutritious than that of native plants. Particularly aggressive invasives like Asiatic bittersweet can even change the shape of Maine forest lands by strangling fully grown trees. Because RRCT is committed to protecting the “natural, historic, scenic and recreational values of the Royal River region for all residents and their visitors,” we are seeking to develop invasive plant management plans for our conserved lands. If you are interested in learning more about invasive plants, or think you may have a problem on your own property, please refer to the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, the Maine Natural Areas Program, or The Nature Conservancy. Both have excellent on-line resources for landowners. And please contact the Stewardship Coordinator if you find invasive plants on RRCT preserve lands!