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Invasive Plants

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A Community-Based Program for Management of Japanese Knotweed

By Mike Bald

Like a handful of other invasive plant species, Japanese knotweed is tenacious and persistent on the one hand but economically useful and often medicinally beneficial on the other. Landowners and town leaders know that invasive species are impressive colonizers, and without a comprehensive plan to manage large corridors on the landscape, re-infestation is virtually unavoidable.

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Figure 4:  Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
 

Climate Change and Invasive Species

By Carrie Brown-Lima

Invasive species are on the rise as trade and travel accelerate the introduction and spread of new species in a way never seen before. Simultaneously, our climate is changing at an unprecedented rate resulting in climate extremes. While these two phenomena are each daunting challenge to biodiversity, their impacts can act synergistically and present additional hurdles for conservation and sustainability. 

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Goats Weeks Autumn 2 

Goats as an Ecological Management Option for Invasive Plants

by Sandy Vorce

“Gotta get a goat” was the author’s mantra a decade ago as she struggled against bittersweet, buckthorn, and multiflora rose to regain a portion of meadow at Mass Audubon’s property in Belmont, MA. Her wish was granted, and the property now successfully utilizes a four-hoofed crew for control of invasive plants. Read the article.

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Rethinking Black Locust

by Dan Jaffe

Considered invasive in some New England states, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) does not cause the ecological harm of many other species categorized as invasive. Given the ebb and flow of plant populations over time and the challenges of successful invasive removal, how should we treat black locust?

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