Invasive
species are non-native plants and animals that aggressively displace native
wildlife species. Invasive plant species often out-compete native wildflowers
and other plants for space, light, or water. This can reduce diversity in
affected areas to a low-quality habitat of a few invasive species.
In our park system Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Tree of Heaven, and Garlic
Mustard are the most dominant invasive pests. Because complete eradication has
not been proven to be cost effective, our goal is to maintain low enough levels
to allow native plants and animals to thrive.
Current methods of invasive control include cutting, pulling, and the use of
herbicides. Pulling Garlic Mustard is a great way to get large groups involved
in invasive control. It is important to note that the entire plant must be
disposed of in the trash, burned, or buried deeply to keep seeds from
germinating.
Woody invasives such as Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, and Tree of Heaven often
vigorously re-sprout after being cut, which makes cutting alone unsuccessful at
killing the plant. Experience indicates that the responsible use of herbicide is
often the only way to successfully remove these types of invasives.
To learn more about invasive species in our area, please visit the Ohio Invasive
Plants Counsel Website at http://www.oipc.info
Because controlling invasive plants is often time consuming, volunteer help is
an important element in the success of this program. If you are interested in
helping remove invasive plants from our parks, please contact:
Spined
Micrathena
Invasive
species are non-native plants and animals that aggressively displace native
wildlife species. Invasive plant species often out-compete native wildflowers
and other plants for space, light, or water. This can reduce diversity in
affected areas to a low-quality habitat of a few invasive species.