Forest
Stewardship News Release
July
27,
2001 - For Immediate Release
Contact: Rance
Harmon, Phone: 814-863-0401 E-mail: rsh144@psu.edu
Invaders are Harming Pennsylvania Forests
By Rance Scott Harmon, Penn State Cooperative Extension Associate
Non-native plants are silently invading our forests and displacing native plants. While some non-native plants have been with us a long while and pose little threat to natural habitats, others can grow explosively and wreak havoc on entire forest ecosystems.
The most harmful non-native plants are invasive-meaning they grow and spread rapidly to cover vast areas. Native plants usually are not invasive because predators, diseases, parasites and other natural processes keep them in check. However, when a plant is introduced to an area that lacks these natural controls, it often easily outcompetes and displaces native plants.
As we build more roads and residential developments, we fragment forestlands and disturb natural environments. Invasive plants easily colonize the disturbed areas and enter adjacent woodlands. Competition from invasive plants reduces native plant diversity, and can harm animals that depend on native plants for food and shelter. Invasive plants also can interfere with the growth of new trees.
Healthy native plant communities are the best defense against invasive plants. Regular monitoring and swift action are keys for preventing invasive plants from spreading and creating large-scale problems. Once established, invasive species can be very difficult and expensive to control. Recommended control methods vary from cutting and mowing to herbicide application, depending on the type of plant, degree of infestation and other factors.
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program has information about the identification and control of invasive plants. Call 1-800-235-WISE (toll-free) to request free copies of the Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania, prepared by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, and Invasive Weeds Fact Sheets, prepared by Penn State's School of Forest Resources Extension.
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service-provides private forestland owners with information and assistance to promote healthy and productive forests. The following Web Sites also provide useful information about invasive plants:
- Weeds
Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of North America
Sponsor: Alien Plant Working Group of the Plant Conservation Alliance (a consortium of federal government agencies and non-federal cooperators) Content: Terminology, statement of problem, how individuals can help, Natural Areas Weeds Database, fact sheets, press releases, publications, links.
- The
Weed Fact Book
Sponsor: Federal Interagency Committee for Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds Content: An overview of invasive plants in the United States. The Weed Fact Book includes a summary of the problem; the status, trends and impacts of invasive plants in particular environments and ecosystems; and contact list. Includes a section about forests.
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