• Home
• Why?
• Noxious Weeds
• Events
• Get Involved
• Gallery
• Contact
• Sponsors

Why?

Not long ago a friend was telling me about her backpacking trip through New Zealand. She was sharing her experience of her first moments at the airport and her trip through customs. They had a few simple questions including her purpose for visiting. She told them, quite simply, to backpack and to camp. Suddenly she found her possessions seized and being closely examined by airport personnel. They disassembled her back pack and tent, intensely searched her belongings, vacuuming everything including the soles of her boots. She explained to me that she didn’t believe that they would have cared more if she would have had a bomb. They were searching for invasive weed seeds. New Zealand knows what we in the states are just beginning to understand.

What are Invasive Weeds?

Known as exotics, invaders, non-natives, noxious, or non-indigenous species, they are responsible for a number of serious environmental threats. These threats are occurring on both the national and international level. Invasive weeds impact the structure and function of a community or system, and even alter the physical structure of the system over time. These plants have no concept of our borders that protect our preserves, parks, wildlife refuges, opens spaces and urban spaces. In our natural areas invasive weeds crowd or shade other plants out of existence. Explosions of invasive weeds in natural areas leads to an increase in soil erosion.

Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of threatened and endangered species in the U.S. According to some reports, non-native species have been considered to be the second most important threat to biodiversity, after habitat destruction.

In addition to these ecological threats, these unwelcome invaders affect most recreational activities in our county parks, city parks, preserves, National Forests, prairies, and private natural areas. They even threaten the production food and fiber throughout the world. Thus, the costs to control and manage invasive plants are extremely debilitating to our economy. In 2006, it was estimated that $100 million was spent on invasive weeds in Oregon. That's money that, if the invasive weed problem weren't so serious, could be spent on something else, or not spent at all. In the U.S. there is an estimated 2,063 species of weeds that have been introduced. And in most states these weeds make up 8-47% of the total flora.

Characteristics of Invasive Weeds

• Most invasive weeds originate from other parts of the world
• They have large north-south ranges in their homelands
• They are habitat generalists and pioneering species
• Well adapted to a variety of habitats
• They produce many small seeds
• Can begin reproducing within their first few years
• They have a longer growing season that allows them to shade out native plants

There are a variety of reasons as to why invasive weeds spread so rapidly. First of all, the characteristics listed above give an invasive plant a greater advantage over native species. Secondly, they are introduced to a new area that lacks any biological control agents. This means that there are no diseases, plants, insects and/or herbivores that help to keep the plant in control in its native range. Thirdly, the invasive is usually introduced into an environment that has been dramatically altered by human influence. For instance, housing developments, fields, roadways, pathways, cities and suburbs have all led to the fragmentation of natural habitat, and produce an excellent environment for weeds to move into and evolve in. As invasives spread, they can greatly alter ecosystems, affecting the chemical composition of the soil, changing fire patterns, affecting soil erosion, and altering wildlife habitat. They can reduce livestock forage by crowding out palatable species and some are even toxic to livestock. In timberlands, they can aggressively compete with tree regeneration.

Why Invasive weeds should be controlled

Like pollution, global warming and erosion, invasive weeds are yet another way that we are adversely changing the Earth's natural landscape. It is necessary for people to take an active role in controlling the spread of invasive weeds. Four reasons as to why are listed below.

Ecological:

Plants form the basis of nearly all ecological systems. The continued introduction and spread of invasive weeds will lead to the decline of the earth's biodiversity and the extinction of species.

Economic:

Invasive weeds decrease property value, private and public. They lead to the loss of millions of acres of rangelands, forests, agriculture. They adversely affect tourism, hunting, fishing, and timber industries, and threaten the production of food and fiber.

Ethical:

The need to preserve and protect the remaining natural areas for future generations to come is a leading force behind the management and control of invasive weeds.

Aesthetic:

To the untrained eye the spread of invasives into forest preserve, prairies, parks and backyards may not be apparent right now. However, the changes over time will be grossly apparent when mature native trees eventually die due to competition. Or the lack of the brilliant fall colors might catch ones eye in the future. Similarly, the blooming of spring woodland flowers may never be appreciated in your favorite local park.

What You Can Do

Working to control invasive weeds is something just about anyone can assist with. Weed control is not only for professional land managers or full-time environmental advocates, but the even the weekend gardener and concerned citizen can become involved. Listed below are some ways in which you can do you part to help.

• Avoid planting invasive weed species in your yard or garden. Many varieties of noxious weeds are often found available in seed and plant forms from less reputable nurseries or seed catalogs. Some of the worst species, such as Purple Loosestrife, are actually quite attractive plants that would complement landscapes if it weren't for their dark side.
• Remove invasive weeds from your landscape. Learning to identify and properly cull invasive weeds found in your area is critical to success. Become educated on this at a local and state level.
• Plant native species in your landscape whenever possible.
• Watch for new weed populations as part of your land management activities. Weeds often establish along roads and disturbed rights-of-way and along waterways. Periodically inspect these areas.
• Create a weed management plan for your property. Discuss your plan with neighbors and consider cooperative projects with them.
• Avoid transporting weed seeds stuck on clothing, gear, pets, vehicles, or livestock. Don¹t clean vehicles in weed-free areas.
• Purchase only guaranteed noxious weed free or sterilized bird seed. Oregon is working on legislation for bird seed sold within Oregon. Support it.
• Report new infestations of known weeds and those not previously found in the area to the county weed supervisor. (In Descutes County, Dan Sherwin 322-7135)
• Buy certified weed-free hay, straw, and mulch.
• Minimize soil disturbance; bare soil provides an ideal environment for weed establishment.
• Reseed disturbed areas with native plants.
• Limit use of fertilizers when reseeding; their use may favor weeds over native perennial species.
• Join an organization concerned with noxious weed control. Examples include your Central Oregon Weed Management Area, Lets Pull Together, The Native Plant Society, The Nature Conservancy, or other local organizations.
• Inform your friends, neighbors, newspaper editors, and local and government officials. Unlike other environmental issues that are less insidious or more dramatic, the invasive weed issue has not reached the same degree of public awareness. Presently, scientists estimate that the USA alone is losing about 3 million acres a year to invasive weeds!

• Roll up your sleeves and volunteer.