[APWG] Why remove invasives

[Marc Imlay]

Hi John,

We have several parks each over 100 acres that are nearly cleared of
invasives. We found that it is critical to use both herbicides and hand
pulling. The former for mono-cultural herbaceous patches and the latter
where the invasives are mixed with natives. Inject herbicides into the trees
but hand pull the seedlings. 

Start volunteers in the less invaded areas so that larger areas can be saved
successfully in a reasonable amount of time from becoming like the other
highly invaded areas we show the volunteers for contrast.  Cheers.

Dr. Marc Imlay

Conservation Biologist
Anacostia Watershed Society
(301-699-6204, 301-283-0808, 301-442-5657 cell) 

Vice president of the Maryland Native Plant Society, 

Board member of the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, 

Hui o Laka at Kokee State Park, Hawaii 

Chair of the Biodiversity and Habitat Stewardship Committee 
for the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.

-----Original Message-----
From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of jmbarr
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 12:15 PM
To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: [APWG] Why remove invasives

No inspiring message here, sorry. 

I am a volunteer who has spent hundreds of hours removing invasives.  I 
am increasingly frustrated at the shear waste of volunteers time and 
energy in what I fear are exercises in futility.

I would love detailed information on best practices for invasives 
control for land managers.  For example, does hand pulling by volunteers 
make sense or would professionals with herbicides make more sense?  When 
beginning an effort in a natural area, do you start in the center of the 
property and work out, begin at a random point and work out from there, 
do you try to identify the furthest entry point and work back to the 
point of origin, does it make any difference?

Thanks for letting me vent,
john



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