| Re: Alien plants
But does all the discussion and gathering of statistics give rise to any effective action?
I informed the EA a few years ago of giant hogweed on a site from which it was spreading its seed down river. They were at the time asking for info, but they have done nothing. I have just reported, to the site mentioned above, some Jap. knotweed spreading across an isolated situation near my home but I will be very surprised if it is not left to continue spreading. I have mentioned above the failed attempt to eradicate R. ponticum (yes, there was action on this occasion, but misdirected). And so on.
And yet, if I suggest on this site that the most important issue is to make sure that we do not import yet more alien species, e.g. Harris hawks and African snails (yes I know they are not plants but the principal is the same), everyone is quite blase about it. We even have home-grown 'experts' who suggest that our ecology will tolerate a few more aliens. I lack this ability to see into the future and consider that prevention is better than cure.
On the other hand, there are many plants so well established that I believe control would be impossible except in limited areas - a garden, for example. I took special note the other day of the distribution of Himalayan balsam along a river bank where it was established to the best of my knowledge more than fifty years ago. Someone suggested on another thread that it should be taken out because it re-structures river banks. This is nonsense. It helps to stabilise the bank in the same way as does the rest of the vegetation with which it shares space - mainly nettles, goosegrass, dock, ground ivy (another alien), various umbelliferae (incl. giant hogweed), mugwort, mint ... None of which it appears to have inconvenienced in the least. Furthermore there were bees laden with its pollen, and nothing else that they could harvest.
So I repeat, is there likely to be any action? If so is it likely to be effective? Would it not be more effective to be more critical of new incoming species?  |