If you are familiar with the environment, you have probably heard of the term invasive species. If not, here is a definition. An invasive species is a species from a foreign environment that tends to have a high rate of spreading. Through the process of spreading, these organisms can cause significant damage to the environment, as well as humans. Due to how dangerous invasive species can be, it’s important to know what they are, where they are, how they are introduced in these non-native environments, what issues they cause, and have a solution to prevent these species from causing damage. Luckily, in this essay, I will provide all of this information for you, so hopefully we can reduce the impact of invasive species around Rocky Mountain High School.
Cheeseweed (In between sidewalk of school garden)
Cheeseweed, also known as Malva neglecta, is derived from the Mallow family. In case you can’t see them, they are the plants with the big leaves at the top sprouting over the other plants. They originate from Europe and reproduce through spreading seeds. This plant can cause many issues. For example, if the plant grows in landscapes, gardens, or turfs, they can make them look less visually appealing. They are also responsible for spreading many plant viruses, such as alfalfa mosaic virus and tomato yellow leaf curl. They also grow very close to the soil, which can prevent non-invasive species of plants from developing where cheeseweed is located. This contributes to an overall decrease in biodiversity, weakening the ecosystem.
Luckily, there are solutions to get rid of this plant. You need to tackle getting rid of these plants before they mature. If you wait, they are going to become quite a challenge to remove, since the taproot will be much stronger. Ms. Mattise-Lorenzen describes it as trying to remove a carrot from the ground. So just remember that. When pulling out the plant, dig a hole that is about 5 to 15 centimeters deep, since this is the depth that is usually enough to fully remove the plant. After that, just pull the plant out.
Russian Olive (Near the bike racks)
(Elliott Fitz)
You may have noticed this unassuming, but strange looking tree when you lock up your bikes every morning. This tree is called a Russian Olive, or Elaeagnus angustifolia. It is derived from the Oleander family and is native to Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It reproduces through many ways. These include flowers, seed dispersion, as well as sprouts located on the buds of roots. The seeds are also capable of producing fruits, which are then consumed by birds, who disperse the seeds within them and cause more trees to grow. This plant can be an issue because they reproduce and grow very rapidly, making it difficult to remove the species once it has made itself prevalent in an area. The roots of a Russian Olive also can increase the nitrogen concentration in soil, which can alter the types of plants growing in the area with the trees. Lastly, the leaves that fall from a Russian Olive can alter nutrients present in bodies of water, such as streams. All of these problems can cause drastic and unwanted changes to ecosystems.
Here’s how you remove a Russian Olive. You can pull out the plant by hand when it is young and with wet soil. You can also use herbicides, which need to be applied to the stump of the tree after cutting them. After fully removing the trees, trees that are native to the environment should be planted in place of Russian Olives.
Kochia (School garden)
This furry little plant is called Kochia, also known as Kochia scoparia or Bassia scoparia. It comes from the Amaranth family and is native to Asia. It was introduced to the US as an ornamental, and it reproduces by seed. The reason why this plant is an issue is because it is actually toxic. This means that once it makes itself known, it can spread and form a monoculture (single crop areas). This can contribute to a decrease in biodiversity, which can reduce the ecosystem’s power. Not only that, but Kochia can become tumbleweeds, which can spread its seeds and cause more to grow, and they can also pose a fire risk when it’s dry.
In order to remove this plant, there is a lot you need to know. Kochia seedlings tend to germinate at the start of spring during temperatures above 40 degrees. Seedlings tend to be in competition with each other for resources, so sometimes, they may just die off naturally. However, if they don’t, don’t worry. You can hand pull them, but make sure to do it when the plant is thin and has a height of at least a few inches. Pulling mature Kochia by hand can be a challenge due to their deep roots. In areas with large populations of Kochia, you can also mow them down before they germinate, but make sure to repeat this process until the plants are no longer producing seeds. One thing you should not do is use a shovel, as this can disturb soil and cause more invasive species to grow. You should also plant non-invasive species to reduce the influence of the invasive species. Lastly, make sure that you get rid of loose soil by stepping it down.
As you can clearly see, invasive species are a clear issue around Rocky Mountain High School. However, hopefully the advice provided will now allow you to take action and remove these invasive species, with a little help from the school of course. You can’t remove a whole tree by yourself!
Sources
1 – iNaturalist. “INaturalist.org.” INaturalist.org, iNaturalist Network, 2019, www.inaturalist.org/. Accessed 21 May 2024.
2 – Ms. Mattise-lorenzen (with permission)
3 – “Northern Arizona Invasive Plants.” Northern Arizona Invasive Plants, University of Arizona, 2024, nazinvasiveplants.org/. Accessed 21 May 2024.
4 – Photos come from around RMHS (Garden and just outside the building)
5 – Max Licher at swbiodiversity.org/seinet (right picture of Kochia), found in source 3
