CONDON’S CORNER
Nature’s Best Hope: “Invasive” Plants
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| People’s desire to “sanitize” the natural world is highly destructive because it destroys habitat for wildlife. Additionally, when all of the shrubby undergrowth along a stream is cleared away (as seen here), the owner is likely to suffer loss of soil due to erosion in a severe rain event. |
Recently a
number of posts were made on the Virginia Bird List-serve (a website where
birders comment on anything having to do with birds) regarding quite a decrease
in the numbers of birds seen this fall. One woman, from the Mount Vernon area
of Fairfax County, commented that she had been noticing “this for several
months now, particularly the local birds. Numbers are way down. I am hoping
that the abundant natural foods are more enticing to them, but I have lots of
oak trees, beech trees, winterberry holly and native perennials and shrubs that
should be drawing the birds to my yard. They are just not here…”
If you realize the important roles birds play in our environment, such as helping to limit plant-feeding invertebrates as well as excess numbers of plants by eating their fruits or seeds, the above comment that birds “are just not here”—despite supposedly ideal plant conditions in the commenter’s area —should frighten you. Even more concerning is that a dearth of avian species confirms what I’ve been observing for decades now: a dearth of insect species for them and other animals to feed upon. And it’s not only animal life, but also plant life that impacts our critters’ ability to continue on.
Over the past several decades, more
years have been drought-stricken, meaning plants don’t get the amount of water
they need to survive and reproduce well. This situation greatly affects native
plants because they evolved under better conditions of adequate rainfall for
their needs.
Additionally, the overpopulation of
deer in Virginia that has been the case for many years means too many plants
get eaten by them, not only depriving birds of food, but also cover where they
can sleep, roost, and nest.
Without sufficient food and
habitat, many kinds of wildlife cannot reproduce as it should and is,
therefore, bound to die off. Indeed, each passing year has made clear that not
only do we have fewer and fewer birds, but also many other kinds of animals.
The only saving grace that has helped our wildlife survive this long is the presence of so-called invasive plants that people love to hate. Many of these plants are not (yet) eaten by deer, and they can survive the drought conditions that have become so prevalent these days. Yet even these plants can hardly make a go of it, thanks to a majority of people weed-whacking and mowing every last bit of land they own. I live in a rural area of western Albemarle where homeowners not only limit plants on their properties, but also all along roadways, ditches, and old fence rows. Needless to say, this type of “sanitizing” occurs in suburban and urban areas as well.
Poor people and
wildlife both suffer the ravages of sanitization. “Waste places”, which should more accurately be
seen as natural areas, allow plants and animals to eke out a living, just as those with limited incomes do
in trailer parks. Precious-few wild areas
exist anywhere to support wildlife, just as precious-few living arrangements
are now available for those with small incomes.
Both are viewed in the same
disparaging way, as if both are a blight in need of "renewal". But
please note: As a poor college student dependent upon grants and work-study
programs, I myself lived in a trailer, which was conveniently located near the
university I attended. I’d have to say those were some of the best years of my
life as I worked to make my dream of getting a college degree come true. And,
living in a rural area, I was able to continue my life-long learning about the
“weeds” wildlife lived upon.
For a long time
now, schools have been teaching children that “invasive” plants are very
bad and should be eliminated. When these children become adults, they learn to
use pesticides to remove the plants and, consequently, poison the environment.
They work at places like Charlottesville Parks & Rec, removing “invasive”
plants practically year-around, leaving precious little food or cover behind
for birds and other critters.
If native plants
could survive in today's world of altered environmental conditions, they—instead
of alien plants—would already be growing there. Unfortunately, people have
embraced
this nonsensical obsession with getting rid of so-called invasive plants
that can survive drought and poor soil conditions and thus
assist our wildlife to keep it alive.
I’ve always grown
both native and nonnative plants on my property. I’ve witnessed what has
happened over the past half a century and have recognized the true value of
“invasive” plants. Read most of the articles I’ve had published over the past
35 years and you’ll see my photos of many kinds of creatures making use of the
very plants people insist upon removing.
Environmental
circumstances have changed, making it terribly difficult for native plants to
do well. The anti-invasive-plant movement has done far more harm than good,
which means wildlife numbers will continue to drop as long as people adhere to
this false dogma.
There can be no
denying that Nature’s best hope in a human-degraded world are so-called
invasive plants.
