Originally Published in Seven Mile Times' August 2015 issue
Barren landscape immediately following clearing of invasive vines on 111th St. near 2nd St.
Fresh and more healthy regrowth following clearing on 111th St. near 2nd St.
Invasion of the GREEN MEANIES Non-Native Plants Threaten the Health of Our Wildlife Habitats By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute
Barren landscape immediately following clearing of invasive vines on 111th St. near 3rd St.
W
e are fortunate to live in an area so rich with wildlife and natural areas. Cape May County is considered a globally significant bird area. It is internationally known as a spectacular stopover for migrating birds and butterflies, and provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife that enriches us all. Seven Mile Beach has a wealth of natural areas that provide refuge to both resident and migratory wildlife: from the extensive vegetated dune systems, to remnant Atlantic Maritime Forests in both Avalon and Stone Harbor, to areas around Stone Harbor Point, and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary and Armacost Park. Many of these natural areas unfortunately suffer from the impacts of excessive growth of non-native and invasive vegetation that limits the quality of the habitat that they provide.
Invasive plants are alien invaders. They are plants that have been introduced either intentionally (for example, through landscaping) or accidentally (e.g., shipping containers from overseas), and have the potential to harm critical wildlife habitat. Some common and perhaps well-known examples that were introduced through the landscaping and garden trade include English ivy, butterfly bush, Japanese barberry, autumn or Russian olive, and mimosa, to name a few. The Cape May Mapping Project recently completed an inventory of plants in Cape May County. Alarmingly, they found that only 59 percent of the more than 1,200 species of plants found were native. And new invasive plants are being found in the county on an annual basis at a much faster rate than new or previously unknown native plants. A drive by some of the natural areas will
Fresh and more healthy regrowth following clearing on 111th St. near 3rd St.
quickly show the often-devastating effects of these invaders. Trees whose trunks and branches are completely encased in English ivy are suffering a slow and suffocating death. Whether the incredible weight of the ivy results in falling branches and broken limbs, or the shading of the tree’s leaves progressively robs the tree of food to survive, the end result is typically the death of large, majestic trees, many of which sprouted before these alien invaders were introduced into our area. Invasive plants come from somewhere else and don’t have the same controls that keep them in check as native plants. They typically have a longer growing season, widespread and resistant root systems, and produce a huge number of offspring. If you see a plant or shrub that is green long before other plants are, or still has its leaves long after others do, chances are excellent that
it’s non-native. When a non-native invasive plant colonizes an area, it can easily out-compete native plants and overtake forests, grasslands, wetlands and gardens. Once established, non-native invasive plants can quickly take the place of native ones, creating a landscape often dominated by one plant that provides little benefit to people and wildlife. It may look green and lush, when in fact the habitat provides little benefit to wildlife. Both Armacost Park and the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary are areas that are suffering from an invasion of non-native and invasive vines. Both are also areas where ongoing efforts are underway to help restore native vegetation and restore wildlife habitat. In both the park and sanctuary, invasive and nonnative plants are smothering trees and impacting the health and suitability of the natural area for wildlife. continued on page 110