Service Learning Assignment - Invasive Species Removal

Invasive Species Removal (2 hours)
17 March 2017
Organizer: Adam Oberstadt (Minister for Environment, Überstadti holdings in Mountlake Terrace)
Email: oberstadta@gmail.com


The service learning project I was involved in has been ongoing for a number of years now. An area stretching over several private properties has had a large infestation of invasive plant species for the past many years. For the past 5 years, under the direction of the Minister for the Environment of a pseudo-governmental organization called Überstadt, efforts have been taken during the Spring and Summer seasons to identify and remove such plants while transporting native growth to the same area. Of particular interest to this area are English ivy, which often chokes out trees and other plants by growing up the length of them and smothering them, and Himalayan blackberry, which is environmentally demanding with its massive thickets and poses a high fire risk during the Summer months. The environmental effects of these plants impact animals by choking out the potential habitat and feeding opportunities of birds, squirrels, and numerous varieties of insects that grow in and around the base of trees. By removing these plants and, as we have done in the past, by planting native species, we promote the long-term success of the native ecosystem.

In this project, I identified native species, including lowland huckleberry, Oregon grape, and trailing blackberry, to prevent accidental damage to them; and I identified English ivy and Himalayan blackberry and removed or incapacitated them. To remove the English ivy, I had to pull out the entire length of a single plant (which extended upwards of 8 feet at a time) and remove as much of the main root system as I could by digging it out. English ivy is notorious for their ability to grow back from just small segments of the plant being left behind, and so removing as much as I could was essential. They grow in segments, each with a small root system at each end. The Himalayan blackberry was more difficult to remove. When completely digging the root of the plant was not possible, the stem was cut low, and several uneven lacerations were made from the root to the tip of the remaining stem to effectively kill off that segment of the plant.

The ultimate goal of this project is to promote the long-term success of the native ecosystem by reducing the amount of non-native plants and increasing the amount of native plants. Conservation of our native ecosystems helps maintain genetic diversity across the world by limiting the detrimental impact of robust species that simply are too overbearing in the context of different environments. We learned in class that there are several processes that already often lead to a decrease in genetic diversity, such as genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow; we don't need to contribute to this by promoting natural selection against native species by introducing non-native species and not regulating them.

This leads to some questions about what we can and should do in the context of supporting native ecosystems:

• Should there be regulations enacted to limit the spread and/or enforce the eradication of harmful species? 
• How much can humans directly affect an ecosystem by introducing and removing different species until we begin doing more harm than good? Should we be doing more?
• Can and should we utilize non-native species for economic gain? Is this unethical considering the serious repercussions this can have on local ecosystems?
• How can we help make the public aware of these issues and get them involved in their local environment?

As I participated in this service, I was struck by the simplicity of the work that is required to help preserve native ecosystems. The science supporting these efforts is clear, and yet so few people engage in such activities. Although this individual project I participated in covers a minuscule area compared to our region, I have gained a renewed sense of urgency in the work that needs to be done across the world to protect our existing environments. The role of ecologists in understanding, preserving and protecting the biosphere has never been so important, nor has it been so complex with our globalized, industrial societies. To make their efforts worthwhile, it will take the efforts of billions to actively protect our planet from ourselves.

 Figure 1: Oregon Grape prominent, with English Ivy visible in bottom right corner.

Figure 2: Example of root system of a branch of English Ivy.

Figure 3: Madrona tree planted 2 years ago.            

 Figure 4: Thorny vine at the top is Himalayan Blackberry.

Figure 5: Deceased tree, planted several years ago. Numerous lifeforms occupy dead trees, making them some of the most biologically diverse systems in a forest.

 Figure 6: General overview of focus patch.

Figure 7: Native trailing blackberry, as identified by their long, thin vines and 3-leaf arrangements (Himalayan blackberries have 5 leaves in a bunch).

Figure 8: A wild Aaron Oberstadt appears! (And is also very wet after 2 hours in the rain.)