Invasive Vegetation Removal

The southern Appalachians, home to more plant species than any other region of the continental U.S., is also home to hundreds of naturalized invasives. These invasives cost taxpayers and property owners literally billions of dollars every year while destroying precious native habitat.  These species are categorized by the degree to which they threaten the South’s biodiversity. While invasive vegetation like kudzu and multiflora rose is well known, many such as Japanese knotweed are not.

Few Effective Protocols for Invasives Removal

Some invasive vegetation like honeysuckle, English ivy, bamboo, mimosa and even bittersweet are sold locally and vigorously defended by local interests. Although the problem is enormous in most parts of the South, there is little federal or state money available and few effective protocols for removal that don’t involved harmful pesticide applications. One such method is forestry mulching.

Removing Invasives through Forestry Mulching

Often land owners just need to get a leg-up on invasives in order to manage and ultimately eradicate them using conventional means such as mowing. Generally speaking, when the leafy parts of invasive vegetation, like most plants, are deprived of oxygen via mulching and mowing, the plant will die. We have assisted land owners in removing hundreds of acres of invasive vegetation in recent years, restoring value and usability to pastures, woodlots and homesites, while reducing associated fuel loads and assisting in the restoration of native habitats. The place to begin is by identifying invasive vegetation and developing a cost effective strategy for removal. Because invasives are often pioneer species occurring in recently disturbed areas, isolating them is not as difficult as you might think. Let us put our experience to work on your property. It is in all of our interests to remove invasive species from our delicate bioregion.