By Matt Forster The story of phragmites is an immigrant’s story. It is the tale of a common reed from Europe—used there for thatching roofs—and how it rose to become the scourge of North American wetlands. If you live in Southeast Michigan, you’ve seen phragmites. This newcomer to the ecological scene has been overtaking roadside wetlands for years. Where you once saw cattails, tall grasses—usually well over 8 feet in height—now form a near impenetrable wall of vegetation. Michigan is … [Read more...]
Invasive Species: Garlic Mustard
April 30, 2014 by 2 Comments
By Matt Forster Every region of the world has its own ecology, one that represents a balance of power between thousands of species of plants, animals, and insects. As you can imagine, these are all very complex systems. For every plant that does what it can to find food and keep from being eaten, there is a bug trying to eat it and keep itself from being eaten. They each adapt and counter-adapt. The end result is that they find a way where all get a place at the table, so to speak, and none … [Read more...]
