05/26/2026
Some Food for Thought:
When humans disturb the ground, the first plants to arrive, the ones we call w**ds, are nature's emergency response team. They cover the soil, reduce erosion, capture sunlight, pump carbon into the soil through their roots, and begin rebuilding ecosystem function.
Many restoration ecologists would agree that the more aggressive species (kudzu, knotw**d, ivy) often reveal something important: disturbed, exposed, compacted, nutrient deficient, or otherwise stressed ecosystems which create opportunities for plants that specialize in rapid repair and occupation of vacant niches.
Some of us fear these plants are taking over or are crowding out native species. But as a new discipline, Invasion Ecology should recognize the limits of our knowledge and closely observe what is actually happening over time before acting (especially before applying herbicides.)
Even though we rightly feel a responsibility for damage we've caused, we should favor the least intrusive remedy and respect nature's capacity for self-repair. We should intervene only when there is clear evidence that our actions will reduce, rather than increase, ecological harm.
The Front Yard Forager says: Question herbicide use; Eat your w**ds!
