Stewardship the new Management!

The removal of Invasive Exotic Vegetation is a necessary step to recovering the ecological functioning of the site. Once we remove the overgrowth of the vegetation the first thing that happens is a whole new world of light enters. The sun warms these soils and provides light for photosynthetic processes to take place. Therefore, seeds of the vegetated propagules of indigenous vegetation is now able to take advantage of the new environmental conditions. Usually a flush of desirable and not so desirable plants will emerge. Of course the pioneer species will run wild for a while until the conditions improve for more perennial herbaceous plants to take hold. The native grasses creating a canopy of shade, moisture, and organic matter that provides nutrients as the microorganisms metabolize and digest it. This starts the dynamics of a living community and the processes of succession begin. Our stewardship strategies also begin. We need to allow and assist the natural processes to move towards their trajectory. We may doub the invasive exotic plants with an herbicide as they emerge now. The new site conditions avail the plants of more of the resources than they may have had before.

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