Category: Invasive
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Another fire ant fiasco: Trying to eradicate or control widespread grass invasives
In the 1960s, and extending into the 1980s, large-scale government efforts to eradicate fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) in the United States of America failed miserably. This was in my thoughts as I read a fascinating and well-researched piece about efforts by the government to contain an invasive grass called Arundo donax in Texas, because even…
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Breaking the Blockade
I’ve been doing a long running observation on a stand of Imperata cylindrica (Cogon grass) in Florida since 2021, with the cogon grass rapidly overwhelming its competitors as it spread laterally along a roadside. For a history of this series of observations (oldest to most recent): April 2021Rapid expansion of an invasive grass as viewed…
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Admiration for an invasive plant
In the ecological sciences, the worst adjective that can be attached to a plant species is the term “invasive”. In fact, I’ve even heard some people call these plants “evil”, and the hatred directed at them is sometimes all out of proportion to their effect on the environment. The reality of course is that there…
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Diversity Fails Part Deux
The Elton hypothesis states that environments with lower resident diversity will be less resistant to invasion. One possible reason for this is that a diverse assemblage of species or functional types is better able to fully exploit all the resources in the area, and thus the invader will not be able to find any niche…
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Quick 2025 Update on Imperata cylindrica in Colorado
I did a quick visit to the site of the cogon infestation that was reported in Colorado in 2023. The original article in 2023: Cogon in Colorado: An Alarming Case of Natural Reversion from the Ornamental Variety Two years after being reported and treated, the infestation of cogon still managed to show itself. It looks…
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Hiding in the shadows
Important: I am in the process of getting a replacement, but unfortunately, due to damage to my flash during the hike at the Sherpa Steps or Nordkapptrappa (North Cape Staircase), in Honningsvåg, macrophotographs taken were of subpar quality, especially when lighting was low. I was thinking that I’ve pretty much scoured my own community for…
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Cogon Grass in Colorado: Proof that Winter-Hardy and Aggressive Reversions are Possible
Imperata cylindrica (Cogon grass) in the USA exists in two divergent forms. The first is the wild type form, which is considered cold-intolerant, fairly large, very aggressive, and has uniformly green leaves. In contrast, an ornamental variety that is very cold-tolerant has reddish-green leaves and is much shorter than the wild form. It is also…
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An Unlucky Parking Lot, Clonal Lineages, and Self-Incompatibility in Imperata cylindrica (Cogongrass)
Three years ago, I chronicled the invasion of an island in a parking lot by Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass), and how the property owners removed all vegetation from the affected island a few months later. This included two trees that probably were affected by whatever herbicide they used. Throughout the years, the island had remained…
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An irresistible force meets an immovable object?
I’ve been doing a long running observation on a stand of Imperata cylindrica (Cogon grass) in Florida since 2021, with the cogon grass rapidly overwhelming its competitors as it spread laterally along a roadside. For a history of this series of observations: April 2021Rapid expansion of an invasive grass as viewed using Google StreetView December…