Kudzu and the damage it does
Goats eat Kudzu!
Environmental Problems
Kudzu has a massive effect on the local environment in the areas it invades. Kudzu spreads both horizontally and vertically, covering all other plants in a tick mat of leaves and stems, which blocks light from reaching them. Very few plants can grow under such low light conditions, and usually the weight of the kudzu alone can be a barrier to growth. For this reason, diversity in plant species is extremely limited in a region invaded by Kudzu. The decrease in plant species also has a negative effect on the diversity of native wildlife. The elimination of native trees and brushes deprives native plant eaters of food, and thus causes a huge gap in the region’s food chain.
Environmental Concerns
Kudzu has been found to have a significant impact on soil and atmospheric chemistry (Hickman 2009, Wiberly 2005). Therefore, the extensive invasion of kudzu poses a large threat to the environmental chemical balance.
Financial Effects
The negative effects of Kudzu on the Southeastern economy have been extensively documented. Kudzu has become a very large problem for the forestry industry, since invasions are difficult to eradicate and can rapidly spread over large areas. Ten years ago the total productivity lost by agricultural and forestry businesses was over $500 million a year. Also not estimated but still significant is the value of private property that is lost to kudzu, since kudzu can invade privately owned forests and fields and can even envelop houses. These numbers are impressive, but since these figures are slightly outdated and there have been no large scale efforts to remove kudzu from the Southeast, it is likely that the amounts have increased significantly.
Everyone should care because unless we can slow the spread of invasive species, life as we currently know it will change dramatically; from where we live and work, to the places we go, the products we buy, how we relax and play with our kids. All of it has the potential to change with the spread of invasive species. One way in particular is because people will become weed warriors on the weekends and then leave the invasive for the trash people to pick up or take it to the dump themselves. Most counties will shred that into mulch and then give it away free to residents. Residents go to the landfill and get their free mulch only to spread the invasives even more. One of the benefits of using goats to clean up the invasives is that the goat manure doesn’t spread the seeds. The way a goat stomach is designed nothing is passed through the manure. Goats STOP the spread of invasives.
And because so much of the spread is associated with the activities of private individuals, it’s up to us to become informed, attentive, and accountable for our potential role in the spread of invasive species but most importantly how we manage it. Spraying herbicides has long term effects on generations to come. Are we really being good stewards by leaving more of a mess for generations to come to have to deal with because we choose to spray thinking it was the fastest way to solve the problem.
