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Invasive Plant Chokes Nature Reserve
19 Mar
Summary
- Invasive crassula plant choked water bodies at nature reserve.
- Specialist equipment removed invasive plant over two weeks.
- £50,000 funding secured for removal and habitat creation.
An invasive succulent plant, crassula helmsii, known as New Zealand Pygmyweed, has been removed from the RSPB Sandwell Valley Nature Reserve in the West Midlands. This non-native species had begun to choke out the habitat, covering lakes and ponds and depleting oxygen levels.
The aggressive plant thrives in wetland areas, displacing native marsh and wet grassland plants and hindering bird feeding spots. Its ability to spread from tiny fragments made eradication challenging.
Specialist equipment, including floating diggers, were employed for two weeks to physically remove the crassula. Efforts were made to bury the removed plant on-site, deprived of light, to ensure its demise. This intensive removal project cost £50,000, funded by the Enovert Community Trust.
The funding also facilitated the creation of scrapes, which are shallow muddy ponds crucial for birds like lapwings, oystercatchers, and snipe. These habitats are increasingly scarce, particularly in urban environments.
