Invasive weeds are a problem everywhere and have negative affects to the area they invade upon. Invasive plants will have effects on reducing crop yields, reducing native vegetation populations, and some species can disturb the soil. It is important to understand the best management methods available. The Pope Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) is working to address the invasive species problems in agriculture areas and native prairies in the county.
The CWMA has been working on many goals over the past 6+ years such as educating the public, controlling species with chemical and biological methods, and scouting sites for present and future treatments. There have been many accomplishments over the years and there is a noticeable improvement in the county from the work of the program. In the future we hope to keep up the program, further educate the public, and help other counties improve their programs.
The main invasive species we focused on are:
· Wild Parsnip (8 Sites)
· Leafy Spurge (3 Sites)
· Common Tansy (1 Site)
· Spotted Knapweed (4 Sites)
· Plumeless Thistle (1 Site)
If you want to learn more about the CWMA program visit the website at www.weedwatchers.org.