Whitman Invasive Plants

The Whitman Walk Work Party focused on invasive plant removal in front of Haggett Hall/McCarty Hall. Our duty was to plant some helping plants that can help maintain the environment, such as Sword ferns and Wall lettuce. There were also other tasks available including implanting signs and trash-picking-ups. Yet, I found removing invasive plant more appealing to me and thus that became my primary duty of the day.
Invasive plants are defined as nonnative plants that are carried into the country either intentionally or not. Invasive plants are often environmental threatening if they are capable to adapt the new environment. Under extreme circumstances, a biome can experience a drastic decrease with its biodiversity. Using an example that was told today during the volunteer session, English ivy, an invasive plant, is found everywhere in the Whitman Walk area. English ivy is known for its adaptability of shade tolerances, meaning that it can sprout with a minimum amount of incoming sunlight. English ivy is also capable of creating this massive green carpet on the surface soil that will
Himalayan blackberry was also asked to be removed due to its strong competence for sunlight with other native species, such as Douglas fir and Indian plum that are found around at the Whitman Walk area. Himalayan blackberry is also known for quick reproduction and thus creating a massive, dense, impenetrable bush that prevents other species from receiving sufficient sunlight (King Country, 2015). Himalayan blackberry also have stings allover its stem, making it less accessible to predators (seed protection) and removal by human. Other less invasive species are Nipplewort and Wall lettuce. They are relatively less threatening to native species and are also very easy to remove because unlike English ivy (super long, undergrounded root) and Himalayan blackberry (stings), they lack of specialized