Honey Suckle

Background:
Many Invasive species pose a threat to the continued survival of the native plant life at camp catalpa. One plant in particular has been negatively impacted by the continued presence of the invasive bush honey suckle is the spice bush. The bush honey suckle produces a toxin in the soil that inhibit the growth of other species. New seedling from other plants can grow under the bush because of the production of this toxin. The thick foliage of the bush honey suckle also prevents adequate light from penetrating the brush beneath which is necessary the germination of new seedlings. The invasive species also experience no predation, meaning that a natural mechanism does not exist within this ecosystem to control the population size
For this experiment to effectively there must be a set of five controls and one variable to test all possible variables on the effectiveness of the herbicide or bag method. The experimental group will be a stump that will be cut six inches from the ground, sprayed with herbicide and covered with three garbage bags to prevent exposure to air and sunlight, the bottom of the bag will be sealed with duct tape. The second honey suckle bush, the first control group, will use bag method independent of the herbicide. This bush will be cut six inches from the ground and wrapped with three garbage bags and sealed with duct tape. The next group will test sunlight exposure and its effect on the stump that’s been treated with herbicide. Two honeysuckle bushes that face towards the east will be needed for this experiment. Both bushes will be cut six inches from the ground. One will be treated with herbicide and the remaining will not. Finally, the last set of controls will need two honey suckle bushes that face towards the west. These bushes will also be cut six inches from the ground. One will be treated with the herbicide and one will not. Let the experiment run for 8 weeks. Remove the bags and document the growth on each of the respective stumps. Leave uncovered and return in two weeks to determine if any new growth has
Future experiments can be continued by devising a method to reduce the amount of bush honey suckle bushes found in suburban yards. This can be achieved by building a greenhouse at EKU that can be sued to cultivate native ornamental yard plants. These plants can in turn be sold as native ornamentals to the public. An exchange program can be made, where if the homeowner agrees to remove the invasive specie from their property we will replace it with a native alternative. The population density of the invasive species would then be determined annually to track the effectiveness of the