Our September program will be about noxious weeds. NOTE the venue listed below!!

Kelly Ann Morris coordinator of the Ravalli County Weed District will be speaking about noxious weeds.

Noxious weeds are non-native plants that have been introduced to Ravalli County through human actions both purposely and accidentally. Due to their aggressive growth and lack of natural enemies, these species can be highly destructive, competitive, and difficult to control.

Noxious weeds pose a growing threat to our general ecosystem. These non-native plants have a competitive advantage over our native plants because of the lack of insects and diseases that control them in their native countries, and they are spreading rapidly on both private and public lands. Many times noxious weeds form large patches that do not allow other plants to grow resulting in less species and less individual plants.

The reason this is such a problem is that these new invaders do not have an evolutionary history with all of the rest of the plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife that depend on our ecosystem.  The introduction and establishment of invasive plants into new habitats in which they have not coevolved with the native organisms have been identified as a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function (Bezemer et al. Annual Review of Entomology 2013).

Plants are the bottom of the food chain, with insects and a variety of mammals eating the plants directly, and then other species such as birds and mountain lions eating the insects and mammals. Non-native plants such as noxious weeds don’t provide that bottom rung of the food chain. This is because 90% of herbivorous (plant-eating) insects are fairly host-specific and may not recognize unfamiliar exotic plants as food.  Many mammals also may hesitate at eating new plants. When weeds crowd out the familiar native plants, the entire food chain is weakened.

Many times when a noxious weed takes over, the wildlife that need native plants to survive will leave an area.

 Noxious weeds reduce crop yields, edge out native plant communities that wildlife and fish depend on and degrade wildlife habitat. The damages from noxious weeds can cost landowners, ranchers and farmers millions of dollars in loss of production and control efforts. These costs can be transferred to consumers through higher food costs. Noxious weeds also damage recreational sites, clog waterways, lower land values, and can poison livestock.
 
An invasive species can become a noxious weed when it has shown to have serious effects on natural resources, ecosystem health and our economy.If you have any questions about potential noxious weeds on your property The Ravalli County Weed District can assist you with identifying noxious weeds and give you advice on their control.

September’s Bitterroot Audubon Society meeting will be held at The Ravalli County Weed District Office.

The Address is:
121 S. Tudor Street
Victor, Mt 59875