Invasive species management
Invasive species are an ongoing concern in the effort to preserve and protect green infrastructure. As Lenexa makes a concerted effort to establish native plants that keep water clean in stream corridors, along trails and in parks, the threat of invasive species can present a considerable management challenge. Establishing strong and healthy native plant communities is the key to keeping these invaders at bay.

What are invasive species?
Humans have introduced new species on every continent, either accidentally or intentionally. Introduced species are not considered a threat to the new environment unless they become invasive – organisms that take over habitats, which causes harm to other species and threatens entire ecosystems.

While thousands of species have been introduced to America, approximately 10 percent of the non-native species introduced to North America are able to survive and become established, according to the Ecological Society of America. These established, non-native species become invasive, taking over gardens, agricultural fields and natural areas such as wetlands, forests and prairies.

Invasive species tend to be highly competitive, adaptive and successful at reproducing because they lack of natural predators or competitors that keep the population in check in their native ecosystems. For example, purple loosestrife was brought to North America from Europe in the 1800s. It has no natural competitors in North America and is able to rapidly invade wetlands. Once established, purple loosestrife outcompetes and displaces many native plants that insects and animals depend on, which we also need to filter pollutants and control erosion.

Invasive species control Lenexa has several methods for controlling the spread of invasive species in our open spaces and natural areas, managed by its watershed maintenance crews that actively monitor and manage green space and stream corridors to control the spread of invasive species. Our crew has firsthand knowledge of the conditions and shifting plant communities in Lenexa’s green infrastructure from frequent site visits and plant identification activities. Each area the crew maintains has a customized management plan to ensure a cohesive, targeted management strategy.

Once invasives have occupied an area, it usually takes several seasons to finally get them out or at least under control. In Lenexa, the green crew eradicates non-native invasive species by mowing, using herbicides, and at times, hand removal.

Keeping a long-range perspective and approach is important in invasive species control. While it is tempting to handle invasives in a reactionary manner, often destroying all species, not just invasives, effective and sustainable management requires a targeted, adaptive plan.

Although the struggle with invasive species is ongoing and uphill at times, it’s an issue shared by land management professionals across the country. Lenexa is employing professional knowledge and experience to effectively handle the challenge.

For more information about Lenexa’s efforts to control invasive species, contact Ted Semadeni, watershed maintenance foreman.