Environmental Services | Preserving Biodiversity

One of the often overlooked areas of vegetation management, and it’s related environmental services, is it’s role in preserving the environment through preserving biodiversity. The biggest threat to our environment is the loss of native species, to species which are not native to our area. Good vegetation management practices help to keep our forests, lakes, and meadows native and diverse.

Major Cause: A smaller world

The world has become very small! International travel, the movement of people and goods from one place to another has made it so. Global travel has also made it possible for plants to move in and out of countries with relative ease. Many of these exotics find a new home, and some thrive beyond our normal abilities to control. If these plants, and often other life forms, are allowed to grow unchecked, they will eventually destroy all native vegetation in a region!

Biodiversity: Not just a rain forest issue.

Just as the destruction of large areas of forest lands in tropical areas destroys biodiversity in the area, the movement of some of these tropical plants into other countries can destroy the biodiversity of their new found home. Vegetation management has become a very important part of stopping this spread, and as the numbers escalate, will become even more important each day.

How this works.

In the world of physics, two objects can not occupy the same space and point in time. In the world of biology, the same rule holds true. One will gain dominance, and in the case of invasive exotic weeds and vines, one may dominate the entire ecosystem. When this occurs, the less competitive species may be completely eliminated from the environment and the area loses biodiversity.

Role of vegetation management.

The two major roles for vegetation managers are, the protection of the infrastructure, and preserving biodiversity.

JohnsonGrass was once thought to be good for cattle grazing

Infrastructure Services | Protecting Infrastructure

What is infrastructure?

The Infrastructure is what we rely on to get the things we need to carry on business and daily life. It includes our transportation lines such as roadways, waterways, water supply, and rail lines, our industrial sites such as tank farms, and pole yards, and our utility lines, such as communication, and power transmission lines. In short it is the foundation on which our society functions!

The Invasive Nature Of Nature

Vegetation, contrary to our normal way of thinking, is not passive. It is extremely aggressive! If left untended in right of ways, it will encroach on asphalt and concrete roadways, and over time, make them disappear. Power and communication lines would be overgrown, grounded out, and brought down by trees and vines, and repairs would be next to impossible! Canals would become impassable, water delivery would be impeded. Modern life, as we know it, would come to an end!
Believe it or not, grass and weeds can eat asphalt and concrete! Trees can destroy power and communication lines, and even stop a speeding locomotive. Vines can climb poles and stop transmission of power and communication as well.

Lakes, rivers and canals can become clogged and impassable, water intakes for power plants, industry, and home use can become unusable, and all of this can be caused by uncontrolled vegetation. Uncontrolled vegetative growth uses inordinately high quantities of water and nutrients in farm and ranch lands, destroys crops, cattle range, and and reforestation. In many places, unmanaged vegetation is responsible for raging forest fires and other destruction of property and life, and provides a habitat for other undesirable creatures. In short, vegetation without some form of human intervention, destroys our infrastructure.

The need for vegetation management

Every right of way, whether highway, railroad, pipeline, electric delivery line, communications line, canal, and commercial waterway needs this service to get the things we need to our homes and places of work. Without this service, our asphalt roads would crumble, our power lines would be downed, and our communication would come to a grinding halt. Every major system in the United States would eventually fail! The two major roles for vegetation managers are, the protection of the infrastructure, and preserving biodiversity.