Author: Columbia Public Schools

STOP THE HONEYSUCKLE!

Something is attacking our forests. An invasive plant is rapidly taking over almost every forest around you. An invasive plant or animal is an organism that was either purposefully or accidentally brought into an ecosystem. Invasive organisms are dangerous because they compete with native organisms for the same resources needed for survival.
The Problem
The invasive plant causing us big problems in our forests is the bush honeysuckle. Bush honeysuckles are not from the United States. They were brought over from Asia several decades ago for landscaping our yards While it seemed like a perfect plant to place in your yard, they are now causing big problems for us.
It turns out birds love the bush honeysuckle berries even though they are not all that nutritious. The birds carry the berries from the landscaped yards and drop the seeds onto native forests, prairies, and other yards. These seeds grow very easily in many conditions. Once the new plants are established and producing seeds, more birds spread more seeds and the problem gets worse and worse.
These invasive plants grow very thick on the bottom of the forest floor, leaving little room for native plants to grow. To make matters worse, the bush honeysuckle is the first plant to leaf out in the spring and the last plant to lose its leaves in the fall so that makes it even harder for any other plant to ever catch any of the sun’s energy they need to grow. Therefore as older trees die, they may not have as many replacements. This could change our forests into more brush than trees.
The Solution
This story is not all bad because there is a solution. Bush honeysuckle plants are easily identified and therefore can be targeted for removal. Many different organizations have teamed up with a program created by the Science Teachers of Missouri to remove these invasive plants. The goal is to remove at least a million of these invasive plants. Because the plants spread rapidly from the berries they produce, the goal is to remove as many plants as possible before new berries form in the fall.
Removal Instructions
Bush honeysuckle have shallow roots so the small plants can easily be pulled from the ground.
Larger plants must be cut and then an adult must treat the stump with a herbicide. If not treated, the plant quickly comes back.
In early spring or fall, the bush honeysuckle is the only plant with green leaves. During this period of time an adult can spray the leaves with herbicide and the plant will die. Because no other plants have leaves yet, only the honeysuckle will die.
Make a Difference!
A special website has been set up at www.mohoneysuckleproject.com where you can learn to identify and remove these invasive plants. You can even log how many plants you remove to help the goal of removing a million of these plants from Missouri. This is your chance to make a difference in your community and ecosystem. Go out there and take your forests back!

Science by the Week

Science by the Week

STOP THE HONEYSUCKLE!

Interpretation Assessment

1. What is the difference between a native and invasive organism?
2. Why are invasive organisms dangerous to an ecosystem?
3. Why is the bush honeysuckle such a problem?
4. What will eventually happen to our forests if bush honeysuckle is allowed to take over?
5. To make the biggest difference in stopping the spread of bush honeysuckle, plants should be removed before what time?

Science by the Week

STOP THE HONEYSUCKLE!

Interpretation Assessment

1. What is the difference between a native and invasive organism?
Native organisms have naturally been in the ecosystem for a long time and are part of the natural food web. Invasive organisms were brought in from somewhere else and negatively impact and ecosystem.
2. Why are invasive organisms dangerous to an ecosystem?
Invasive organisms disrupt the food web by competing for the same resources that native plants need to survive and reproduce.
3. Why is the bush honeysuckle such a problem?
The bush honeysuckle grows so rapidly and thick that it blocks other native plants from growing under them.
4. What will eventually happen to our forests if bush honeysuckle is allowed to take over?
Our forests may start to lose some of the big native trees, as new seedlings cannot grow. The forests may become more brush than trees.
5. To make the biggest difference in stopping the spread of bush honeysuckle, plants should be removed before what time?
Before fall, when new berries are produced.