As brits we are used to the less than perfect weather conditions and unsurprisingly it is a hot topic of conversation, in fact according to an article in ‘the Sun’ we spend more than 6 months of our life talking about it. This year, we have already had storm Dennis and Ciara within 7 days of each other, with winds up to 97mph. We also expect Storm Ellen and Francis to follow shortly.
These weather conditions are becoming more frequent and extreme due to climate change. Recent flooding due to storm after storm is not only causing us problems in the way of damage to properties, poor travel conditions and destruction of crops but have also accelerated the spread of invasive species. Last year was England’s 5th wettest autumn on record, whereby torrential rain caused chaos, leading to serious river and surface water flooding. Following the extreme weather, the Wildlife Trust conducted a survey only to find its nature reserves had been inhabited by Japanese knotweed rhizomes, that were once non-existent.
So how is the weather causing the species to spread so quickly? Japanese knotweed is often spread when pieces of the rhizome separate from its parent plant and are swept away, they thrive in new locations and often take over at high speed. The species tends to inhibit banksides of rivers and so when flooding occurs and river levels rise, the rhizome is easily broken away and carried to a new location.
Preventing the spread of Japanese knotweed is understandably difficult, particularly when the weather is not on our side. Rivers should be monitored when flooding occurs but there really isn’t a whole lot that can be done to prevent Japanese knotweed ending up on your property, if it’s being carried from a watercourse.
The invasion of Japanese knotweed has been a nuisance for people across many industries for years. All we really can do is take responsibility for the invasive species on our land and educate others on how to do the same. But in the meantime, how great would it be if this weather gave us all a break and stopped making things worse. Not to mention making a day out on site that bit more appealing.
If you want to learn more about how you can help fight the spread of Japanese knotweed, Ebsford are offering a CPD seminar aimed at helping navigate the eradication process. For more information feel free to contact us directly on 01924 802 190.
