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0 pointsBitwiseFool3y ago0 comments

Absolutely, because the trees non-ecologists pick for rapid reforestation happen to grow aggressively and they tend to out compete the local species. They tend to pick either rapidly growing species, or particularly hardy ones. Both characteristics make removing them after introduction difficult.

Hawaii has a huge problem with this, but also California. The eucalyptus trees they imported from Australia have had the terrible affect of making wildfires in California even worse. There's also a horrible negative feedback loop because the Eucalyptus is adapted to recover quickly from such fires.

"It has been estimated that 70% of the energy released through the combustion of vegetation in the Oakland fire was due to eucalyptus.[41] In a National Park Service study, it was found that the fuel load (in tons per acre) of non-native eucalyptus woods is almost three times as great as native oak woodland." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus#Adaptation_to_fire

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21 comments · 4 top-level

hodgesrm3y ago· 8 in thread

> The eucalyptus trees they imported from Australia have had the terrible affect of making wildfires in California even worse.

I watched the eucalyptus stands burning in the Oakland Hills fire. They go up like torches. I've never understood the rationale for keeping them. Owls really like them though.

moviewise3y ago

Monarch butterflies in California need eucalyptus trees for their winter roost

https://milliontrees.me/2013/11/01/monarch-butterflies-in-ca...

deepsun3y ago

How, I mean, eucalyptus is not native to California? Did they recently adapt?

happymellon3y ago

It does say in the article that 20% nest in the pine and 16% in cypress trees.

> His theory is that the agricultural practices of early settlers, which cleared trees, created a population explosion of the milkweed that is the host plant of monarchs. More milkweeds resulted in more monarchs and monarchs began to migrate in response to population pressure, he believes.

So it sounds like it was all pine in that area, deforestation created an environment for monarchs, and they moved in. Monarchs are not native to the area, so I'm not sure that they can be used as a defence to keep all the eucalyptus.

yellowapple3y ago

> Owls really like them though.

There's your rationale. Owls are cool.

hodgesrm3y ago

Much as I dislike Eucalyptus trees, every owl calling from a Eucalyptus is a vote to keep them.

bombcar3y ago

I don't think there's much of a rationale; nobody I knew in CA liked eucalyptus trees, they just are everywhere. I had heard they wanted to make railroad ties from them.

Gustomaximus3y ago

Correct on the railroad ties. Well until they realised how long they take to grow properly so it didnt work out.

https://www.independent.com/2011/01/15/how-eucalyptus-came-c...

sleightofmind3y ago

I really, I mean really, really like the slender ones with the almost white bark, and the limbs that branch off with the skin-like wrinkles on their undersides. The trunks and lower limbs remind me of the human form. And I like the broccoli-like crests of leaves, that while poor at providing shade, are just so doggone stylish.

There are other Eucalyptus trees that are massive and perhaps less attractive, that I still find awe inspiring because of their massive size.

I did not know that they were such a problem in wildfires, despite being born in and living nearly the whole of my life in Southern California. You learn something every day.

wnevets3y ago· 8 in thread

Do you know of other species that have similar issues as Eucalyptus?

rch3y ago

Tree of Heaven is extremely difficult to eradicate, and has spread throughout Boulder over the last few years.

https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/2021/09/05/tree-fro...

thedougd3y ago

America's favorite (/s) the Bradford Pear. It is invasive and will choke/push out other species.

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/bradford-pear

redtexture3y ago

The North American Black Locust tree, a continental native tree, of the legume family, is considered invasive within North America, in New York and Connecticut and Massachusetts and the rest of New England, mid-west prairie areas, and the west of the continent.

Its original range, before European arrival, is believed to be in Appalachian Mountains, Pennsylvania to Georgia, and the Ozarks.

  It has been used as a pioneer species to restore treeless land in other continents, including Europe, Asia and Africa and Australia. Spain has used them to restart forest in desertified areas, for example.

- Black Locust (Robinia_pseudoacacia) -- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia

- Black Locust -- New York PRISM https://www.wnyprism.org/invasive_species/black-locust/

- Black Locust -- Massachusetts Audubon Society https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/invasive-p...

- Rethinking Black Locust -- by Maureen Sundberg April 15, 2019 Ecological Lanscape Alliance https://www.ecolandscaping.org/04/landscape-challenges/invas...

zdragnar3y ago

Buckthorn in the US is very resilient, crowds out other species of both undergrowth and trees, and is a host to a number of pests such as aphids and fungi which will then attack crops and native species.

You can't simply cut it down, it requires a nasty chemical applied to the stump, or to be completely pulled out by the roots. They grow tightly packed together, so clearing out even a small area is best done with a team of people.

Auracle3y ago

It also can absolutely grow to tree size, and I’ve found areas with a lot of buckthorn have significantly more mosquitoes. Presumably they have more cover so aren’t as likely to be eaten.

If I were a billionaire I’d fund a secret program to create a disease to wipe out buckthorn. I hate what it’s done to Minnesota’s forests.

karmajunkie3y ago

it’s not a tree but kudzu is a pretty famous example. it was imported from japan (i believe —may be mistaken on that point) into the American Deep South for erosion control, it quickly grew in the warm, wet environs and now literally smothers nearly all native vegetation. Its incredibly invasive and difficult to eradicate.

lelandfe3y ago

Exact same story on the west coast with iceplant: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Dont-Plant-Me/Ic.... It dominates the Californian coastline now and probably always will.

jonnycomputer3y ago

Amur Honeysuckle, though its sort of more of a shrub.

raverbashing3y ago· 1 in thread

Good example. Eucalyptus is bad

Pinus is worse

seattle_spring3y ago

I've been watching way too much Beavis and Butthead.

hugi3y ago

Note that reforestation up here is a different game than in places like California (read: "warmer locations more amicable to life"). Species that survive here mostly already existed and trees grow very, very slowly. For the most part, we'll welcome anything that will survive, and turns out (big surprise) that our existing species are the best at surviving here. An exception (as in, a newly introduced potentially invasive species) is the Californian Poplar, which was imported in the 40s, but that isn't really used much for reforestation anymore.

There are notable examples of invasive species in the non-tree category though, the Lupine probably being the most controversial. It's been used to reclaim and create soil in sandy areas and in only a few decades since being imported, the blue of the flowering lupine absolutely dominates some areas. I think it's pretty, but it's aggressive as all hell.

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