Re: New Potential Weed
Sorry all for being a bit late on this one. The areas affected by
blackberries and Himalyan raspberrries are typically high elevation
disturbed sites (about 2000-4000+ feet in elevation). These are areas like
Volcano, Hawaii and Kula, Maui, Haleakala, Maui. These are more
agricultural pests. Various biological control methods were attempted. I
was told that similar to the Gourse example in kiwi land that the natural
succession of native species overtakes the backberries,et all. However,
there are some weeds like Lantana that are more common in disturbed areas
and often colonize thenative forest after huricanes. I have seen lanatana
well over 20 ft tall!!!. Again this plant has been the focus of biological
control and it appears to have been ineffective in some areas. The last
few big ones are the Banana Poka, Passoflora molisoma (sp?), Coccinia
grandis and Miconia ( a melastome) these weeds are choking out what is left
of the native forest and growing over and somthering all of the native
vegetation. All of these were brought to Hawaii as ornamentals. In their
native environment they are fairly inocculus as they are limited by natural
enemies (disease, insects, etc). In Hawaii without these natural enemies
they have prospered and become weeds.
MTF
At 02:53 PM 11/19/98 -1000, you wrote:
>
>here they do extremely well even with the little winter chill we get
>here. Anyways i may be mistaken about hawaii.....i think theres a
>member on the list who lives there, he could clarify.
>Anyways, the wild blackberries here do cover expansive areas but ive
>never seen them get up into the trees. Now, Senicio (or german ivy)
>does much to well here.....covers trees, kills them with its dense
>shade, and strangles everything (its a pain to remove if you have
>stinging nettles growing amongst it!)
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> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*in the game of love you reap what you
>sow*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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Mach T. Fukada, Web Master
fukada@hawaii.edu
Honolulu Aquarium Society
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2948/HASF.html
