Purple Loosestrife Essay, Research Paper

subject = Biology

title = Purple Loosestrife

papers =

Lvl1 Biology

9/12/96

Purple Loosestrife

Lythrum Salicaria L. or Purple Loosestrife is a plant causing much trouble today. It

thrives in wetlands and marshes and is impervious to most harsh weather climates. It

is indigenous to most parts of Europe Once established, Purple Loosestrife predom

ed, this did reduce the plants growing in the now deepened water, but they thrived in

the shallows. Other people tried a highly inefficient way of mowing. The wetlands had

to be drained enough to be able to support a tractor towing a large rotary mower. ded

up “Killing 75-80 percent of the Purple Loosestrife from the Oak Orchard and

Tonawanda Wildlife Manegement areas.” -Dan Carroll. These methods while

somewhat effective, were also very expensive, and they had to be repeated after any

dry spells. This bug is almost as durable as the plant itself, and can stand

the similar weather climates. Other beasties scheduled to be released, are

two different leaf-eaters, “Galerucella pusilla and G. calmariensis”

-bluegoose These feed on shoots, leaves, and With the combined force of

these insects, Environmentalists believe that they can defeat the plant that

is so powerful that…

“You can burn it…You can spray it…

You can flood it…You can mow it…

You can beat it with a stick… But this persistaent pest is harder to kill than

Godzilla, and nearly as destructive.”

-Delicate poetry by Dan Carroll