Sunday, June 25, 2017

Great Lessons On Invasive Species Control Using Goats

By Jessica Cox


There are various species that are known to grow uncontrollably and even thrive well under harsh weather condition, which makes them hard to deal with. Various state departments and research institutes have been leading the search for an effective and reliable remedy in their bid to control non-native species. Some institutes have suggested invasive species control using goats.

Invasive forms can be plants or animals that are not native to specific location but causes adverse effect to the bioregion they invade. They threaten the biological diversity and lead to land loss in various land masses. In a situation where non -native plant species have covered a vast area of land use of browsers can be very effective in suppressing the vegetation.

Some plant forms are poisonous making other animals unsuitable, however, a goat can resist harm from any poisonous plants. Goats can, therefore, feed on any invasive plant that no other animals can feed on. A goat can eat almost everything. If you want to control non-native plants you can introduce a flock of goats to eat all the plants.

There are other animals that do not digest seeds. The seeds are removed as they were swallowed and they germinate making control of such forms of plants more challenging. Goats have a special digestion system that can digest the seed to ensure that they do not germinate. A flock is the best way to ensure that once the plants are fed on their seeds will be damaged and the plants will not be able to regrow again.

This method is very economical as the flock can be hired for those who do not rear large flocks. Those unable to buy them can hire them for graze purposes on their land and after eating unwanted species, they are returned to the owners. Renting them for control can be relatively cheap as the owner considers that the goats are well fed. In comparison to using chemical, it is usually an affordable and effective method.

Compared to other biological techniques, they can be beneficial because they convert weeds and brush into products that can be sold. Moreover, they can graze at the same time with the cattle. Additionally, goats are more resistant to secondary plant compounds. Although they do not graze homogenously, they can reach branches that are taller by standing on their hind leg or climbing. Moreover, they have tapered mouths that chew off branches and strip leaves.

They are social animals and move in numbers. They stump on growing plant and this may be the end of the plants life . They are not known to cause any form of soil erosion but they increase soil fertility unlike large hooved animals that erode soil particles. They effectively remove unwanted plants and their chewing is much better. The method saves the environment as chemicals are not released into the atmosphere like in the use of herbicides.

Due to various protocol signed by various leaders in the world on environmental control it is wise to adopt biological control methods like use of flocks in suppressing growth of invasive plants. This is because it is economical compared to mechanical methods.




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