Passenger or Driver? Pale Swallowwort Associations with Native Vegetation

The invasive plant pale swallow-wort is abundant and widespread across New York State, generating concern among land-managers and conservation practitioners.  Swallow-wort is a twining vine in the milkweed family commonly associated with reduced understory diversity. However, the perceived negative effects of swallow-wort may be a product of co-occurring agents of change, such as white-tailed deer herbivory and invasive earthworms. Despite efforts to reduce swallow-wort abundance, benefits for native vegetation would be minimal unless we address the primary drivers of change.  Join us for a discussion about invasive species management, its goals and how to best achieve them