TAICHUNG CITY DEALS HARSHLY WITH FOREIGN INVADER IN GAOMEI WETLANDS|外來種"互花米草"入侵高美濕地 連根清除

In a wetland in Taichung, a foreign grass species is pushing out the rare local breed of grass, and the Taichung Bureau of Agriculture has begun efforts to rid the wetland of those unwelcome squatters. Two bulldozers drive into the Gaomei wetlands and start to dig. This is because a foreign species of grass, the saltmarsh cordgrass, has taken root there and seriously affected the growth of the rare native Yunlin bolboschoenus. Taichung City Government Agriculture Bureau is removing the invader. ==HSIEH YUN-TING Department of Life Science Assistant, Tunghai University== When the saltmarsh cordgrass invaded, the Yunlin bolboschoenus were pushed out. We then looked into how the saltmarsh cordgrass impacted the crab population, and we realized that it offered less environmental diversity for crabs. A Tunghai University research group found that the saltmarsh cordgrass is a south central American plant. As the roots are tough, it is often used to prevent beaches being eroded. The Chinese coast is planted with it, so the research group think that seeds may have arrived on the ocean currents or with ships to Taiwan. Although in recent years, there have been weeding operations, the results were not effective and so this year the BOA decided to dig it up by the roots. ==FANG WEN-KUAN Technician, Taichung Agricultural Bureau== What's special about the saltmarsh cordgrass is that it's extremely difficult to eradicate unless you completely weed it out from its roots. After we weed them out, we would wash them, sundry them and then incinerate them. That will do the job. The BOA said that this removal would be done when the tide was low and the waste would be sent to be incinerated. As a follow-up, it will continue to observe the invasion, and if the plant is found, then it will be immediately dealt with, to ensure an ecological balance within the wetlands. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG 台中高美濕地遭到外來種互花米草入侵，目前面積達到3公頃，已經影響稀有植物，雲林莞草的生長環境，台中市農業局，今天開始進行挖除作業，希望確保濕地，原有的生態平衡。 兩部怪手開進高美濕地北側，直接進行開挖！因為外來種的「互花米草」，已經嚴重影響稀有植物「雲林莞草」的生長，台中市農業局上午開始清除。 ==東海大學生命科學系助理 謝韻婷== 互花米草入侵之後 雲林莞草的面積 就被互花米草往外推了 那我們也有調查說 在互花米草的植被下 跟雲林莞草植被下 它的螃蟹相 然後發現互花米草的植被下 螃蟹相比較單一 東海大學研究團隊指出，互花米草是中南美洲的植物，因為根系強韌，常被用來當作固灘植物，後來中國沿岸也有種植，研判種子可能隨著洋流或輪船被帶到台灣，雖然近幾年都有進行除草作業，但成效似乎不好，台中市農業局今年於是採取連根挖除的方式。 ==台中市農業局技士 方文寬== 因為互花米草有一個特性 就是它的根系 很容易因為根系沒有清除的話 它還是會再長出來 所以我們清除上來的互花米草 清洗乾淨之後 會曬乾之後會送焚化爐焚燒 那會儘量就可以避免 它再重新再長出來 台中市農業局表示，這一次的互花米草清除作業，將利用退潮時進行，之後送焚化爐銷毀，後續將持續觀察入侵狀況，一旦發現立即處理，確保濕地內的生態平衡。 邱植培 彭煥群 台中報導