Exotic Fauna aka Weeds
Exotic sounds so much more...well, exotic. But in botanical terms it means a weed.
And in general a weed refers to a plant which is out of place geographically although a plant may be considered a weed if:
- it competes with or displaces a native species;
- it impacts upon natural processes eg increases the likelihood of fire;
- its appearance is unnatural;
- it restricts the movement of people;
- it causes injury to animals or humans.
There are a number of different ways of defining and describing 'weeds' and we list some sources and papers which may be of interest here. An invaluable field guide for dealing with weeds is "Weeds of the Wet/Dry Tropics of Australia" by Nicholas M Smith which is available here.
The information in this section is based on our experiences supplemented by information from this text.
Weeds: a problem for everyone
Weeds are a significant problem in Australia, to such an extent that each state and territory has legislation to deal with their control and spread. Weeds are often given different categories eg in Queensland a scale of between P1 and P5; in the NT between Class A and Class C. These categories reflect the level of control of a species. There is also a national weeds initiative which can be found at www.weeds.org.au
One of the biggest immediate problems caused by weeds, especially in the tropics, is the increased probability and severity of fire. Non-native grasses such as Gamba grass create massive, incendiary fire loads; the invasive spread of grasses such as Gamba is a huge challenge for the Northern Territory government.
Other direct impacts of weeds include the pollution of water ways and the disruption of agricultural processes while the impact upon bio-diversity and eco-systems is less immediate but similarly destructive.
With all these challenges, categories and classifications it is little wonder that people feel either powerless or disinterested in the impact of weeds upon Australian fauna. Indeed, you can find many voices within internet forums, especially in the ethno-botanical community, which will claim that weeds are OK and that nature will somehow find a balance. A comforting thought but not one based on evidence or scientific research.
Weeds: the solution is you
To tackle such a huge problem cannot be left to government agencies alone; we all have to do our bit.
Since beginning the war on weeds on our block we have been stunned by the amount of negativity and defeatism which people bring to the process, which is often an excuse for laziness, ignorance and an unwillingness to do something that requires physical effort.
The truth is it can be done, it simply requires time, patience and a plan. See our Revegetation page to get some tips on creating a weeds plan.