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Lesson- Practice
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Lesson
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What plants should I be mindful of? There are several plants that you should pay careful attention to when in the forests. First, be mindful of plants that have thorns or briars. One of the most prominent thorned plants in the forest is the Aralia spinosa, nicknamed the Devil’s Walking Stick. The Devil’s Walking Stick can grow up to 35’ tall in the forest. It is covered with thorns that may be as long as 4 inches. It is common for someone in the forest to grab a small tree to use for rest or support when climbing an embankment. If you ever grab a Devil’s Walking Stick, you will be left with numerous, wide, deep lacerations on your hand. There are primarily three poisonous plants to be mindful of: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac are the common names for these three plants of the genus Toxicodendron, of the family Anacardiaceae. Poison ivy and poison oak differ in their growth habits and leaf arrangements. Poison ivy grows as a vine on the ground or up trees or structures. Poison Oak is a low growing shrub. Distinguishing characteristics include the regular grouping of three leaflets in each leaf, and stiff clusters of small, yellowish or white berries that appear in summer and fall. Other characteristics vary considerably, especially size of leaflet, notching, whether the surface is shiny or dull, or color. Poison sumac, Toxixodendron vernix, is a tall, smooth-stemmed shrub of swamps throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada. It bears pinnately compound leaves with about 7 to 13 leaflets, including one at the tip. The fruits are white or yellowish berries in clusters similar to those of poison ivy. In addition to thorned and poisonous plants, you should also be mindful of briars. Briars are low growing plants that have small thorns. They can be very painful. There are numerous varieties of briars that may grow in various forests. Just pay attention to where you are stepping, especially when walking through thick terrain. What are the symptoms I will experience if I am having a reaction to a poisonous plant? Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac contain a lacquer like resin in their sap. The resin is composed of active substances that provoke a sensitizing reaction in most, if not all, persons the first time effective contact occurs. Contact may be made by brushing past the leaves or the bare stems. Contact with exposed pets, clothing, or garden tools many induce a reaction. Smoke from burning ivy plants may carry the resin and affect all uncovered parts of the body. After a person has become sensitized, subsequent contact with the resin produces the typical allergic reaction of ivy poisoning. The effects do not become apparent for some hours. First, the skin reddens and begins to itch. Small watery blisters soon appear, often in lines indicating the point of contact with the plant, and the itching becomes intense. Finally, in severe cases, large watery swellings appear. The condition is self-limiting, and recovery takes place in one to four weeks, even without treatment. A physician should be consulted in severe cases or if sensitive parts of the body, such as the eyelids, become involved. Scratching slows healing, invites infection, and may spread the resin from one location to another; the watery fluid in the blisters does not spread the reaction. Boric acid solution or calamine lotion are commonly used to relieve itching. Some or all of the resin may be removed by prompt and vigorous scrubbing with strong soap. Invasive Species The USDA defines invasive species as:
In Alabama, there are several different species of invasive plants that impact Alabama’s forest ecosystem. Each invasive plant has a story of how it arrived in Alabama and how it moves to continue to infest the landscape of the Southeast. It is important to remember that invasive plants have no known predators or competition to limit their establishment throughout the state. In addition, mechanical or cultural control of these invasive plants often fail to work or do not completely prevent future return of such plants, due to their aggressive sexual and asexual propagation attributes. Experts recommend chemical control in many management practices for invasive plant species. This management can prove costly on a large scale and in many cases may hinder the control of different invasive species.
Invasive species, such as the cogongrass, have been known to cause damage to forest stands or reforestation efforts because the grass blocks the establishing plants and root systems. Research has also proven that cogongrass literally chokes out the understory of a forest and eventually may become the only plant in a particular area. This is of major concern to foresters, as the cogongrass is known to burn at extremely high temperatures and produce tall burning flames, causing damage to the existing forest that would not normally occur with other native species of grass.
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