On 6/15/24, members of AYLUS Syosset participated in removing Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant with large leaves that grows aggressively and wineberry, a spiny invasive plant at Nissequogue River State Park. The members were assigned to cut the japanese knotweed down to the ground but not rip out the roots due to the lack of ability to dispose of the roots in a way that would stop the Japanese knotweed to take root once more. The idea was to use the power of three method where in theory, if a plant is cut back 3 times in a growing season for 3 years in a row, the plant will weaken. The group worked on a a patch that had been cut back the previous year and was already shorter than the surrounding bushes of Japanese knotwood.
Japanese knotweed spreads rapidly, forming dense thickets that crowd and shade out native vegetation. This reduces species diversity, alters natural ecosystems, and negatively impacts wildlife habitat. The ground under knotweed thickets tends to have very little other growth, creating a monoculture. This a problem for all invasive plants. Wineberry is similarly invasive and while it can grow berries, those berries are not beneficial to the environments, butterflies or other wildlife.
Members who participated: Guangli Yang (advisor), Alyssa Huang (3h), Margaret Zhang (3 h), Christopher Chen, Connie Chen; rest of members (2.5 h): Jonathan Bao, , Austin Gao, Rita Bao, Amanda Gao, Suiying Li, Kyle Bao.
