Invasive species.

Today's topic is something a little different.

It's something that's not talked about so much. Yet, it affects a lot of lives, bot in and around the country sides.

This beautiful-looking, fern-like plant you're seeing in these pictures is hiding it's dangerous side behind its pretty face.

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is considered an invasive species of plant in many parts of Europe and around the world. Bracken is a large, fern-like plant that can quickly spread and dominate landscapes, often outcompeting native vegetation. It has the ability to reproduce through spores as well as underground rhizomes, which makes it particularly effective at colonizing new areas.

Bracken can have negative impacts on local ecosystems for several reasons:

• Habitat Displacement: Bracken can form dense stands that shade out other native plants, reducing biodiversity and altering natural habitats.
• Fire Hazard: Bracken accumulates dry fronds that can create a significant fire hazard, especially during dry seasons. These fires can be more intense and damaging than fires in areas with native vegetation.
• Livestock Grazing: Bracken can be toxic to livestock when consumed in large amounts, and its growth can reduce available forage for grazing animals.
• Soil Erosion: The thick growth of bracken can impede water infiltration and cause soil erosion, leading to degradation of soil quality and water resources.
• Ticks & diseases: In many countries risk of Lyme Disease is increasing with the spread of bracken. Lyme Disease is carried by ticks which live in the bracken, ticks bite animals carrying the bacteria and become infected. The tick can then transfer the bacteria to humans by biting them. Controlling bracken will help to control the spread of Lyme Disease.

Efforts to control bracken (and other invasive species, such as ivy) often involve a combination of mechanical methods (like mowing or cutting), chemical treatments (herbicides), and sometimes introducing natural predators or competitors to keep its growth in check. One of our customers at Treeline Woodlands Ltd is successfully treating land to clear it of these kinds of overgrowth and invasive species, by using our remote controlled tracked robots. (See Facebook post here.)

This is where the Green Climber line is very efficient, clearing overgrowth rapidly and staying away from dangers associated with this type of vegetation.