Rampant Japanese rose is pretty but a threat to dunes
IT was “Invasive Species Week” last week, during which organisations come together to highlight the threat that invasive species pose to our native wildlife – a problem in most of the habitats in the country, with the Sefton coast being no exception.
For one week every year, organizations across Ireland, the UK, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey come together for a week of action to raise awareness on invasive alien species and actions to prevent their spread.
Invasive Species Week is led by the GB Non-native Species Secretariat.
Locally our battles against invasive species are well-documented from the spiky menace of Sea Buckthorn which threatens to engulf swathes of the dune system unless kept in check each winter, to the adaptable Grey Squirrel, which continues to damage the Red Squirrel population through transmission of the parapox virus.
The Greys (an introduced species from America) are immune to the virus and infect native Reds which have little or no defence.
Those happy to accept Grey Squirrels (they have spread into a variety of habitats now from urban settings to the dune system), may do well to consider such tolerance could result in the loss of the smaller and less adaptable Reds.
But it is not just these streetwise mammals that pose a threat in habitats along the coast - there are a number of plants, some native to the UK like Sea Buckthorn, others introduced or wind-blown escapes.
Rosa rugosa, or Japanese Rose is high on the hit list when it comes to controlling invasives.
Once the go-to plant for civic designers to decorate car parks or supermarket sites, it disperses abundant seeds and has a rapid growth rate.
The species has through the dune system.
An undeniably pretty bloom gives way to hips stuffed with multitudes of tiny seeds.
In some ways it is harder to deal with than Sea Buckthorn - cutting Rosa rugosa back is ineffective, its roots are hard to eradicate, and thousands of seeds spread easily, forming mats of dense thorny growth that shade out areas of dunes.
This is why, as part of the Dynamic Dunescapes programme - a national scheme to help dunes systems across the country - areas of Rosa rugosa have been sprayed with herbicide at a number of sites along the Sefton coast. rampaged
Japanese Knotweed is also being targeted.
Visitors to the Queen’s Jubilee Nature Trail at Southport may have noticed signs alerting visitors to this work, which is being carried out by qualified professionals.
Work will also be carried out this month between Hightown and Crosby, at Ravenmeols Nature Reserve in Formby and in the dunes at Ainsdale.
Using herbicide is always a last resort on such a precious coastline, but such is the pernicious nature of Rosa rugosa, if left unchecked it will cloak huge areas of the dune system to the detriment of the rare and specialised native species that all this coast home.
Herbicide is only applied during appropriate calm weather conditions to minimise the risk to other flora and fauna.
If you see a contractor working in the dunes, please give them a wide berth, follow the advice on on-site signage and keep dogs on a lead.
John works for Green Sefton, the Sefton Council service that brings together the coast & countryside, parks & green spaces, flooding & coastal erosion, risk management and grounds maintenance teams for a joined-up approach to the vital management, development and oversight of Sefton’s beautiful coastline, parks and green spaces. This column looks at the flora, fauna and history of the coastline, and the work carried out to protect it.