Nearly two decades ago, some landscape gardeners had imported Mikania micrantha, which is known as bitter vine, American rope or Chinese creeper, from Central and South America.
Due to its reproductive capacity, the plant quickly spread across Taiwan. Its vines climb trunks and cover foliage, keeping sunlight from trees, which inhibits photosynthesis and causes trees to wither.
Bitter vine is known in some countries as the “mile-a-minute weed.” It has been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien plant species.
Despite the pretty white flowers that grow on the vine, it is a “green cancer” in Taiwan. As much as 5,000 hectares of land nationwide is haunted by it, and every city and county spends public money on its removal every year.
The problem is so serious that the Council of Agriculture (COA) has made Aug. 15 to Sept. 15 “national bitter vine prevention month.”
However, in Miaoli County, the central government for the past two years has had to rely on the Forestry Bureau’s policy of purchasing bitter vine for NT$5 per kilogram due to a lack of funds. Rooting out the weed is laborious, not to mention that hornets like to build their nests in its vines.
The result is that the volume of the weed that is removed by the public has sharply declined.
A Chinese proverb says: “When all means are exhausted, change is necessary, and change leads to solutions.”
One program that encapsulates the proverb has been established in Miaoli County’s Dahu Township (大湖). A township station, which is administered by the Hsinchu Forest District Office, works with a forest protection association in Miaoli County’s Tongsiao Township (通霄), Miaoli Community College, volunteers for the Tiaoyan Ancient Trail (挑鹽古道) and residents of Tongsiao’s Chengnan Village (城南) to fight the “green cancer.” Together, they eliminated almost 1 tonne of bitter vine in just half a day.
Some people have been searching for natural enemies of the vine to introduce a biological control, while others have used the weed to make mosquito repellent. Some strawberry growers have burned the weed to make a biochar, while others have used it to make dye.
More surprisingly, one baker has used the weed as an ingredient in his “green forest cake.”
The COA, the Forestry Bureau and environmental agencies must jointly issue a public appeal. They should learn from the campaign to save the Tiaoyan trail, which asks hikers to spend time as they walk to help remove the green cancer to help save endemic plants.
By offering greater incentives, more people would surely answer the call.
Li Dao-yong is director of the City South Culture and History Studio.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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