[obol] blackberry

[Mike Patterson]

I have tried to quantify this and published result in _Oregon Birds_ 
(see: http://home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/observatory/reports/station_obmarkup02.pdf )
I have since been able to replicate the results in other survey
work.

There is no doubt in my mind that mixed species native analog
shrubby habitats are better than Eurasian Blackberry sites.

But here's the problem: land managers for most government agencies
hear "blackberry = bad", put a guy on a mower, take out the blackberry,
walk away and call it managed. And the guy on the mower often makes no
distinction between blackberry and native species like salmonberry,
spirea or willow.  So, a space goes from habitat composed 
of non-native species, but with vertical structure to non-native 
grasses with no vertical structure or worse yet non-native grasses 
and Scot's Broom.  At the Neawanna, there were members of the City
Council who wanted to convert the space to baseball diamonds and
Tennis Courts....

Or they want to plant Sitka Spruce, because they can get that 
for free....

If funding, or lack of enthusiasm or whatever keeps an agency from
taking the next step, which would be replacing and actively 
maintaining these areas with appropriate native analogs.  If the
best managers can do is mow around the discarded tires, old
refigerators and elk gut piles, then my vote is leave the blackberries, 
control their margins and put the money and time into scot's broom, 
ivy, knotweed and cheatgrass removal all of which provide almost no 
habitat value above what the mowed, non-native grasses would provide.

but as always I'm willing to be talked out of it....

-- 
Mike Patterson               
Astoria, OR                    
celata at pacifier.com  
 
I'm not jealous or 
Why I've never Seen Black-throated Blue Warbler in Oregon
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/004174.html