As is true for almost all environmental issues, it is fairly easy to hear about Japanese knotweed and other invasive species and not worry very much about them. However, it is worth pointing out that knotweed would be capable of doing huge amounts of damage to New Jersey's ecosystems if given the chance.

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Our area (and, for that matter, most of the American Northeast) is an ideal home for a plant like Japanese knotweed. The plant is well-suited to our four seasons, and it enjoys our relatively high precipitation levels, especially during the Spring months. When combined with the Northeast's soil quality, these factors make it fairly easy to see how knotweed could take root here. And indeed it has: our area has dealt with more knotweed growth than anywhere else in the country in the past several decades. 

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It is worth noting that the ecosystems here are notably resilient. They have persevered for thousands of years, even as New Jersey has become one of the nation's most densely-populated and highly-traveled states. They have overcome significant obstacles in the past, and it stands to reason that a single invasive plant will not completely destroy them. Knotweed does, however, have a good chance to fundamentally alter these ecosystems. Its growth habits allow it to kill almost all plants that normally reside on forest floors, meaning that it could substantially reduce the biodiversity of our forests if it were allowed to do so. The damage done to affected areas would take much time, money, and effort to undo. 

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Recently, a new complication was thrown into the knotweed situation here. The plant was spotted growing along the Delaware and Raritan (D and R) Canal in New Brunswick (pictured to the right). This is not good news. While the plant is not known to invade riparian zones, it has proven its adaptability under a number of other circumstances. It currently seems as though time will tell what this plant's effect will be on this diverse, vibrant area.

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