Ecological Threats
Each natural community faces ecological threats that could change its defining features, leading to its decline.
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Non-Native Invasive Plants
The fertile soils of the Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest naturally support a diversity of plant species; unfortunately, those soils also support a wide variety of non-native invasive plant species. The harms caused by non-native invasive plants include competition with natives for soil nutrients, sunlight, and pollinators, and degradation of animal habitat. (* indicates non-native)
- Chinese wisteria* (vine)
- chocolate vine* (vine)
- English ivy* (vine)
- garlic mustard* (low plant)
- Japanese barberry* (shrub)
- Japanese honeysuckle* (vine)
- Japanese hop* (shrub)
- Japanese maple* (tree)
- Japanese snowball* (shrub)
- Japanese stiltgrass* (low plant)
- linden arrow-wood* (shrub)
- mile-a-minute weed* (vine)
- multiflora rose* (shrub)
- Norway maple* (tree)
- oriental bittersweet* (vine)
- porcelain-berry* (vine)
- privets (shrub)
- sweet mock orange* (shrub)
- wine raspberry* (shrub)
- winter creeper* (vine)
- winged burning-bush* (shrub)
Diseases, Pests, and Other Threats
Current and potential ecological threats for the Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest in Rock Creek Park include the following:
- Excessive deer browse: decimation of wildflowers, oak seedlings, and shrubs (but not pungent northern spicebush or pawpaw)
- Emerald ash borer (potential): damage to green and white ash
- Viburnum leaf beetle (potential): damage to southern arrow-wood, blackhaw, mapleleaf viburnum
- Asian long-horned beetle (potential): damage to maples and slippery elm
- Gypsy moth: damage to northern red oak
- Dutch elm disease: damage to slippery elm
- Elm yellows (potential): damage to slippery elm
- Beech bark disease (potential): damage to American beech
- Sudden oak death (potential): damage to oaks
- Dogwood anthracnose: decline of flowering dogwood
- Flash floods: damage to plants in the lower elevations of this non-flood-tolerant community