Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Moab Sun News. Tamarisk is one of the worst invasive plants in the arid west of North America; it has taken over entire riparian ecosystems and is all but impossible to mechanically eradicate. The controversial importation of its native companion beetle species has had mixed results. DGR Colorado Plateau invites discussion on restoring native plant communities.
Diorhabda carinulata, the Tamarisk Beetle
By Heila Ershadi, Moab Sun News Contributor
It took decades for invasive tamarisk trees to overtake waterways across much of the West, and local weed control experts say that it could take decades more for willows and other native trees to adequately recover.
While researchers have come to different conclusions about the impacts that tamarisk has on wildlife and water availability, there is no doubt that the plant has greatly changed the region’s streams and rivers.
Read more at Moab Sun News.