Eliminating invasive species to protect Taiwan’s forests

rom north to south, Taiwan’s mountain forests account for roughly two-thirds of the country and include a rich variety of plant species. Over the years, however, a steady flow of invasive plants with ornamental and other uses have been imported into the country and now pose a threat to Taiwan's flora. To fight against the pernicious influence of invasive plant species, Taichung Wensun College and the municipal government have organized activities for invasive plant control in the Ruijing area of Taichung, teaching locals how to recognize the characteristics of foreign plant species.

The introduction of invasive plants has the potential to threaten the livelihoods of people all over Taiwan. A prime example of this is from the 1970s, when Chromolaena odorata, aka devil weed, was introduced for its assumed medical uses and successfully planted in Taiwan. At that time, newspapers and magazines even reported on this “success,” but the plant never met expectations, the fields were abandoned, and the plants began to spread, resulting in a crisis for native Taiwanese plant species.  In light of the rapid spread of invasive alien plants and the existential threat to biodiversity, it is hoped that by teaching citizens to recognize the plants and understand the seriousness of the threat, they can do their bit in protecting the homeland by removing plants while hillwalking.

以下為中文對照

臺灣山林面積廣闊，縱貫南北約佔三分之二強，其間植物種類繁多，國人因為觀賞或食用因素，陸續引進外來物種，這些植物強悍且繁殖力驚人，為防止危害日益惡化 ，臺中市文山社大與市政府，在臺中瑞井地區，辦理入侵植物防治活動，帶民眾認識外來植物特性。

入侵植物在我們生活當中造成很大危害，比如香澤蘭大概是在一九七零年代，有醫學中心聽說有藥效性，引進臺灣試種成功，當時報章雜誌還報導過，結果並沒有達到預期效果，最後導致廢耕大量散播出去，引起其他植物滅絕危機。

外來入侵植物擴散迅速，已嚴重危害臺灣山林，如果國人能清楚認知嚴重性，在登山經過隨手移除，就能減少外來植物增長，達到守護這片土地的目的。

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