Chocomount Cove Property Restoration Station 1: Area around the large rock at the Entrance to Chocomount Trail
Reclaiming a Desert: The conservation value in this area has been compromised by English ivy vines, glossy buckthorn trees and the honeysuckle vines and bushes. The conservation goals are to replace non-native honeysuckles with native species along the sunny road margin and, within the interior, establish shade-tolerant native plants that will inhibit the return of glossy buckthorn and English ivy.
We have had some success removing buckthorn growing along Chocomount Trail: by cutting and covering both the stump and the root crown and leave secured in place for two years. However, the viability of the seedbank is uncertain, estimates ranging from two to six to many years, so the area may remain fully or partially covered.
Our plan for English ivy: is to control by cutting then covering with black plastic for up to two years is shown to eliminate the plant. We plan testing two covering options; one permeable and the other impermeable. Since ivy seed does not persist in the “seedbank,” we hope that this effort will result in elimination and prepare for the restoration of native plants. But this will require ongoing monitoring and action.
