{"id":108703,"date":"2023-02-11T16:10:42","date_gmt":"2023-02-11T16:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=108703"},"modified":"2023-02-11T16:16:45","modified_gmt":"2023-02-11T16:16:45","slug":"war-with-weeds-lacks-ecological-understanding-and-empathy-commentary-by-by-nimal-chandrasena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/war-with-weeds-lacks-ecological-understanding-and-empathy-commentary-by-by-nimal-chandrasena\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) &#8211; by by Nimal Chandrasena"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #003300;\">\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) &#8211; by by Nimal Chandrasena<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-106961 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/nimal-chandrasena.png\" alt=\"Nimal R. Chandrasena\" width=\"134\" height=\"206\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-108704 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Weeds.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Source:-<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/02\/war-with-weeds-lacks-ecological-understanding-and-empathy-commentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mongabay<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>\u2018Weeds\u2019 are plants with special botanical and ecological attributes that allow their rapid establishment in disturbed areas, helping to reduce erosion of soils.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>Many weedy species have also proven their usefulness as medicines and food, going back several millennia. Wildlife, too, can benefit from such plants.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>Yet these plants are often the focus of a \u2018war on weeds\u2019 which is unfortunate and misguided, the author of a new book on the topic argues. \u201cCan weeds be appreciated for their critical ecological roles? Can they be managed in situations where they may become problematic?\u201d he asks.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">As a group of plants, weeds are unloved by some people. However, this dislike is not universal. Weeds are colonizing, pioneering plants, with special botanical and ecological attributes that allow them to succeed in \u2018disturbed\u2019 habitats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Weedy species are a critical component of Mother Earth\u2019s rich\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/list\/biodiversity\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">biodiversity<\/a>. As frugal, thrifty and simple beings, which never ask for too much but give back more than they take, weeds are nature\u2019s gifts from which humans can learn many lessons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Weeds also spotlight the mistakes humans have made in managing our environmental assets by large-scale land-clearing, destruction of vegetation and soil resources, as well as unsustainable agricultural practices and urban development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">In a\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vividpublishing.com.au\/thevirtuousweed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">new book<\/a>\u00a0on weeds, I attempt to create a \u2018storehouse of weedy information\u2019 to enlighten general readers on the history of weeds and how to relate to them more effectively, with ecological understanding and empathy.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_258219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 596px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-258219\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/07\/14133755\/Blackberry-Hunting-in-the-Valley-768x512.jpeg\" alt=\"Members of the California Invasive Plant Council treat areas of Yosemite National Park with chemicals to curtail growth of Himalayan blackberry. Photo via California Invasive Plant Council.\" width=\"596\" height=\"397\" \/><\/span><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Treating areas of Yosemite National Park with herbicides to curtail growth of Himalayan blackberry, an \u2018aggressive invasive species\u2019 according to the National Park Service. Photo via California Invasive Plant Council.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Weeds have special botanical and ecological attributes related to life cycles, growth habits, reproduction and dispersal that allow establishment in disturbed areas and their easy spread into new habitats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">In exploring the history of weeds and the origins of the definitions and terminology associated with weeds, it becomes clear that all weeds are nothing but colonizing plants, which grow and thrive in disturbed habitats and environments, especially those modified by humans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">But weedy species are not limited to human-modified environments. Natural disturbances, such as those caused by floods, cyclones, wind, fire and the like, also create conditions in which habitats are \u2018opened-up\u2019 for the colonizers to move into. Needless to say, weeds are highly opportunistic plants. They are very good at grabbing the opportunities created by disturbances and are indeed stimulated to grow by disturbances (such as when you dig into your garden bed).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">From agricultural beginnings now dating back to well over 12,000 years of human history, weeds have been our constant companions. They have followed us wherever we went, and as phenomenally successful plants, weeds earned humankind\u2019s wrath, almost as if humans are not able to psychologically cope with other successful and \u2018pest-like\u2019 species (for instance, the house fly, European rabbit, European fox, Indian mynah, and a host of others).<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_265184\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 597px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-265184\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/02\/01211812\/1440px-Centella_asiatica_%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF_3-e1675286367741-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"Gotu kola image by Shahidul Hasan Roman via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.\" width=\"597\" height=\"398\" \/><\/span><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Gotu kola is one of many \u2018weeds\u2019 with medicinal properties. Image by Shahidul Hasan Roman via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Stories about weeds that are mostly written and read in popular media, including the internet, are mostly concocted to invoke fear and loathing instead of a proper ecological understanding. Whether or not inadvertently created, these negative narratives often reflect a form of nascent xenophobia and anxieties in the general public about \u2018immigrants\u2019 who arrive at new locations, having left their \u2018native\u2019 places of origin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Many weedy species have long been invaluable herbal medicines and food, going back several millennia. Such uses are apparent in the ancient scrolls found in the Egyptian pyramids, the Ebers Papyrus, as well as a vast volume of other literature dating back to the writings of ancient Greeks (Aristotle, Theophrastus and Dioscorides) and Romans (Pliny The Elder). Understanding these historical uses of weed species by humans as sources of dyes, essential oils, gums and resins is essential to appreciating the value of many species for livelihoods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Colonizing species are also the \u2018ecological Red Cross\u2019 that rushes to help stabilize and restore lands cleared of vegetation by the human hand or natural disasters. They can also be effectively used in the ecological restoration of damaged ecosystems, such as parks, mines, and sites polluted by industrial effluents and discharges. A much-understated utilization opportunity is the capacity of fast-growing, colonizing taxa to take up, remove and sequester pollutants from contaminated land sites or waterways. No slow-growing \u2018native\u2019 species can remove pollutants and remediate contaminated sites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Powerful and emotive phrases like \u2018war with weeds\u2019 are commonplace in such discourses, especially in developed countries, such as the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This war has led to various groups such as \u2018weed busters\u2019 and \u2018weed warriors,\u2019 whose efforts at controlling weeds are by and large of limited local success, and essentially unsustainable in the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">More importantly, such antipathy towards weeds are not universal. Many African, South American and Asia Pacific developing nations and emerging economies are now questioning why weeds are blamed for always being an agricultural production constraint, or why we cannot manage our ecosystems better.\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/series\/agroecology\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Agroecology<\/a>\u00a0concepts show that for many thousands of years, humans and other animals have tolerated and co-existed with weedy species. Other animals and plants happily co-exist with colonizing species. Their mutual dependence extends to the provision of resources, such as pollen and nectar for animals and gene exchanges between related species, which drive plant evolution forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">In discussing the evolution of weeds and their closely-related crops, I argue that weedy species have been crucial to human survival by being the progenitors of all of our food crops.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_265185\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 603px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-265185\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/02\/01212218\/The-Virtuous-Weed-book-768x512.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/02\/01212218\/The-Virtuous-Weed-book-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/02\/01212218\/The-Virtuous-Weed-book-1200x800.png 1200w\" alt=\"The Virtuous Weed book cover.\" width=\"603\" height=\"402\" \/><\/span><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>The Virtuous Weed<\/em>\u00a0book cover.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Traditional cultures in such societies greatly value species such as\u00a0<em>Centella asiatica<\/em>\u00a0(gotu kola),\u00a0<em>Alternanthera sessilis<\/em>\u00a0(lesser joyweed),\u00a0<em>Ipomoea aquatica<\/em>\u00a0(swamp morning glory),\u00a0<em>Portulaca oleracea<\/em>\u00a0(purslane),\u00a0<em>Basella alba<\/em>\u00a0(Ceylon spinach),\u00a0<em>Taraxacum officinale<\/em>\u00a0(dandelion) and a large number of other \u2018edible weeds.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A vast range of \u2018healing weeds\u2019 have been known from the times of ancient Egyptians, and include\u00a0<em>Papaver<\/em>\u00a0species (poppies, opium),\u00a0<em>Cannabis sativa\u00a0<\/em>(marijuana),\u00a0<em>Catharanthus roseus<\/em>\u00a0(Madagascar periwinkle),\u00a0<em>Datura stramonium<\/em>\u00a0(jimsonweed or devil\u2019s trumpet),\u00a0<em>Bacopa monnieri<\/em>\u00a0(water hyssop or \u2018Brahmi\u2019),\u00a0<em>Asparagus racemosus<\/em>\u00a0(shatawari or hathawariya),\u00a0<em>Cardiospermum halicacabum<\/em>\u00a0(balloon vine), and the now world famous gotu kola. Many species are the only sources of critical, life-saving western medicines used in cancer treatments (such as the vincistrine alkaloids from\u00a0<em>Catharanthus roseus<\/em>), pain relief (morphine, codeine, and many other opiates, obtained from\u00a0<em>Papaver somniferum<\/em>\u00a0and its relatives) or various other herbal drugs used in the treatment of central nervous system, bladder and kidney disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Colonizing species, such as common reed (<em>Phragmites australis<\/em>), cattails (<em>Typha<\/em>\u00a0species) and even water hyacinth (<em>Eichhornia crassipes<\/em>) play critical roles in purifying and remediating waterways by absorbing and retaining urban pollutants. Many are important in stabilizing food webs in disturbed environments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A vast array of fast-growing species, such as wattles (<em>Acacia<\/em>\u00a0species) and mesquite (<em>Prosopsis<\/em>\u00a0spp.) are critical biofuels for rural people as firewood and biomass\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2021\/07\/turning-kenyas-problematic-invasive-plants-into-useful-bioenergy\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">for biogas and power generation<\/a>. Weedy colonizers that are large, fast-growing grasses such as giant reed (<em>Arundo donax<\/em>), switchgrass (<em>Panicum virgatum<\/em>), giant miscanthus (<em>Miscanthus<\/em>\u00a0x<em>\u00a0giganteus<\/em>), king grass (<em>Pennisetum purpureum<\/em>) and jatropha (<em>Jatropha curcas<\/em>) are undisputed \u2018kings of grasses\u2019 and sources of bioenergy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Many colonizing taxa are heavy metal accumulators or hyper-accumulators that can be used to remediate polluted lands and waterways and mitigate pollution caused by cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and even radioactivity. As I discuss in the book, the greatest opportunities for sustainable futures are in eco-friendly technologies that can use large, biomass-producing colonizing species for multiple purposes, such as pollution removal and bio-energy generation. Water hyacinth, common reed, cattails and many other weeds, often derided for being \u2018<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/list\/invasive-species\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">invasive<\/a>\u2019 are among the best examples of such under-exploited potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The utilization of many species as sources of essential oils, plant dyes and plant fibers goes back more than 5,000 years of human history. These categories of uses are globally under-explored.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>See related commentary:\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2022\/07\/is-invasive-species-management-doing-more-harm-than-good-commentary\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Is invasive species management doing more harm than good?<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_258215\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 603px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-258215\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/07\/14131734\/4918550814_52bcf8b0dd_b-e1657805009101-768x512.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"603\" height=\"402\" \/><\/span><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Weeds can help wildlife: an endangered monarch butterfly feeds on non-native bull thistle at the Metropolitan Beach Metropark Nature Area, Clinton, MI. Image by Steve Burt via Creative Commons 2.0 license.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Looking at weedy species through the lens of utilization will prove that some of these species are, arguably, the \u2018best-of-the-best\u2019 with ecological attributes that can heal the planet and help humans and other animals survive uncertain times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">In joining the chorus of \u2018un-winnable wars with weeds,\u2019 the public is largely misinformed about weeds, with only one side of the story. Some weed scientists and ecologists are also, unfortunately, in this camp. Most weed research articles start with the viewpoint that \u2018weeds cause biodiversity losses,\u2019 as if that is an axiom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Blaming weeds for the human follies of mismanaging our fragile earth is common. Weeds are also called \u2018the second greatest threat to biodiversity\u2019 on the earth, a highly contentious viewpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">I anticipate a critical dialogue on weeds, across borders that separate divergent views. Can weeds be appreciated for their critical ecological roles? Can they be managed in situations where they may become problematic?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A change in basic assumptions to tolerate the extraordinarily resourceful weedy taxa (\u2018living with weeds\u2019) appears prudent, as plants and animals \u2013 as well as human societies \u2013 face uncertain times in a changing global climate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Human psychology is involved in our responses to weeds. In promoting the virtuous side of weedy taxa, I argue for a better understanding of weeds as part of nature, and ending unsustainable approaches, such as a \u2018war-with-weeds.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>Nimal\u00a0<\/em><em>Chandrasena is Editor-in-Chief of\u00a0<\/em>Weeds<em>\u00a0(the official journal of the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/apwss.org.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society<\/a>) and author of\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vividpublishing.com.au\/thevirtuousweed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">The Virtuous Weed<\/a>. He obtained his Ph.D. in Weed Science from the University of North Wales.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) &#8211; by by Nimal Chandrasena Source:-mongabay \u2018Weeds\u2019 are plants with special botanical and ecological attributes that allow their rapid establishment in disturbed areas, helping to reduce erosion of soils. Many weedy species have also proven their usefulness as medicines and food, going back several millennia. Wildlife, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":108704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-108703","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) - by by Nimal Chandrasena - eLanka<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) - by by Nimal Chandrasena\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2018War with weeds\u2019 lacks ecological understanding and empathy (commentary) &#8211; by by Nimal Chandrasena Source:-mongabay \u2018Weeds\u2019 are plants with special botanical and ecological attributes that allow their rapid establishment in disturbed areas, helping to reduce erosion of soils. Many weedy species have also proven their usefulness as medicines and food, going back several millennia. 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