Untangling the Invaders; I’ve Got 99 Problems and They’re All Vines: A Survey of Invasive and Problematic Vines on the Vassar College Campus

Untangling the Invaders; I’ve Got 99 Problems and They’re All Vines: A Survey of Invasive and Problematic Vines on the Vassar College Campus

invasive species

Invasive vines such as Oriental Bittersweet have proliferated across the Northeastern United States (Kurtz 2018). These vines wrap around and strangle trees, block sunlight from reaching the undercanopy, and hinder animal (including human) activity (Delisle 2018). Vassar College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, is not immune to the problems of invasive vines; of particular concern are species such as Oriental Bittersweet, Porcelain Berry, and English Ivy, which crowd out native species, ultimately degrading local ecosystems and their integrity. The Preserve at Vassar has worked to treat the invasive vine problem by surveying the Preserve, removing vines, and planting native plants to promote healthy ecosystems. On the Vassar campus, however, vine removal occurs only through manual removal by Facilities Operations personnel. Due to understaffing, vine removal cannot occur regularly, methodically, or efficiently (Jager, Lasher, VanCamp, 2024). In this study, we aim to collect more information about where invasive vines are located at Vassar College through a campus survey.

Branigan, Maddie; Marks, Apollo; Sherwood, Lily

05/06/2025

pdf

en

ENST124

Essentials of Environmental Science

Knights, Deon

completed

10/2025