"Plea for a hated neophyte"
Lecture on 18 February at the Chemnitz Nature Conservation Station
On Tuesday, 18 February 2020 at 5 p.m., the City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency invites interested parties to a lecture at the Chemnitz Nature Conservation Station, Adelsbergstraße 192.
Ornithologist Jens Hering from Limbach-Oberfrohna will give a "Plea for a hated neophyte". He will shed light on Asian knotweed (Fallopia spp.) and its overlooked importance as a breeding ground for songbirds.
According to the German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation, 34 to 41 million euros are spent annually nationwide to combat Asian knotweed. One common practice, for example, is to mow or graze the invasive neophytes in the summer months.
The fact that countless bird broods have been destroyed in recent decades was not recognised. Necessary studies on bird life have not yet been carried out. A recent study now shows for the first time the importance of exotic knotweed as an important nesting site for Central European songbirds.