Creating forage diversity… without environmental harm

Whenever I talk about introducing diverse browsing plants for animals, the conversation often becomes a debate about native vs introduced species.

And while diversity is crucial for equine health and land regeneration, it DOES come with significant responsibility.

It’s important to remember as responsible land stewards – that one person’s beneficial plant could be an entire region’s ecological nightmare.

Moral of the story?

Don’t be a dick.

The Invasive Species Dilemma

It goes without saying that many medicinal herbs and fodder species have invasive potential.

Tagasaste, various acacias (wattles), willows and a host of other valuable feed fodder plants appear on invasive species lists across different regions.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use them – it means we must use them thoughtfully.

The problem isn’t the plants themselves, but rather where we plant them and how we manage them afterwards.

Before You Plant: The Responsible Assessment Process

Before introducing any new species to your property, follow this framework to see whether you might be creating a nightmare:

1. Regional Research

• Check your local invasive species list – these are absolute no-gos for your area.
• Research whether the plant has become problematic in regions with similar climate and soil conditions
• Check whether native alternatives that might serve the same function.

2. Site-Specific Analysis

• Water awareness – areas connecting to waterways require extra caution
• Identify neighboring natural areas that could be affected
• Consider prevailing wind directions that might carry seeds
• Evaluate whether your management capacity matches the plant’s containment needs

3. Biological Understanding

• Learn the plant’s reproduction methods (seeds, runners, root suckers)
• Understand pollination requirements and whether local pollinators will increase spread
• Research how seeds spread (wind, water, animals) and how far they typically travel
• Know the plant’s lifecycle and when intervention is most effective

Containment Strategies for Higher-Risk Species

If you’ve determined a potentially invasive species still offers substantial benefits for your animals and land, try these containment strategies:

Physical Containment

• Strategic positioning: Plant higher-risk species in interior locations away from property boundaries and waterways
• Barriers: Pots, wicking beds or even underground root barriers can be used for species that spread through runners.
• Buffer zones: Create managed zones around higher-risk plantings with regular monitoring
• Waterway protection: Never plant potentially invasive species along streams or drainage lines

Biological Containment

• Non-fertile varieties: Choose sterile cultivars when available
• Pollination prevention: In some cases, you can plant single-sex varieties of dioecious plants to prevent seed production
• Companion planting: Surround potentially invasive species with competitive native plants that limit their spread
• Graze to your advantage: Strategic grazing can help control spread while still allowing for browsing benefits

Management Commitments

• Monitoring schedule: Establish regular checks for escapees beyond your planned growing area
• Removal protocol: Develop specific procedures for quickly addressing any unwanted spread
• Succession planning: Consider what happens if you sell the property – are these plants manageable by the next owner?

Responsible Alternatives: The Spectrum Approach

Instead of viewing plants as simply “safe” or “invasive,” consider a spectrum approach:

Tier 1: Native Browse Species (Lowest Risk)

Aim firstly for native species that provide browse, fodder or medicinal value. Your local landcare facilitator can assist with this.

Tier 2: Well-Behaved Non-Natives (Moderate Risk)

Identify plants have demonstrated good behavior in your specific region:

• Thoroughly tested introduced species with minimal escape history
• Naturalized plants that haven’t demonstrated invasive tendencies over decades
• Non-natives that require specific conditions to reproduce that aren’t present in nearby natural areas

Tier 3: Managed High-Value Species (Higher Risk)

These require committed management but offer exceptional benefits:

• Species with known invasive potential but high browse value
• Plants that can be effectively contained with consistent management
• Species that provide critical functions unavailable from lower-risk alternatives

Case Study: A Responsible Browsing System

On my property, I’ve implemented a zoned approach to browse plantings:

• Zone 1 (Property Edges): Exclusively native species that pose zero threat to neighboring ecosystems (namely the state forest at the back and neighbours on the other 3 sides)
• Zone 2 (Interior Areas): Carefully selected non-natives with minimal spread potential
• Zone 3 (Intensively Managed Core): A few high-value species with higher management needs, planted where containment (and maintenance) is easiest.

This creates a graduated buffer system where any potentially problematic plants are centralized in areas with the highest monitoring and management.

When Not to Plant

Some situations should trigger an automatic “no” regardless of the potential benefits:

• The species is listed as invasive in your specific region
• You lack the time or resources for ongoing monitoring and management
• The property borders sensitive ecological areas or waterways
• You can’t commit to a long-term containment strategy
• The plant’s spread mechanisms are particularly aggressive in your climate

Community Responsibility

Responsible planting extends beyond your property lines:

• Share your knowledge and experiences with other small property owners in the area, with conditions. If you know someone is stanchly native species only.. then maybe it’s not the best idea.
• Document what works and what doesn’t in your specific region. Before, during and after pics are unreal.
• Be transparent about management challenges with different species
• Participate in early detection for problematic species
• Join your local landcare and other groups with similar interests.

Diversity Without Destruction

In a nutshell, creating biodiverse browsing opportunities for horses and other livestock doesn’t need to and indeed, should not come at the expense of native ecosystems.

With careful selection, strategic placement, and committed management, we can provide our animals with the dietary diversity they need while being responsible land stewards.

The key is to invest extra time researching, planning, and implementing containment strategies before coming in like Miley and her wrecking ball 😜

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