Attention! Goldenrod! UNDP GEF MNREP Film Eng sub

The educational film Attention! Goldenrod! informs about a new threat to Belarusian nature -- the extensive spreading of the Canadian goldenrod. Its level of danger for the environment and people`s wellbeing places this alien species to the one raw with the Sosnowski cow parsnip and the potato beetle. The production of the film Attention! Goldenrod! was initiated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus (MNREP) within the implementation of United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Facility project "Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into Territorial Planning Policies and Practices". There are several reasons for goldenrod aggressive spreading. First of all, in Belarus it has no natural "enemies" among competing plants and insects. Secondly, each goldenrod bush produces up to 100,000 seeds with very high germinating ability: up to 95 percent. Thirdly, goldenrod roots produce inhibitors that suppress the growth of other plants. Hereupon, the majority of meadow insects, birds, and small mammals disappear. Thus, having captured any territory, goldenrod completely transforms its flora and fauna. Overall, it leads to galloping usurpation of new areas by goldenrod. The situation becomes even worse because animals, including wild ones, do not eat goldenrod. This means that territories occupied by goldenrod cannot be used for grazing and hay making. Goldenrod quickly strikes roots on meadows, pastures, ameliorated wetlands, waste lands, forest edges, logging areas, etc. One more threat arises from goldenrod spreading in forests where it extends on edges and logging areas. The sources of goldenrod seeds are homestead lands and cemeteries where it is cultivated as an ornamental plant. From there it spreads to adjoining forests and meadows. Therefore, on homestead lands and cemeteries, goldenrod should be displaced with other ornamental plants. There are both physical and chemical methods of combatting goldenrod. It is recommended to mow the weed when it grows to 15-20 centimetres i.e. 3-4 times per season. Alternatively it can be mowed once, in the second half of August before the seeds ripen. In this case, the mowed plants must be utilized (burnt or composted). For significant territories occupied by the weed, ploughing (with perennial grasses intercropped) is an effective solution.