Talk:Tamarix

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Tamarix

Anybody who is familiar with the tamarix (salt cedar) is likey familiar with its classification as an invasive species and a problem in the South West. I know little about this plant but am familiar with it as it thrives in many areas where I enjoy hunting, particularly along the Colorado River.

The reason that I am writing this is that I have read and heard about attempts to erradicate these plants by treating them with herbicides, spraying them with enzymes, and importing beetles that damage the plant. None of these seem ideal and obviosly are either costly or just plain risky. If that were not the case the problem would have been solved.

In addition to being a conservationist, I am a business man and believe strongly that the best way to eliminate a resource is to establish an economic value for it and allow business to exploit it wholesale. That said, I challenge the scientific community to focus some of its attentions away from the plants weaknesses and on to its strengths. For example, I have read that the plant is fire adapted. If this means that it is less likely to burn than other woody materials pehaps a use for it can be found in the building materials industry.

It is likely that I am not the first to consider this approach but out of all the websites I have visited the focus is on how to exploit its weaknesses and I just thought I would drop this note here where someon more qualified than myself could run with this idea.

Thanks Stephan