Mikania vine (Mikania micrantha) is one of the "100 Worst Invasive Species" in the world. Its spread has been significantly suppressed thanks to years of continuous effort in prevention and awareness campaigns from the Forestry Bureau. Nevertheless, it grows and proliferates very quickly, so continuous control and eradication are still needed to protect Taiwan's ecosystem. Mikania vine's flowering and fruiting period starts from October and ends in February of the following year, so it is best to remove Mikania vine by the end of September. For this reason, the Council of Agriculture has set the period from August 15th to September 15th as the annual Mikania Vine Control Month, and the first Saturday of September as the National Mikania Vine Control Day. Mikania vine is a perennial vine endemic to Central and South America. It was introduced to Taiwan for purposes such as landscaping, soil and water conservation on slopes, and medicinal uses, but it ended up posing a great hazard to endemic plants and trees. It frequently shrouds and even kills an entire plant cover, thus changing the living environment of other organisms and threatening local ecosystems and landscapes. According to the monitoring survey data from the end of 2021 by the Endemic Species Research Institute (ESRI) of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, the distribution area of Mikania vine in Taiwan has been reduced from 51,852 hectares in 2001 to 3,392.7 hectares, which shows that the prevention and eradication efforts have been effective. In 2022, the Forestry Bureau will continue to subsidize local governments to carry out various invasive plant prevention and eradication efforts. It plans to remove 450 hectares and purchase 217 metric tons of Mikania vine. It also hopes to work with other government agencies, private enterprises, and local residents to protect endemic plants and trees from the encroachment of Mikania vines, thereby maintaining a sound natural environment and biodiversity. In this year's Control Month, Forest District Offices of the Forestry Bureau plan to cooperate with other government agencies, private enterprises, and community development associations, among other units, to organize multiple activities for removing, controlling, and purchasing Mikania vine plants. The eradication and awareness campaign of Mikania vine will also be implemented on the National Mikania Vine Control Day on September 3 (Saturday). The general public is advised to pay close attention to the Forestry Bureau's TW Forest Facebook fanpage to learn about relevant activities of its Forest District Offices. For information about the times and venues of Mikania vine purchase and awareness campaign events, as well as to access relevant e-brochures, please visit the Mikania Vine section on the Forestry Bureau's Nature Conservation website, or contact a Forest District Office or workstation. All are welcome to join us in eradicating Mikania vine to protect Taiwan's biodiversity and the habitat of endemic plants and trees.
Home
Taiwan High Speed Rail