The situation with willows as weeds in Australia is complex and evolving
because of recent horticultural introductions which have created new
hybrids with previously established stock. Amongst other things, the new
hybridisations have created a large stock of fertile willow seeds which
have the capacity to spread on wind from one catchment to the next. They
also have the capacity to spread rapidly on wind upstream and have the
capacity to invade undisturbed riparian ecosystems. This is altering
willow ecology quite quickly and is probably turning willows from being
a bad environmental, water harvesting, farming and recreational fishing
problem to a very, very bad problem. The appropriate way to approach
existing willow infestations is contested ground. The article at the
attached link provides a useful summary. The Centre for Plant
Biodiversity Research is doing work on the genetics of willows.
Con
http://www.hoadley.net/cremer/willows/docs/WillowInBiodiversity.pdf
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