Following the grove fire at the Judea Mountains in 2021, a new invading plant, Solanum laciniatum Aiton, was discovered in the area. Largely unknown to the general public, it is an aggressive invading plant that grows in burned areas, and can compete with the local flora and hurt its growth. While its oval flowers are beautiful-looking, it poses danger to many plant species that grow in the forests and the groves. This is exactly what happened over the past few weeks in the area burned at the Martyrs Forest and the Har Tayasim nature reserve. Now, KKL-JNF in collaboration with the Israel Nature and Park Authority, attempt to put an end to the spreading of the invading species.
Shani Glateman, central region ecologist at KKL-JNF, explains: "following information received about the appearance of the invading plant Solanum laciniatum Aiton in the Martyrs Forest, we conducted several surveys to measure the scale of the invasion. It is imperative to spot invading species at their early stage, since in these stages there is a greater chance of stopping them with a relatively small effort. Invading species in advanced stages can create substantial change in the local ecosystem and harm the local biodiversity. It is harder to handle them, and complete annihilation of them is usually impractical."
"We hope that the scale of the Solanum laciniatum Aiton is indeed as early as the surveys indicate, and for this reason, the mountain region in KKL-JNF has commenced immediate removal actions. Despite the fact that the invaded area is relatively isolated, it is a burned forest area on steep slopes, and work on it is therefore slow and complex. The open fields at the Jerusalem Mountains are a tapestry of forests and nature reserves, so the passing of information and coordination between the parties that manage the open fields – KKL-JNF and the Israel Nature and Park Authority – is necessary and is an important factor for the success in this project."
"In addition, it is important to understand the biology and dynamics of the invading plant in the field. Since it is spread by birds, there is a good chance that it is present in other sites in the area. For this reason, we ask the public – travelers and resident alike – to watch for its presence in other sites, and alert us if they see it. This kind of information can also help us understand where the invasion started and take care of its source."
Nadav Ganot, Israel Nature and Park Authority ecologist: "In early April, a Solanum laciniatum Aiton plant was discovered at the Har Tayasim nature reserve by authority inspector Uri Orbach. During the month of May, several other plant of the species were discovered and removed in other areas in the reserve by authority inspector Sivan Murdock, with the help of Dr. Jean-Mark Duffor-Dror, an expert on invading species. The species was recognized as Solanum laciniatum – a plant with a high growth rate, that thrives in burned areas and can grow as high as three meters. It originated in New Zealand, southeast Australia, and Tasmania, and it is considered an invading species in western Australia. The plant breeds through sexual reproduction and vegetative growth, and is spread by birds. In Israel, it is included in the ornamental plants of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The authority, with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and KKL-JNF, continue their efforts to spot and remove other concentrations of Solanum laciniatum Aiton in the Judea Mountains, in the burned area.