A team of UC researchers have developed a method for removing invasive plants from sensitive California habitats. They found passive solar tents worked quickly to destroy the invasive plants.
In addition to being quick and effective, working on-site prevents the need to haul plant material to disposal sites. This saves money and time as well as reducing the spread of seeds and other propagative plant parts.
Researchers are working with volunteers to remove invasive plants in Southern California locations to test and demonstrate the solar tents. Additional tests are planned. Click here to learn more about this project.
Graduate student Kris Weathers (left), CE specialist and plant physiologist Milt McGiffin, and principal investigator Carl Bell examine a small mock-up of a solar tent at the experimental field area at UC Riverside.
Photo by Jim Stapleton.