A researcher who noted the spread of the highly invasive Japanese knotweed in Vermont after Hurricane Irene continued his investigation into its detrimental effects. The plant spreads vegetatively—without seeds and through disruption—and thrives as it quickly kills groundcover and promotes erosion of banks, such as those along streams and roadways. This TRB conference presentation reveals the plant’s many destructive effects, including those relevant to transportation.
Read the presentation: Japanese Knotweed as a Driver of Streambank Erosion, January 2019.