Why Vegetation Clearing Is Important for the Environment

Vegetation clearing is the removal of unwanted plants from a specific area. It’s akin to a mass removal; while the clearing does not have to target every plant, it’s more than just the removal of one or two shrubs or a small section of grass. Vegetation clearing is often done in areas where plants have become overgrown and obscured the ground; it can also be done to relatively neat areas in preparation for landscaping. It’s a helpful process for the animals and humans who live on or near the land, and it’s beneficial for the environment itself.

Fire Control

If you’ve wondered how vegetation clearing is good for our environment, just look at homes that have cleared away vegetation and then stayed standing after bushfires came close. Overgrown vegetation, especially that which has died and dried out, serves as both fuel for fires and a bridge for the flames to reach structures such as houses. Vegetation around electrical lines is a threat, as well, as sparks from damaged lines can ignite the vegetation. Fewer severe fires and fewer burning structures equal fewer pollutants being released into the air, and less trash from destroyed houses. The preservation of vegetation that is supposed to be in the area also means that animals will continue to have habitat in which to live.

Pest Control

That overgrown brush also provides homes to pests. This is very different from preserving a habitat; you want the animals that are supposed to be in the area to continue to have shelter, but you don’t want pests like mice breeding under the cover of overgrown shrubs and grass. Dead and dying trees can serve as both food and shelter for termites, which are already a problem around Australia. If an animal dies in the vegetation, you’ll have both odours and additional pest problems to deal with, which could lead to you using pesticides that contribute to pollution.

Keeping the Other Plants Healthy

Vegetation clearing often targets dead, dying, or invasive vegetation while leaving healthy vegetation alone; it doesn’t have to be widescale land clearing. By removing dying and invasive vegetation, the remaining plants have better access to water and soil nutrients, as well as sunlight for photosynthesis for groundcovers and understory plants. The increased resources help make the remaining plants much healthier and show how vegetation clearing is good for our environment.

Weed Management

Whether the overgrown vegetation itself is full of weeds or not, by removing it, you get a better idea of what’s happening with the soil underneath. You can see whether there are weeds starting to grow, and if there are, you can formulate an environmentally friendly way to get rid of them. Unless you clear the vegetation away, you risk allowing weeds to take hold and make the vegetation problem worse.

Cosmetic Improvement

Old overgrowth on abandoned lots simply looks terrible. Even if the vegetation is native to the area and was once neatly cultivated around whatever building used to be there, once it becomes an overgrown mess, the looks of the lot can make the neighbourhood look awful. Vegetation clearing in the lot makes it look much nicer – and more usable, possibly for a community garden.

Better Water Flow

Sometimes overgrown or unwanted vegetation grows along and into rivers and streams, narrowing the available path for water to follow and creating flooding during heavy rains. Clearing away this vegetation allows water to flow along its natural path without backing up into areas where people and animals live. The better flow rate and wider path help any fish and other aquatic creatures that depend on the river or stream to live.

Conclusion

What is the importance of vegetation clearing? It’s a simple solution to a situation that could lead to damage and destruction if ignored. Once you realise how vegetation clearing is good for our environment, the old brush at the back of your property or the damaged trees you see near your home suddenly don’t seem like issues you can leave until later. Contact an environmental services company such as Access Environmental Planning to arrange to get rid of unwanted vegetation. Your actions will benefit both the environment and your safety and comfort

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