Invasive buckthorn sightings spike in citizen science reports this week
iNaturalist Community
Invasive Species
If you've noticed a dense, dark-berried shrub crowding out everything else along a trail or fence line, this is likely the culprit, and reporting it helps land managers track its spread before it takes over more forest understory.
Common buckthorn is a shrub that was brought over from Europe and has since spread aggressively across North American woodlands, choking out native wildflowers and tree seedlings. This week, people using the iNaturalist app logged 270 confirmed sightings of it, more than almost any other plant. That surge probably reflects both the season, since its berries are ripening now and easy to spot, and growing awareness among gardeners and naturalists about how disruptive this species is.
Key Findings
270 research-grade observations of common buckthorn were logged on iNaturalist in a single week
It ranks among the most-observed plant species on the platform for that period
High observation counts for invasive species often track seasonal identifiability, such as ripening fruit in early fall
chevron_right Technical Summary
Common buckthorn, an invasive shrub that crowds out native plants, is showing up in unusually high numbers on iNaturalist this week, with 270 verified sightings logged by citizen scientists.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) — 270 observations this week
common buckthorn is among the most observed plant species this week with 270 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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