Nonnative Species

Invasive Plant Treatment

How the Park Manages Invasive Vegetation in the Park and Why

The spread of invasive species is a never-ending battle as the National Park Service works diligently to manage the invasive vegetative species in the park. The spread of invasive species is a major factor contributing to undesirable landscape level change and ecosystem instability in national parks. Learn more about Invasive plants in the park service and how the National Park Service is working to manage them through all national park units, and how you can help at Invasive Plants - Invasive & Non-Native Species (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

Goats

The use of goats for weed and invasive vegetative management is referred to as “goat scaping”. This form of vegetation management offers several additional benefits that traditional landscaping is not able to.

1. Environmentally friendly: The use of “goat-scaping” is a more environmentally friendly way to manage landscapes that is carbon-friendly, does not involve heavy machinery, and does not cause major damage to the natural landscape, heavy machinery might do.
2. Invasive Vegetation Control: Goats will eat almost anything, including tough and invasive species like Privet, Multi-Flora Rose, Kudzu, and Himalayan Blackberry. They can access steep, and rough terrain that machinery may not be accessible to. They also have a multi-chamber stomach and internal body temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that what they do eat will essentially be cooked and stripped of all nutritional value. This means that the plant will not be able to re-seed or grow once it is disposed of by the goat, assisting in the eradication of the species in the area targeted.
3. Fertilization: As goats are working, they provide a great natural source for fertilizer to the grounds to better support the native species growth in the areas where they eat. Their hooves also help to walk over and reduce the growth of the species in their workspace, which provides a more open environment for native species to take back over.
4. Fire prevention: Goat-scaping can help reduce the amount of vegetation that could be used as fuel for a wildfire. By eating the vegetation, they decrease the amount of possible fuel in the area and lower the risk of a natural wildfire.
5. Efficient: A herd of goats is more cost-effective and can take less time to clear an acre of land than utilizing heavy machinery. A herd of 200 goats can clear more than 1 acre a day (which is equivalent to ¾ of a Football Field).
6. Returning the landscapes historic viewshed: One of the parks goals is to return the historic viewsheds back to how they would have looked during the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. The understory during that time would have been cleared because local farmers allowed their livestock to roam freely. The use of “goat-scaping” will work to return the landscape to its historical viewshed by utilizing the livestock in the same way as farmers did over 160 years ago.
7. They are Cute: If nothing else can convince you to support the use of goats, you cannot deny that they are cute. Although you will not be able to pet or play with any of the goats while they are at work, you are encouraged to visit and watch as they work to help restore the historic landscape.