Problem plant control, pond and ruderal area maintenance on the VBS sites

Since 2013, the Nature Network association has been fighting problem plants on the VBS site in Dübendorf and on the skyguide site in the northwest of the military airfield. The areas and work have been steadily expanded. The Nature Network currently monitors the airfield, the adjacent weapons sites, the nearby radar stations, shooting ranges, the skyguide site and other properties owned by the VBS on Dübendorf soil.

The steady expansion of the control areas was possible because the work of the last five years has shown initial success. In the first few years, only invasive neophytes were combated, but today native problem species such as field thistle ( Cirsium arvense ), blackberry ( Rumex obtusifolius ), blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ) and dogwood ( Cornus ) are also being pushed back where necessary. The neophyte locations found were documented on a map and then recorded in the neophyte GIS of the Canton of Zurich so that they are available to all stakeholders.

This year we started early with the control of the blackberry population on the meadow next to the military parking lot. Then the main season for neophytes and problem plants began, which lasted until August/September. The density of the known populations of the other neophytes has decreased noticeably compared to the previous year. In terms of their extent they have mostly stagnated, but in some cases they have grown. It is to be assumed that seeds are flying in from adjacent areas. We suspect the heavily weeded area around the "Favela" restaurant and the green strips along the country road, where no neophyte control is currently taking place. The decrease in neophytes has also allowed us to focus more on the remaining problem plants this year.

Finally, the annual maintenance of the Sürch biotope and the adjacent ruderal area was carried out. The annual maintenance of the pond includes the underwater mowing of the reeds and the maintenance of the seepage area and hedge next door. Thanks to the maintenance intervention, it is guaranteed that the body of water will be free of vegetation next spring and will be repopulated by the target species after the winter dormancy. If no maintenance intervention was carried out, the artificial body of water would have silted up long ago. In the ruderal area, neophytes and problem plants were removed and interventions were carried out to create enough area with ruderal character again.