A collection of the plant species, both native and non-native that call our wetlands home. My intention with making this project was to collect all these specific observations in one place; to simplify their retrieval and my analysis of my findings over time. As some context, the location under my surveillance is in Wilmington, Massachusetts. It is a section of densely wooded town conservation land in a neighborhood with a small stream going through the center and underneath the road to other side where it eventually pools deep into the woods. This stream fluctuates with the weather and often times in the heat waves of summer it can be completely dry. This location will serve as a sample to represent the issues facing all of New England as a whole, due to the sheer number of invasive species present but also the fact that most have not completely established themselves yet. This is key so I can watch the effect over time as the invasives become more prevalent, almost like a snapshot as to what a New England wetland might have looked decades ago when these invasives first arrived. Main tree species present are Pines, Oaks, and Norway Maple. Of the known invasives here, the one that is the most problematic is Japanese Knotweed. This species has established a large population on the roadside, which is suppressing many other species from being able to grow. This species has notorious suffocating qualities to surrounding ecosystems, and spreading more with each year despite my intervention efforts. I wanted to analyze in depth at how this non-native, as well as others I find in this habitat, are affecting the establishment of natives, and, as an extension, looking at which natives are the most resilient in reclaiming this overrun habitat. less ↑