A new study out of Penn State finds natural gas development in our area is encouraging the spread of invasive plant species. Penn State Ph. D. candidate Kathryn Barlow and her team wanted to look at the effect on the plant community
Barlow says they looked at 127 Marcellus shale gas well pads in the Allegheny National Forest, and found 61 percent had at least one invasive, non-native plant species.
Barlow says well pads with more than one well had one and a half times more invasive species in the area than pads with just one well.
If left unchecked, these plants could have negative consequences for local wildlife as well as ecotourism and timber harvests.
Read the full story here: http://news.psu.edu/story/475225/2017/07/20/research/shale-gas-development-spurring-spread-invasive-plants-pa-forests