ROCK COUNTY, Wis. — Last month, staff from the University of Illinois, UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources discovered an invasive species of stiltgrass in a private woodland near Beloit in Rock County.

Japanese stiltgrass ( Microstegium vimineum ) is an invasive, annual grass that poses a great threat to Wisconsin's ecosystems, according to UW-Madison Extension Forestry & Wildlife Program.

“This plant is quite harmful to our forests,” said Mark Renz, a professor and Extension weed specialist at UW. “It makes wildfires more frequent and severe, alters nutrient cycling and soil microbes, and reduces wildlife habitat, all of which decreases biodiversity.”

The invasive species negatively impacts forests and is widespread in the eastern and southern United States,

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