invasive plants. Additionally, the increased temperatures that result from climate change are predicted to expand the range of plants typically restricted to the deep south where it is warm and moist. In a projection based on the current and predicted CO2 levels, temperature, and precipitation, it was predicted that by the year 2100 privet will have spread as far north as Maine, sweeping across the mid-western United States into Nebraska. Thus, states that are currently free from privet invasion (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc.) are all predicted to become invaded with privet within the next 100 years unless either privet is contained or conservation efforts decrease the effect of pollution on climate change. Control and removal methods Methods of control The same qualities that allow privet to outcompete native species make it extremely difficult to control and eradicate. Privet is manageable with mowing or cutting consistently, as closely to the ground as possible. This will prevent the spread of the privet but will not eradicate it. Even methods such as controlled burning have proven ineffective and actually aid privet growth because privet recovers better than native plants from controlled burns. Mechanical removal of privet, especially for younger plants or smaller areas of growth, can be effective; however, all of the root must be removed to prevent root re-sprouting. Mechanical removal can prove difficult for more large-scale invasions. When such large invasions occur in the natural environment, herbicide use is usually avoided due to the negative impacts on native plants. Thus, the use of many workers or heavy machinery such as bulldozers is the most effective option. However, the soil disturbance and resulting erosion are important considerations when using such measures. When herbicide use is warranted, several methods have proven effective. In all cases, soil disturbance following herbicide treatment is inadvisable. This is due to privet's preference for disturbed soils and its increased ability to compete in such an environment. The length of time that the soil must be left undisturbed varies with the treatment. Foliar applications of glyphosate, cut-stump applications of glyphosate or triclopyr, and basal bark treatments for stems less than 0.5 inches is effective. The foliar treatments are most effective against dense thickets of privet. The best time for such treatments are in late fall and early spring when many of the native species are dormant. Care must be used with such an application to