I knew I had to do something to change the direction of my woods, or buckthorn would take over completely. An all-buckthorn wood lot would be a boring place. The lack of diversity would limit the usefulness of the woods for wildlife, because of a lack of certain foods and cover. It would also be boring because you would see only green. There would be no blue, red, or yellow of wildflowers, nor gold, red, and yellow of fall leaves.
Buckthorn woods are also unfriendly because they are normally dense with many low branches.
These branches have numerous thorns, making it unpleasant to try to walk through. Lastly, I feel that native woodlands should have native species. Buckthorns are nonnative shrubs or small trees that have become a problem in Minnesota's woodlands and wetlands, where they crowd out native plants. The problem is extensive in the metro area, the southeast, and many other parts of the state. Wood lots, trails, roadsides, and back yards can have heavy infestations.