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Managing Invasive Woodland Plants
- 2. Today’s Outcomes • Know why species are invasive • Determine management goals • Understand range of management methods • Know integrated strategies
- 3. Early Vegetation From John T. Curtis, Vegetation of Wisconsin, 1959
- 4. Early Invasives? “Our waters filled with fish, and the air with game birds, and the rock ledges with rattlesnakes, and the woods with large game…We have no Canada thistles or mean men.” Wm. H Canfield, 1842 Sauk County Surveyor
- 5. Invasive Beginnings Wisconsin Historical Society
- 7. Definitions “Invasive” definitions differ depending on the goal. “…causes economic harm to….” “interferes with land management goals…” “kills or displaces populations of native species…”
- 8. What makes a plant invasive? • Tolerate wide range of soil, light, other conditions • Enjoy longer growing period • Ability to alter soil chemistry • Prolific seed production • Have few or no natural controls
- 9. What do we do? Learn to ID and know plants’ biology Take inventory, map Create a plan Learn & use control methods Monitor & adapt
- 10. Know thy enemy Learn to identify the plants Seedling Adult Dormancy Learn plants’ biology Annual Biennial Perennial
- 11. Know thy enemy Annuals Live one growing season Survive through seed Ragweed, foxtails
- 12. Know Thy Enemy: biennials Live TWO growing seasons Survive through, and produce a lot of, seed Garlic mustard* Wild parsnip Bull, musk, plumeless thistle Sweet clover Spotted knapweed
- 13. Biennial biology • Seedling/rosette yr 1 • Flower, then die yr 2 • Spread by seed only – Vehicles – Shoes – Animals – Water
- 14. Garlic Mustard Effects • Release soil toxins. • Disrupt soil-fungi associations. • Reduce/prevent tree regeneration.
- 15. Biennials: Bull, musk, plumeless thistle
- 16. Know Thy Enemy: Perennials Greater threat to woodland goals Live many growing seasons Survive through stored root energy Reproduce via seeds, suckers, roots Important to know if: Simple roots (honeysuckle) Creeping or clonal roots (Canada thistle)
- 18. Perennial: Multiflora Rose Identifying characteristic: bristles at base of petiole
- 19. Perennial: Common buckthorn • Male & female plants. • Visible late into fall. • Use these features to your advantage.
- 20. Unfair competition. . .
- 21. Perennials: Bush Honeysuckles Habitat: upland, especially under roost trees Blooms: May to June; white, yellow, orange or pink Berries: orange or red Early leaf-out, late leaf drop
- 22. Perennials: Autumn olive Habitat: dry upland Blooms: May to June Flowers white and fragrant Reproduces mostly by root suckering
- 23. Autumn olive
- 24. Perennial vine: Oriental bittersweet • Woody vine that climbs other vegetation • Thrives in a wide range of conditions • Grows to 60+’ in length • Introduced as an ornamental
- 25. Human vectored dispersal Urtica/Flickr creative commons
- 26. Highly invasive and damaging Vines strangle trees, reduce available light; added vine weight can break trees
- 30. Distinguishing bittersweets Fruit capsule color Fruit position American Oriental
- 31. Problem Ornamental Species • Japanese knotweed • Japanese barberry • buckthorns • Asian honeysuckles • Amur maple • Common tansy • Oriental, or Round- leaved bittersweet
- 32. Take inventory Aerial photo or scaled lot layout Estimate species present & density Identify land use – past, present & future Look beyond your property lines
- 33. Take Inventory
- 34. Prioritize! Importance of habitat? Size of population? Rate of spread? Interfere with land use? Resources available? Other priorities?
- 35. General Management Strategies • Monitor, especially along trails, roads • Look beyond property lines • Prioritize species; areas • Timing is critical • Attack outer edges first
- 36. Management methods • Ounce of prevention… • Pull • Cut/Mow • Girdle • Cut stem • Graze • Prescribed fire • Herbicide (foliar, basal bark) • Integrated methods
- 37. Prevention • Encourage competition • Early detection & removal of new species • Consider steps to prevent introduction during timber management
- 38. Pull • Good for young people, small infestations, small plants. • *Flowers can still set seed after pulling.
- 39. Mow/Cut • Goal: weaken plant; prevent seed set. • Timing is critical—best when in flower. • Repeated mowing often needed • Weakens, but may not kill plants. • Can be combined with herbicide methods.
- 41. Grazing Principles similar to mowing Goats can be “trained” to some species Repeated treatments necessary Contractors available
- 42. Girdle • Goal: starve roots • Good for clonal tree species. Photo courtesy of Tom Brock • Labor intensive. Photo courtesy: Tom Brock • Very effective if done correctly. • Timing: June-July best. • 1 or 2 step method.
- 43. Girdling – Step 1 Girdling – Step 2
- 44. Cut-Stem Treatment • Goal: kill plant Photo courtesy of Tom Brock • Good winter option • Very targeted use of herbicides Photo: Savanna Oaks Foundation, Inc
- 45. Cut-stem Control Method Target: • Shrubs/trees • buckthorn, honeysuckle, autumn olive, prickly ash, multi-flora rose, undesirable trees, etc. Herbicides: • Systemic • Active ingredients glyphosate (Roundup/generic) or triclopyr (Garlon 4/Element 4)
- 46. Cut-stem Control Method Timing: • Summer, Fall or Winter preferred • Avoid early spring and deep snow periods • Above-freezing temps with glyphosate • Triclopyr (Garlon) at any temperature • Apply glyphosate within minutes of cutting.
- 47. Cut-stem Control Method Technique: • Cut stems at no higher than 6”. • Work in pairs, if possible, to avoid “escapes”. • Work in a pattern. • Treat only outer edge of larger stumps. Photo courtesy: Tom Brock
- 48. Prescribed Fire Requires training, experience Specialized equipment Good public relations Good neighbor relations Photo courtesy of Tom Brock Timing! Effective when integrated with other methods
- 49. Foliar herbicide • Safety first • Better for larger infestations • Selective vs. non-selective herbicides • Pre- vs. post-emergence application
- 50. Foliar herbicide Timing • Rosette stage best for biennials. • Before flowering, in general. • Combine with fire/mow.
- 51. Basal bark herbicide • Small; smooth bark • Generally, single-stem shrubs & trees • Treat all clone stems • Oil-based chemicals (triclopyr: Garlon 4 or Element 4) Photos courtesy of Tom Brock
- 52. Integrated Methods • Successful control efforts include: – Integrated approach – monitoring – early detection. Photos courtesy Tom Brock
- 53. Other Precautions • Clean boots to prevent seed spread (wheeled vehicles, too?). • Minimize soil disturbance. • Consider spread by wildlife & water. • Monitor imported materials (gravel, topsoil, mulch, etc).
- 54. Develop a management plan •Garlic mustard detected •Goal is to … Road
- 55. Develop a management plan Garlic mustard control 1. Develop a map 2. Satellite plants--goal to eradicate. 3. Extensive patch along road--goal to prevent further spread. Road
- 56. Example Plan • Satellite populations: – Pull 2nd year plants before flowering – Spray 1st year plants in fall or very early spring
- 57. Example Plan • Large patch along road/trail: – Mow, pull, spray along road before seed set. – Work perimeter inward • Spray rosettes fall/early spring • Pull escapes in between • Repeat, monitor, re-map subsequent years.
- 58. Volunteer Opportunities Learn while doing • Kickapoo Valley Woods Cooperative • The Prairie Enthusiasts • The Nature Conservancy
- 59. Other Resources • County Extension office – fyi.uwex.edu/weedsci • County DNR foresters – dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestHealth/ • Oaksavannas.org • www.ipaw.org
- 60. Summary • Early detection & prevention are critical • New species introduction & spread mostly dependent on our behavior • Set realistic goals • Make a plan, then adapt, using… • Integrated methods
- 61. Questions? john.exo@ces.uwex.edu (608) 355-3554
Editor's Notes
- Historically before settlement, we had a mosaic of plant communities in Wisconsin, each represented by myriad native species that evolved to be adapted to our climate, soils, topography, wetness and other site characteristics.
- Hmmmm. Canada thistles and mean men the first invasives?
- Early settlers unwittingly brought invasive plant seed, but also the means to expose soil to those invaders.
- Point: some native species become/became invasive due to shifting influences of disturbances. For example, fire was often suppressed, which gave a competitive advantage to less or non-fire adapted species. i.e. prickly ash, which flourishes in old pastures, especially where fire is not allowed.
- Habitat includes:ForestsField and forest marginsMeadows and prairieRight-of-waysFence rowsAlong waterwaysResidential landscapesOriental bittersweet is native to China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and the Russian Federation. It was introduced to the eastern US in the 1800s.Image of Oriental bittersweet climbing into the trees on the right and has pulled down the tree in front.
- Both sexual (seed) and asexual (rhizome = root that sends up new shoots and stolon = root-like stem that sends up new shoots) reproduction. It can be difficult to identify individual plants due to clonal propagation.Oriental bittersweet is functionally diecious with separate male and female plants. Both male and female plants flower. Male flowers produce pollen that is received by female flowers. Pollinated by insects (bees) and wind.Birds aid the dissemination of seed by eating the fruit containing seed. The seed passes through the bird and can moved to uninfested areas. The seed germination rate is higher after the seed has passed through a bird.Seed viability in soil is not long (generally 1-3 years). A short-lived seedbank is helpful for long-term infestation control.Image of rhizome sending up new shootsImage of summer leaves and fruit.
- People use the colorful fruiting vines for arrangements. Seed can be inadvertently dispersed when collecting, transporting, and disposing of the fruiting branches.
- Although Oriental bittersweet is newly reported in MN, we can use assessments from the eastern and southern regions to prompt us into action before Oriental bittersweet is widespread. For example, Forest Service ranked Oriental bittersweet #5 of the top 10 invasive plant priorities for the Northeastern Area. Images: Oriental bittersweet vine girdling a tree (left) and a downed tree overwhelmed by bittersweet vines.
- This mass of Oriental bittersweet vines climbed into the trees and is beginning to down trees.
- When leafed out, Oriental bittersweet shades and smothers other vegetation. The images shows a Colorado blue spruce and fence engulfed by Oriental bittersweet.Infestation along Hwy 36 in the metro. Mn/DOT has controlled this infestation.
- Identifying Oriental bittersweetTop left: Leaves are glossy green and leaf shape is highly variable Top right: Raised white bumps (lenticels) on the stemBottom left: Fruits are positioned at where the leaves attach to the stem (at the leaf axils). Green summer fruits are shown in this picture.Bottom right: Fall fruit with a bright yellow capsule.
- Both American and Oriental bittersweet occur in the same habitat. Unfortunately, Oriental outcompetes American because it germinates better in the shade, has a longer period for photosynthesis because it leafs out early in the spring and holds its leaves late in the fall, and Oriental bittersweet can smother American bittersweet.Hybrids were created for a lab study demonstrating that the species can hybridize. Few viable progeny were produced from hybrids and hybrid pollen had a much lower viability compared to the species. Bittersweets with indeterminate characteristics (indicating hybrids) have been observed in the field.The nursery industry developed beautiful cultivars of American bittersweet that are a good choice for landscape use.
- The easiest way to distinguish American and Oriental bittersweets is by the fruit capsule color (orange for American and yellow for Oriental) and fruit placement (at the terminal ends for American and at the leaf axils for Oriental).