Identifying & Controlling Invasives: Strategies for Communities

Transcription

1 Identifying & Controlling Invasives: Strategies for Communities

2 Identifying Invasive Plants What are Invasive Plants? Native plants Species that reached their location without assistance from humans. Non-native plants include: Exotic species: non-native plants or animals introduced into a new location by human activity, either intentionally or by accident. Invasive species: non-native species that are capable of moving aggressively into a habitat and monopolizing resources such as light, nutrients, water, and space to the detriment of other species.

3 Identifying Invasive Plants How did Invasive Plants Get Here? Horticultural activities Conservation activities Accidental introductions

4 Identifying Invasive Plants Why are they such a problem? They grow very quickly. They are often the first plants to leaf out in spring and the last plants to lose their leaves and seeds in fall. They create a dense canopy which suppresses the growth of native woody & herbaceous plants. They reduce soil moisture & nutrients. They are in areas that lack their natural insects and diseases to control them.

5 Impacts of invasive plants Degrade native environments Reduce native plant diversity Reduce habitat for native wildlife Impact forest regeneration Threaten rare species

6 Identifying Invasive Plants Workshop Goals: Identify common problematic invasive plants Discuss appropriate methods of control Prioritize invasive plant control efforts Provide tools and resources to help you implement successful projects

7 Identifying Invasive Plants Key considerations in controlling invasives: Know your enemy! Know what species you are dealing with Reproductive strategies seeds, root or stem cuttings, rhizomes (runners) Dispersal methods wind, animal, stem cuttings

8 Identifying Invasive Plants

9 Identifying Invasive Plants

10 Identifying Invasive Plants Partial List of NH Regulated Non-Native Invasive Plants Norway Maple Tree of heaven Garlic mustard Japanese & European barberry Oriental bittersweet Spotted knapweed Black & pale swallow-wort Autumn olive Burning bush Giant hogweed Dame s Rocket Water-flag iris Perennial pepperweed Blunt-leaved privet 4 Honeysuckles Japanese stilt grass Japanese & Bohemian knotweed Mile-a-minute vine Common & glossy buckthorn Multiflora rose

11 Identifying Invasive Plants CONTROL Biological Mechanical Chemical

12 Identifying Controlling Invasive Plants Biological Control Natural pest controls

13 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control Hand pulling Photo by: Kyle Farr, A Stewardship Network: New England volunteer and a Senior in Environmental Conservation Studies at UNH Kingston Town Forest

14 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control - Digging

15 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control Weed Wrench

16 Identifying Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control Repeated mowing, cutting, weed whacking Persistence is key! Invasive plants may need to be cut up to five times a growing season. Established plants may need several years of this type of control

17 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control Smothering

18 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control - Girdling plants

19 Controlling Invasive Plants Mechanical Control - Controlled Burning

20 Controlling Invasive Plants Chemical Control Foliar Application Spray leaves with approved herbicide.

21 Chemical Control Controlling Invasive Plants Chemical Control Cut stump treatment ump or Bark application Paint cut stump or bark with approved herbicide.

22 Controlling Invasive Plants Chemical Control Homeowner products include active ingredients: Glyphosate Triclopyr Pesticides are classified as either general use or restricted use. General use does not require certification when applied to a property owned or rented by applicator or employer

23 Controlling Invasive Plants Glyphosate ex. Roundup Works by they inhibiting a specific enzyme that plants need in order to grow. Without that enzyme, plants are unable to produce other proteins essential to growth, so they yellow and die over the course of several days or weeks. l Control Triclopyr ex. Ortho, Garlon Triclopyr is a plant growth regulator herbicide that mimics growth hormones. Once applied it moves throughout leaves and roots, causing rapid cell growth and rupturing cell walls. This hinders the plant s ability to move food and use energy from the leaves, causing the plant to die Follow label instructions. Apply correct formulation and concentration of herbicide at appropriate time of year.

24 Controlling Invasive Plants Now let s look at some of our more prolific non native invasive plants identifying characteristics and considerations for control

25 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

26 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Burning Bush

27 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Burning Bush - Description Stems Greenish with corky wings

28 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Burning Bush - Description Leaves Opposite, elliptical Half as wide as long

29 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Burning Bush - Description Seeds Fleshy green capsule, turns reddish, pinkish in fall

30 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Burning Bush Control Considerations Dispersal: Seeds spread by wildlife High seed germination rate Mechanical Control: Hand pull plants prior to seed production. Repeated cutting. Chemical Control: Foliar spray in early summer. Cut stump early summer into fall.

31 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

32 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants European and Japanese Barberry

33 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Barberry - Description Seeds Oblong drupe, turns red in fall (Japanese) pale red (European) Leaves Tiny, ovate

34 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Barberry - Description Thorns European: Thorns in clusters of three Japanese: Single thorns Pith Yellow

35 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Barberry Control Considerations Dispersal Can spread through seeds (wildlife and birds) Seed has a high germination rate Can also spread from rhizomes and layering (arching branches can root) Shade and pollution tolerant

36 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Barberry Control Considerations Mechanical Control: Pull or dig early in season before seed set ( remove entire root system) Repeated mowing (3 x/year for several years) Chemical Control: Chemical controls can be effective.

37 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

38 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Garlic Mustard

39 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Garlic Mustard - Description Biennial herb First year leaves: Basal rosettes, leaves kidney shaped, round

40 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants 2 nd year plants Garlic Mustard - Description Second year: Matures into erect plant ( up to 4 feet tall) Triangular leaves, white flowers

41 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Garlic Mustard - Description Seeds form in pods, turn black when mature

42 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Garlic Mustard Control Considerations Dispersal: Seeds spread by water and wildlife Plants can also expel seeds up to 6 feet Human transport of seed on clothing, vehicles Seeds can remain viable up to 6 years Mechanical Control: Hand pulling prior to flowering (bag and remove) Chemical Control: Herbicides can be effective Roots and leaves release allelopathic chemicals into soil inhibiting native plant germination and growth

43 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

44 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Japanese knotweed

45 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Japanese knotweed - Description Herbaceous Grows 6 10 feet tall Forms dense stands Stems are green with purple specks, hollow

46 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Japanese knotweed - Description Leaves: Shield or heart-shaped, alternate Flowers: Greenish white

47 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Japanese knotweed Control Considerations Dispersal: Spreads primarily by stem and root fragments Mechanical Control: Small plants: Dig, remove all parts of rhizome Larger infestations: Cut stems at base and smother with plastic, or cut stems 3-5x/year for several years Chemical Control: Foliar spray: Cut in late June, allow to resprout, spray Cut stump treatment in late summer/fall (Can pour herbicide down cut stems) PERSISTENCE!!

48 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

49 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Multiflora Rose

50 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Multiflora Rose - Description Thorny perennial shrub with arching stems Forms dense clumps Compound leaves with 7 9 leaflets White flowers turn to red, oval-shaped hips in the fall

51 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Multiflora Rose Control Considerations Miserable to work around! Dispersal Fruits and seeds dispersed by birds Can spread by rooting at tips of arching stems touching the ground

52 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Multiflora Rose Control Considerations Mechanical Control: Hand or mechanical removal difficult due to thorns pull seedlings, dig and remove root crown (6 around) Mowing or cutting 3-6 times/yr for 2-4 years Chemical Control: Avoid when it s flowering.

53 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

54 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Oriental Bittersweet

55 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Oriental Bittersweet - Description Vines can grow feet long Grey/brown furrowed bark Orange roots

56 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Oriental Bittersweet - Description Leaves: alternate, ovate, blunt toothed Fruits: in the axils of leaves. Ripe fruits turns red and are surrounded by yellow capsule

57 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Oriental Bittersweet Control considerations Dispersal: Seeds spread by birds, wildlife and humans High germination rate Readily regrows and expands through root suckering Shade tolerant Difficult to manage

58 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Oriental Bittersweet Control considerations Mechanical Control: Pull small plants when soil is moist. Bag plants to dry or dispose of. Bag or burn fruits. Cut portions will continue to re-sprout and grow cut every few weeks for several years to exhaust root supply. Chemical Control: Foliar spray and cut stump methods. Has some tolerance.

59 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants

60 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Common and Glossy Buckthorn

61 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Glossy and Common Buckthorn - Description Small trees. Bark is grayish/brownish with white lenticels Glossy buckthorn Leaf veins are more symmetrical and extend to leaf margins No thorns on twigs Common buckthorn Leaves are more pointed with curved veins, toothed margins. May find thorn/spine at end of twigs

62 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Glossy and Common Buckthorn - Description Fleshy fruit produced in leaf axils, turns black in the fall. Exudes yellowish goo when squished.

63 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Buckthorn Control Considerations Dispersal Birds spread seed, but most fall to the ground Can find 75 seeds/square foot under mature shrubs Can also reproduce through layering and suckering

64 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Buckthorn Control Considerations Mechanical Control: Small plants: pull when soils are moist to remove roots. Larger plants: cut stems in June and August each year for 2-3 years. Chemical Control: (cutting alone may result in extensive suckering) Foliar spray and cut stump treatments can be effective

65 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Disposal Options and Considerations Burning Good for species with larger woody branches and trunks. Burning buckthorn debris

66 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Bagging (Solarization) Good for soft tissue plants. Use black or clear plastic contractor grade Watch for holes. Place bags in sun for several weeks and on dark pavement if possible.

67 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Dry it/cook it Place woody debris or herbaceous materials in black plastic bags on sunny asphalt surface Let dry for a month. At the end of the month, the material should be non-viable and you can dump it or dispose of it with the trash. This method assumes there are no seeds mixed in with the material.

68 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Tarping and Drying Pile material on plastic and cover with a tarp Fasten tarp to the ground Monitor for escapes Let materials dry for several weeks until it is non-viable Individual plants pull, hang upside down

69 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Chipping Good for plants that don t reproduce vegetatively (ex. Norway maple, barberry, autumn olive, burning bush, buckthorn) Chip after fruit has dropped from branches Leave chips on site and monitor

70 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants Take home messages Persistence and monitoring Pick your battles control small infestations before they become bigger problems Evaluate each species you are dealing with to learn how it is most likely to spread Spread by seed knock back before seed production Spread by roots and bits of stem remove as much root as possible, use care to dispose of all plant segments Be sure to dispose of plant material properly Re-establish native plants

71 Identifying and Controlling Invasive Plants NHwoods.org Click on invasives

72 Strategies for Successful Projects IDENTIFY PRIORITIZE ACT

73 Consider the Landscape Scale Priority Areas for Invasive Plant Management wildnh.com/invasives

74 Consider the Landscape Scale

75 Consider the Landscape Scale granitview.unh.edu

76 Picking Your Project Area

77 Upland Invasives Species Guide nhinvasives.org wildnh.com/invasives Workshops

78 Tools for Mapping

79 Share Your Data

80 Set a Goal Remove all the invasives in an area Remove one specific species Manage invasives in all habitats of the same type Manage in a specific area to maintain recreation access

81 Prioritize

82 Prioritize Early Detection & Rapid Response

83 Prioritize Protect Priority Habitats First

84 Prioritize Protect Priority Habitats First

85 Prioritize Start at the Headwaters & Work Downstream

86 Prioritize

87 Prioritize Consider proximity to other populations

88 Prioritize Prioritize areas of disturbance

89 Prioritize Consider plant distribution

90 The Right Techniques for the Job

91 The right Right tools Tools for the job Job

92 Working With Volunteers

93 Working With Volunteers Help Connect People to Conservation Lands Help Organizations Work with Stewardship & Science Volunteers

94 Calendar of events Online registration system Weekly e-newsletter Stories

95 Tips for Working with Volunteers Some of the basics 1. Be organized 2. Recruit volunteers 3. Understand what motivates volunteers 4. Make it fun 5. Keep it short (2-3 hours max) 6. Avoid leaving things half done 7. Food! 8. Thank & reward people See handout for more practical tips: Tips for Working with Stewardship Volunteers

96 Resources for Working with Volunteers

97 Invasive Plant Initiatives with The Network Garlic Mustard Challenge in NE 540 lbs in ,862 lbs in 2015 Volunteer Training Guides 2016 Invasive Plants 101 How to Lead a Volunteer Workday Tool Sharing Invasives Mapping tied to stewardship efforts Increase volunteer recruitment & training

98 Get Help!