Thu Mar 30 2006 - 13:38:36 PST

Contents
1. Attempts at Ranunculus ficaria control ( New York, Planet Earth)
2. Invasive Exotic Plant Management Tutorial (Pennsylvania, USA)
3. Dangerous travelers video (Pennsylvania, USA)
4. Remote sensing for detecting Paulownia tomentosa (Virginia, USA)
5. Herbicide Impacts on damselflies and dragonflies (Illinois, USA)
6. Spread the word, not the weed! (Pennsylvania, New York, Planet Earth)
7. Emerald ash borer wins in Indiana? (Indiana, USA)
8. You brute! (Massachusetts, USA)
9. Programs on private lands? (Nationwide, USA)
10. Seeking presentation on loosestrife (Nationwide, USA)
11. Scotch broom and kudzu (North Carolina, USA)
12. Eastern U.S. Invasives Learning Network Workshop! (Eastern/Midwest states, USA)
13. Weed courses and meetings (Global, Planet Earth, USA)
14. Literature reviews (Global, Planet Earth)

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1. Attempts at Ranunculus ficaria control (New York, Planet Earth)
From: Krissy Faust (kbf3(at)cornell.edu)

I have been trying to kill it unsuccessfully for 5 straight seasons. Any
suggestions would be much appreciated. I have been using RoundUp Pro at 2%
and Rodeo at 1.5% for three seasons (2003-2005). I know the area has been
sprayed for about 9 years off and on prior to my watch which began in 1999.
The plants persist after all this spraying. Most of my time was being spent
pulling and spraying garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). It was in 2003
that I took the R. ficaria invasion seriously and began targeting the sites
myself spring of 2004 and 2005. I have tried to spray early and late--the
short time the plant is above ground and other factors make it difficult to
treat.

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2. Invasive Exotic Plant Management Tutorial (Pennsylvania, USA)
From: Lisa Smith (wildflower(at)laurelweb.net)
 
 The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has
recently made available a new tool for land managers dealing with invasive
plant problems. The "Invasive Exotic Plant (IEP) Management Tutorial for
Natural Lands Managers: A Comprehensive Tool for Addressing Your IEP Needs"
is designed as a "one-stop-shop" for users and includes information
available on the world-wide web and other forms of media. The information
has been organized in a standard format for easy access. Users are provided
with sufficient background information on the specific IEP problem that they
face along with guidance in the form of a standard management approach so
that they can more effectively apply the information to their specific
problem. The tutorial was developed with support from the Mid-Atlantic
Exotic Pest Plant Council and the DCNR-Wild Resource Conservation Fund and
can be found on-line at
<http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/index.htm>
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/index.htm or
www.ma-eppc.org
 
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3. Dangerous travelers video (Pennsylvania, USA)
From: Betsy Lyman (betsy_lyman(at)nps.gov)
 
The National Forest System invasive species management program and the
Engineering program, in partnership with the Department of Transportation
Federal Highways Administration, the US Fish and Wildlife Service National
Wildlife Refuge System, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and
others have produced and released the first video of a series on invasive
species prevention best management practices. This first video is available
on DVD or via the internet. Five thousand copies are being made available
for public and private use. This is an excellent program to show at local
meetings and Cooperative Weed Management Area events.
  
To view the 26-minute program is
<http://www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/news.shtml>
http://www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/news.shtml

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4. Remote sensing for detecting Paulownia tomentosa (Virginia, USA)
From: Jean Lorber ( jlorber(at)tnc.org )


I'm in the Virginia office, and considering using some type of satellite
imagery (Quickbird?) to identify Paulownia tomentosa (an invasive tree
species) trees in some hardwood forest blocks. Paulownia has large purple
flowers which are visible well before the leaf-out of most native trees. I
am thinking that if I time the imagery right, I will be able to see the
Paulownia in the forested landscape.
 
This sounds well and good, but has anyone tried this before?

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5. Herbicide Impacts on damselflies and dragonflies (Illinois, USA)
From: Kristopher Lah (kristopher_lah(at)fws.gov)

I looked into this issue with one of our contaminants biologists a few years
ago and we never did find a chemical method that we would feel confident
would not kill or impact Hine's emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana)
larvae. According to the Weed Control Methods Handbook (Tu et al. 2001),
Rodeo itself has relatively high LC50s (>900 mg/L) but surfactants like X-77
Spreader are 100 times more toxic. It was suggested that we find a
surfactant that is not toxic or has a high LC50. It was also suggested that
if we are applying Rodeo directly to a cut reed we would not need to use a
surfactant but should apply it when it is not extremely hot because the
herbicide evaporates quicker without the surfactant. There appear to be some
great references in the handbook as well that I hope to eventually read. I
will keep you informed as we learn more and would appreciate it if you could
do the same. I doubt that we are alone with this concern and it would be
great to find out what others have learned.

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6. Spread the word, not the weed! ( Pennsylvania, New York, USA)
From: Joanne Steinhart (jsteinhart(at)tnc.org)


We have created a "Spread the word, not the Weed" brochure, discussing
knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum). I have checked with our partners in the
Japanese Knotweed Initiative here in PA and NY, and they would be very happy
if anyone wanted to revise and reprint it for local use. We have a
disclosure letter (which releases it for use by others) and a tracking
request form asking folks to report how they used it. The contact for
original artwork or printer mock-ups is Jen Grieser at NYC DEP Stream Mgmt,
JGrieser(at)dep.nyc.gov.

---The brochure, release letter, and tracking form are on the GISI web site
at: <http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/outreach.html#wordweed>
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/outreach.html#wordweed



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7. Emerald ash borer wins in Indiana? (Indiana , USA)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)

I recently spoke with Dr. Bob Waltz, Director of the Division of Entomology
for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Unfortunately, he said that
despite two years of cutting 1/2 mile eradication zones around detections of
emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), control efforts have not been
successful. Instead of wasting additional efforts, eradication cuts have
ceased in Indiana, and future resources will be focused on education,
outreach, and on other pests. He pointed out that regulations are still in
place that prohibit the movement of live or dead ash products, but that the
prognosis for the 300 million ash trees in Indiana is very grim.

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8. You brute! ( Massachusetts , USA)
From: Tim Simmons (tim.simmons(at)state.ma.us)
 
We are thinking about contracting an operator with "brushbrute." Has anyone
on the listserve had experience with this equipment? The link to the home
page is: http://www.brushbrute.com/ We are contemplating this approach in an
area where environmental regulations for water supply prohibit traditional
cut stem treatments.

 
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9. Programs on private lands? (Nationwide, USA)
From: Alison Higgins (ahiggins(at)tnc.org)



Do you know of or have you been thinking of strategies to help remove
invasive exotics on private lands? I am looking for any assistance
programs/ordinances/educational programs/grants/ideas that you know of that
have a private lands component. Whether on a non-profit, municipal, state,
federal, or interplanetary scale, let me know what is out there!


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10. Seeking presentation on loosestrife (Nationwide, USA)
From: Ashton Berdine (aberdine(at)tnc.org)


Has anyone produced, or is aware of, a powerpoint presentation on purple
loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) they are willing to share. I need a very
general presentation to be directed at local governments such as county
commissions and city councils. Just wanted to check before I pulled my own
together and try to "re-invent the wheel." Any assistance appreciated!


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11. Scotch broom and kudzu (North Carolina, USA)
From: Allison Shaw (aeshaw1(at)yahoo.com)


I work with the TNC-North Carolina Mountains Office. We are wondering
whether scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a threat to southern Appalachian
forests. We have scotch broom in several old roadbeds within a forest at an
elevation of approximately 3500 feet. The abandoned roadbeds are undergoing
succession, and many plants have died, possibly due to increased shade. Will
the scotch broom be shaded out or do we need to treat it?

 

If we need to treat scotch broom, what has been most successful for other
folks? We would like to avoid foliar spraying, but have not found detailed
info on the use of basal bark, cut and paint, or hack and squirt treatments
for scotch broom.

 

Also, we have a very young patch of small kudzu vines (Pueraria montana).
When treating kudzu should we hack & squirt the root crown or cut and paint
the vine?

 

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12. Eastern U.S. Invasives Learning Network Workshop! (Eastern/Midwest
states, USA)
From: Mandy Tu (imtu(at)tnc.org)


Save the date!! The next workshop of the "Eastern North America Invasives
Learning Network" will be held October 3-5th, 2006 in Saratoga Springs, New
York. This workshop series details invasive species prevention and
management strategies, specifically providing critique and peer review for
project-scale managers on invasive species topics using the adaptive
management framework, and working with GR staff on policy and legislative
solutions for invasive species issues. New participants and TNC project
sites are welcome!

 

In this next workshop of the network, we will be working on "Setting
Measurable Objectives & Assessing the Invasive Species Threat" with a focus
on exporting those project-scale lessons learned from the project scale to
influence communications and public policy. TNC Government Relations (GR)
staff are specifically invited on the third day of the workshop to discuss
successful (and unsuccessful) invasive species policy initiatives, to voice
their needs to stewardship staff, and to create a dialogue for how to make a
difference in abating the invasive species threat over the long-term and at
multiple-scales.

 

The workshop is free to all participants. Some meals will also be provided.
Participants have to pay their own travel, lodging, and some meal costs.
Registration, travel and other meeting information will be available by June
2006. For more information, contact me and/or see details of about our
network workshops at: http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/networks.html

 

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13. Weed courses and meetings (Global, Planet Earth)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)


Elizabeth Brusati reminded me that the California Invasive Species Council
has a rich series of classes this year, including titles such as "Management
Strategies and Techniques" and "Tools for Early Detection." Go to their web
site (www.cal-ipc.org) for more information about content, schedules, and
costs.

 

Also, do not forget about the other pending invasive species meetings. See
our updated listing at http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/meetings.html. And while
you are at the web site, look at the new content on the front page
(http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu), including new profiles on invasive forest
pathogens, etc.


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14. Literature reviews (Global, Planet Earth)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)

Blair, A.C., Hanson, B.D., Brunk, G.R., Marrs, R.A., Westra, P., Nissen,
S.J., and Hufbauer, R.A. 2005. New techniques and findings in the study
of a candidate allelochemical implicated in invasion success. Ecology
Letters 8: 1039-1047.

Allelopathy is often cited as amechanism that some plants use, in which they
produce compounds which suppress the growth of their neighbors. The invasive
species Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) has been accused of using this
strategy by secreting a compound called catechin. Blair et al. reviewed the
laboratory techniques used in studying the possibility of catechin
allelopathy. They discovered that inappropriate techniques were being used
to extract catechin, so previous studies of catechin allelopathy and spotted
knapweed were likely to be flawed. Using better extraction techniques, they
observed that catechin concentrations were not as effective at reducing
growth in Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue), even at a concentration ten
times higher than the concentration previously reported to cause 100%
mortality. Clearly, the evidence of catechin allelopathy in invasive species
is not conclusive.

 
Phillips, B.L., Brown, G.P., Webb, J.K., and Shine, R. 2006. Invasion and
the evolution of speed in toads. Nature 439: 803.
 
Cane toads (Bufo marinus) are well-known invaders in Australia, and have
been crawling-hopping across the continent since they were introduced in
1935. Researchers attached radio-transmitters to the toads that are leading
the invasion front (currently near Darwin). The researchers discovered that
by selection processes, the toads leading the charge are now longer-legged
and faster than is typical for cane toads. Indeed, the cane toads are now
travelling five times faster (approximately 50 km per year) than they were
when first introduced to Australia! A cane toad can hop up to 1.8 km in a
single night (presumably by many small hops and not just one large one).