Thu Nov 06 2008 - 16:57:28 PST

Contents
1. Creating manual for community action on invasives (Vermont, USA)
2. Invasives and salmonids (NW states, USA)
3. Phellodendron amurense (New York, USA)
4. Mapping distribution of reed canarygrass (Minnesota, USA)
5. Emerald ash boar? (New York, USA)
6. CIPM bimonthly e-newsletter (Montana, USA)
7. Herbicides for home use near water? (Vermont, USA)
8. Cichory samples needed (Nationwide, USA)
9. Black swallow-wort (Maine, USA)
10. Seeking data on southwestern weeds (California, USA)
11. Fire and Nonnative Invasive Plants now in print (Nationwide, USA)
12. Documenting threats of exotic species on threatened and endangered plants (Nationwide, USA)
13. Bacteria to kill zebra/quagga mussels--too good to be true? (Nationwide, USA)

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1. Creating manual for community action on invasives (Vermont, USA)
From: Sharon Plumb (splumb(at)tnc.org)
 
We are working at a community level on invasives issues. Through
presentations and hands-on workshops, and print materials, we work with
businesses, non-profits, schools, government agencies, land trusts, town
parks, landowners, and land trusts to teach people about invasives and
provide them with the information they need to remove invasives from their
property (or the property they manage) and replant with wildlife beneficials
(or at least non-invasives). We also set up demonstration sites. These are
properties in which organizations commit to removing invasives from their
site. We provide technical assistance, and some level of help doing the
removal (e.g. if it requires herbicide application we can do a day or two of
work with volunteers). As more communities hear about our work, they want
assistance.
 
We are looking to pull together a community manual on invasives removal that
would include management information, but also tips on collaborating with
other organizations in their community, grant resources, suggestions for
involving schools (e.g. what standards they can meet, how to set up a
service-learning project), sources of funding, how to hire the youth corps,
templates for keeping track of volunteer hours, etc. information on what
they need to do to get herbicide applicator licenses and when they need a
state permit, templates for keeping track of the work they do, resources,
etc. Does any one have any similar such animal that they have seen or
developed?
 
Also, we have fairly good turnout at our public programs and workshops
(10-15 people). However, I am starting to think that we need to market it as
more of a workshop on restoring native landscape, with the tagline then
about invasives. I want to get more at the "why" behind this, then teaching
the plant ID skills and removal techniques for invasives, and also
non-invasive alternatives, and finally HOW and to WHOM they will be
beneficial. Has anyone tried this combination of approaches? Do you have any
advice or suggestions?

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2. Invasives and salmonids (NW states, USA)
From: Amy Ferriter (aferriter(at)agri.idaho.gov )
 
The Independent Scientific Advisory Board (associated with the NW Power and
Conservation Council) issued its report on "Non-Native Species Impacts on
Native Salmonids in the Columbia River Basin". The report is on-line at
http://www.nwppc.org/library/isab/isab2008-4.htm
 
Of particular interest is the primary recommendation that "the NW Power and
Conservation Council and Fish and Wildlife agencies in the Basin elevate the
issue of non-native species effects to a priority equivalent to that of
habitat loss and degradation, climate change, and human population growth
and development"

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3. Phellodendron amurense (New York, USA)
From: Carsten W. Glaeser (corktree03(at)aol.com)
 
I was just reviewing some of the invasive plant listings on the TNC Global
Invasives site and was pleased to see the increasingly ubiquitous Amur
corktree (Phellodendron amurense) listed as a threat to Mid-Atlantic and
eastern temperate forests. I noted this invasion problem years ago in a
fragmented urban woodland in Queens County NY and even pursued a study of
this taxon for my dissertation. There are currently two large established
populations of P. amurense within wooded areas of the City of New York.
Please note more recent contributions on this taxon for your website;
 
Glaeser C.W. and D. Kincaid. 2005. The non-native invasive Phellodendron amurense
Rupr. in a New York City woodland. Arboricultural Journal Vol. 28:
151-164.
Jinshuang Ma et al. 2006. A revision of Phellodendron (Rutaceae).
Edinburgh Journal of Botany 63:131-151.

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4. Mapping distribution of reed canarygrass ( Minnesota, USA)
From: Nadilia Gomez (gome0046(at)umn.edu)
 
We are interested in compiling information regarding the distribution of
reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) in Minnesota. If you have
distribution maps, plant surveys, published records, plant databases,
printed or in digital format, regarding the location of reed canarygrass
populations, please contact me.

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5. Emerald ash boar? (New York, USA)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)
 
A nice short piece on emerald ash borer was shown on WPTZ.com, an NBC
affiliate in northern New York. This news is actually from in July, but if
you haven't seen it, it is still worth viewing. It features an interview
with, among others, TNC's Steve Flint. Interestingly, it is unclear just how
much of the news team mistakenly thinks the emerald ash borer is called an
"ash tree boar."
 
Judge for yourself: http://www.wptz.com/news/16947597/detail.html

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6. CIPM bimonthly e-newsletter (Montana, USA)
From: Mary McFadzen (mmcfadzen(at)montana.edu)
 
The Center for Invasive Plant Management is pleased to announce a bimonthly
e-newsletter on invasive plant science, management, education, and policy.
 
View August 2008 newsletter :
http://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:23110.1237651343/rid:aa3c735f5f7b7ed5cdd05647fbf2b8b2
Subscribe :
http://www.kptv.com/video/16442093/index.html

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7. Herbicides for home use near water? (Vermont, USA)
From: Sharon Plumb (splumb(at)tnc.org)
 
I just did a bit of research to find an herbicide that homeowners can buy,
and that can be used by water. AquaNeet has been discontinued. I called
Forestry Suppliers, and they said that the only glyphosate based solution
that has an aquatic label is Rodeo. It is $177 for 2.5 gallons, and they
don't have anything smaller. I can't find ANY other herbicides that are
labelled for aquatic use. This leaves me stuck on what to recommend to folks
for knotweed. It is very unlikely anyone will buy that, unless they are a
community based group. What are other folks using and/or recommending to
homeowners?

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8. Cichory samples needed (Nationwide, USA)
From: Tomas Zavada (tomas.zavada(at)umb.edu)
 
I am doing research on the genetics of introduced cichory (Cicorium intybus)
in the USA and Canada. I have many samples of plants from the native range
for this plant already. If you can help, I would greatly appreciate samples
of cichory from your part of the USA/Canada. I would need only about 2-3
live, fresh leaves, so this would not be hard to collect. If you would like
to help, please contact me and I will send to you instructions and a
postage-paid envelope for you to use. It will be important you use the
envelope I provide.

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9. Black swallow-wort (Maine, USA)
From: Kate O'Brien (kate_o'brien(at)fws.gov)
 
Has anyone has success controlling black swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum nigrum)
with a nonchemical method? We've tried digging it out, burning it. covering
it, etc. but just can't seem to stop it from spreading. I know there are a
few product reviews for equipment which can kill invasive plants with steam
or hot foam applications. Does anyone have experience using them on vines?

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10. Seeking data on southwestern weeds (California, USA)
From: Paul Zellmer (paul.zellmer(at)ca.usda.gov)
 
We need maps, GIS layers or imagery showing where several weed species are
found in the lower desert area of southern California (i.e., Salton Sea,
Yuma and Blythe areas). The list of invasive weed species of concern is as
follows:
 
Tamarisk/saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima, T. parviflora, T. chinensis, T. gallica)
Athel pine (Tamarix aphylla)
Nut Sedge (Cyperus rotundus)
Saharan Mustard (Brassica tournefortii)
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
Whitetop/Perrenial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)
Giant Weed (Arundo donax)
Dudaim melon (Cucumis melo var. dudaim)
 
If you have information on any of these, please contact me.

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11. Fire and Nonnative Invasive Plants now in print (Nationwide, USA)
From: Kristin Zouhar (kzouhar(at)fs.fed.us)
 
Volume 6 of the "Rainbow series", Wildand Fire in Ecosystems: Fire and
Nonnative Invasive Plants, is now in print! This comprehensive, nation-wide
review features 16 chapters with 25 authors and provides syntheses of the
current knowledge regarding fire effects on nonnative invasive plants,
effects of nonnative invasives on fire regimes, and use of fire to control
invasive plants. Individual chapters summarize information on these topics
for each of 7 bioregions in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska.
 
This publication available for download from the Rocky Mountain Research
Station publications website (www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr042_6.html), and
hard copies can be ordered via the same site.

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12. Documenting threats of exotic species on threatened and endangered plants (Nationwide, USA)
From: Amy Young (amy(at)appliedeco.org)
 
The Institute for Applied Ecology is collaborating with the USDI Bureau of
Land Management to evaluate the extent to which exotic species are impacting
rare, threatened and endangered plants. We have developed a brief online
survey to document 1) the nature of impacts of exotic species on listed
plant species, 2) the methods that are currently being used to control
exotic species in habitat occupied by listed species, and 3)additional
information and/or tools that are needed for land managers to address this
potential threat to listed species. This information will be synthesized
into an online database available for the general public.
 
Please follow the link below to participate in our study, and feel free to
forward this information to any interested colleagues. Our deadline for
survey responses is November 21.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=GterPE_2bpl9h0J66SQB5UUQ_3d_3d

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13. Bacteria to kill zebra/quagga mussels--too good to be true? (Nationwide, USA)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)
 
Daniel Malloy, scientist at New York State Museum Field Research Laboratory
in Cambridge, has identified a natural strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens
that is toxic to zebra and quagga mussels, but is harmless to
non-target organisms, including native freshwater mollusks. Marrone Organic
Innovations, Inc., in Davis California has been awarded a National Science
Foundation grant to develop a bio-pesticide from this organism. Museum
scientists determined that dead bacteria were equally as efficacious as live
bacteria, indicating some kind of biotoxin is the mechanism.