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Global Invasive Species Team listserve digest #132
Fri Dec 17 2004 - 16:09:58 PST
Contents
1. Seed drop of purple loosestrife (Colorado, USA)
2. Phragmites identification and noxious status (Nebraska, USA)
3. Eastern US knotweed projects (Pennsylvania, USA)
4. Salicornia bigelovii update (California, USA)
5. TNC Aridlands-Invasives Network Workshop #2 (Western states, USA)
6. Spartina conference proceedings available (California, USA)
7. Invasive Alien Species Symposium (Brasilia, Brazil)
---------------------------------------
1. Seed drop of purple loosestrife (Colorado, USA)
From: Dave Weber (dave.weber(at)state.co.us)
Staff at the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and others, have been working to
eradicate purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in the Denver area since
1993. Most of our herbicide applications have been during the summer to kill
the plants before seed drop. Our timing was based on the Master's Thesis by
Robert A. Klips 1990 (Dissemination, Germination, and Early Seedling
Establishment of Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria). Klips reported that
in New York, purple loosestrife seed rain began on Cotober 12, at the
earliest.
We thought that we did not need to worry about seed drop during our
July-August control work and assumed that by cutting and removing seed heads
from treated plants we were preventing seeds from being added to the
seedbank. But we have observed purple loosestrife plants raining seeds in
early September, late August, and once in mid-August. This early seed drop,
although very rare we believe, raises serious questions about the timing of
purple loosestrife control work. Now, instead of working on control through
August and into early September as we used to do, we try to finish up most
work by mid-August.
Last summer we had two reports of seed drop occurring around the first of
August, but under a microsope I confirmed that what was being observed
dropping from the plants were spent anthers and not seeds. Quite a scare!
---------------------------------------
2. Phragmites identification and noxious status (Nebraska, USA)
From: Chris Helzer (chelzer(at)tnc.org)
As of 1 January 2005, salt cedar (Tamarix) will be officially listed as a
"Noxious Weed" in Nebraska. We only have eight other noxious weeds at this
point: Carduus acanthoides, C. nutans, Centaurea diffusa, C. maculosa,
Cirsium arvense, Euphorbia esula, Lythrum salicaria, L. virgatum). In
addition we have a watchlist (with no legal teeth) of about 18 additional
species of concern, primarily a tool to help us gather information and to
get the word out about potential invasiveness of those species.
Salt cedar has invaded some of the rivers and reservoirs of the state -
primarily in the southwest, but has moved elsewhere too. We're hoping to
get ahead of it with a state-wide effort (that has already started).
On the Phragmites front, I'd be happy to hear advice on how we might deal
with that at the state level. I am concerned about putting it on the noxious
weed list because we do not have a good way to tell native strains from
non-native ones. I have tried every checklist I can find of physical
characteristics, including Saltonstall's, a list from TNC-Indiana, and some
Nebraska lists, and they are all inconclusive at times. I thinking we will
have to leave it off the official list, but do an awareness campaign that
targets stands that are becoming monocultures and impeding biodiversity or
other values. Any ideas or examples from elsewhere that might be helpful?
---------------------------------------
3. Eastern US knotweed projects (Pennsylvania, USA)
From: Joanne Steinhart (jsteinhart(at)tnc.org)
For the Delaware River Invasive Plant Partnership's work on knotweed in the
Upper Delaware Basin, I've been working with partners on surfacing some
research questions and topics of mutual interest in hopes of supporting a
regional knotweed management plan. Interesting themes emerging have been:
**Investigating the potential of using altered flow to prevent knotweed from
dominating at a landscape-scale.(Sustainable flows are being explored in our
region separate from the knotweed issue and we think there's an opportunity
here.)
**How does altered flow impact our potential restoration of native plants?
**Herbicide impacts vs. knotweed impacts on aquatic species -- knowing more
about both so as to inform our management decisions. There seems to be a
wealth of knowledge on terrestrial species, not so much on aquatics,
particularly on the impacts.
**Predictive modeling for invasion, hopefully with hydrologic regime
included at some point if possible (for example, where are stems/rhizomes
being deposited?)
**Assessment of condition of native plant communities vs. knotweed
populations for prioritizing mgmt.
If you have ideas, or know others I should speak to, please let me know. I
am looking for any suggestions or ideas!
---------------------------------------
4. Salicornia bigelovii update (California, USA)
From: Andrea Pickart (andrea_pickart(at)r1.fws.gov)
I wanted to update everyone on the Salicornia that was discovered this fall
in northern California by Heinz Falenski, and mentioned in Listserve Digest
#130. During the course of confirming its identiy as S. bigelovii, I learned
that the collections of putative S. bigelovii reported for Bay Area, Sonoma,
and Marin, and referred to in several flora (including Jepson) are actually
S. europaea (now S. depressa), a native with a scattered range. Salicornia
bigelovii, however, was restricted (until now) to southern California. Dr.
Peter Ball has given it a tentative id as S. bigelovii, however, next year
we will go for further confirmation.
This fall we removed a limited amount from our Lanphere island, but not the
larger population. Control of this plant is likely to be impractical, so it
is important to determine whether it is having any negative impacts. This
winter we will be establishing demographic plots to monitor its emergence,
phenology, fecunity, etc. and try and make some determination as to whether
it might be competing with the two rare salt marsh annuals, since it occurs
in the same habitat.
Opinion is varied whether this situation constitutes a range extension or
introduction/invasion. I have encouraged folks at Cal IPC and elsewhere to
address this issue. If you have any questions let me know. Also, to any
potential grad students: This would make a great thesis (ecology and/or
genetics)!
---------------------------------------
5. TNC Aridlands-Invasives Network Workshop #2 (Western states, USA)
From: Mandy Tu (imtu(at)tnc.org)
As described in the previous Listserve Digest, the date is rapidly
approaching for the second workshop (of a 3-part series) of our
Aridlands-Invasives Network! This second workshop will be focused on
monitoring. The workshop is FREE to all interested participants, and you
will only need to cover your own travel costs and hotel. (TNC and Agency
staff hotel costs are covered!)
More information:
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/temp/aridregform.doc
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/listarch/arch131.html#05
CONFIRM your attendance by December 21, 2004!! Put "Aridlands Confirmation"
to the Subject Line of your e-mail, and send your completed registration
form to Bob Unnasch (bunnasch(at)tnc.org; 208-343-8826 ext. 14).
---------------------------------------
6. Spartina conference proceedings available (California, USA)
From: Peggy Olofson (prolofson(at)spartina.org)
The Third International Conference on Invasive Spartina was a resounding
success, and much excellent information, in the form of 46 presentations and
20 posters, was presented. Abstracts are now available at:
http://www.the-conference.com/2004/spartina/Program.pdf
A full proceedings document is being prepared for publication in the Spring
or Summer, and you can order the proceedings now.
Peer reviewers for proceedings manuscripts are still needed in the areas of
Spartina and tidal marsh biology and ecology, plant genetics and evolution,
and aquatic/estuarine weed management. Interested reviewers should respond
directly to me with their area of interest and qualifications. All
assistance will be greatly appreciated!
---------------------------------------
7. Invasive Alien Species Symposium (Brasilia, Brazil)
From: Silvia Ziller (sziller(at)onda.com.br)
Enroll for the Brazilian Symposium on Invasive Alien Species, to be held
24-27 May, 2005, in Brasilia, Brazil.
For more information, send your web browser to:
http://www.institutohorus.org.br/trabalhosa_simposio_eei_eng.htm
Contents
1. Seed drop of purple loosestrife (Colorado, USA)
2. Phragmites identification and noxious status (Nebraska, USA)
3. Eastern US knotweed projects (Pennsylvania, USA)
4. Salicornia bigelovii update (California, USA)
5. TNC Aridlands-Invasives Network Workshop #2 (Western states, USA)
6. Spartina conference proceedings available (California, USA)
7. Invasive Alien Species Symposium (Brasilia, Brazil)
---------------------------------------
1. Seed drop of purple loosestrife (Colorado, USA)
From: Dave Weber (dave.weber(at)state.co.us)
Staff at the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and others, have been working to
eradicate purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in the Denver area since
1993. Most of our herbicide applications have been during the summer to kill
the plants before seed drop. Our timing was based on the Master's Thesis by
Robert A. Klips 1990 (Dissemination, Germination, and Early Seedling
Establishment of Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria). Klips reported that
in New York, purple loosestrife seed rain began on Cotober 12, at the
earliest.
We thought that we did not need to worry about seed drop during our
July-August control work and assumed that by cutting and removing seed heads
from treated plants we were preventing seeds from being added to the
seedbank. But we have observed purple loosestrife plants raining seeds in
early September, late August, and once in mid-August. This early seed drop,
although very rare we believe, raises serious questions about the timing of
purple loosestrife control work. Now, instead of working on control through
August and into early September as we used to do, we try to finish up most
work by mid-August.
Last summer we had two reports of seed drop occurring around the first of
August, but under a microsope I confirmed that what was being observed
dropping from the plants were spent anthers and not seeds. Quite a scare!
---------------------------------------
2. Phragmites identification and noxious status (Nebraska, USA)
From: Chris Helzer (chelzer(at)tnc.org)
As of 1 January 2005, salt cedar (Tamarix) will be officially listed as a
"Noxious Weed" in Nebraska. We only have eight other noxious weeds at this
point: Carduus acanthoides, C. nutans, Centaurea diffusa, C. maculosa,
Cirsium arvense, Euphorbia esula, Lythrum salicaria, L. virgatum). In
addition we have a watchlist (with no legal teeth) of about 18 additional
species of concern, primarily a tool to help us gather information and to
get the word out about potential invasiveness of those species.
Salt cedar has invaded some of the rivers and reservoirs of the state -
primarily in the southwest, but has moved elsewhere too. We're hoping to
get ahead of it with a state-wide effort (that has already started).
On the Phragmites front, I'd be happy to hear advice on how we might deal
with that at the state level. I am concerned about putting it on the noxious
weed list because we do not have a good way to tell native strains from
non-native ones. I have tried every checklist I can find of physical
characteristics, including Saltonstall's, a list from TNC-Indiana, and some
Nebraska lists, and they are all inconclusive at times. I thinking we will
have to leave it off the official list, but do an awareness campaign that
targets stands that are becoming monocultures and impeding biodiversity or
other values. Any ideas or examples from elsewhere that might be helpful?
---------------------------------------
3. Eastern US knotweed projects (Pennsylvania, USA)
From: Joanne Steinhart (jsteinhart(at)tnc.org)
For the Delaware River Invasive Plant Partnership's work on knotweed in the
Upper Delaware Basin, I've been working with partners on surfacing some
research questions and topics of mutual interest in hopes of supporting a
regional knotweed management plan. Interesting themes emerging have been:
**Investigating the potential of using altered flow to prevent knotweed from
dominating at a landscape-scale.(Sustainable flows are being explored in our
region separate from the knotweed issue and we think there's an opportunity
here.)
**How does altered flow impact our potential restoration of native plants?
**Herbicide impacts vs. knotweed impacts on aquatic species -- knowing more
about both so as to inform our management decisions. There seems to be a
wealth of knowledge on terrestrial species, not so much on aquatics,
particularly on the impacts.
**Predictive modeling for invasion, hopefully with hydrologic regime
included at some point if possible (for example, where are stems/rhizomes
being deposited?)
**Assessment of condition of native plant communities vs. knotweed
populations for prioritizing mgmt.
If you have ideas, or know others I should speak to, please let me know. I
am looking for any suggestions or ideas!
---------------------------------------
4. Salicornia bigelovii update (California, USA)
From: Andrea Pickart (andrea_pickart(at)r1.fws.gov)
I wanted to update everyone on the Salicornia that was discovered this fall
in northern California by Heinz Falenski, and mentioned in Listserve Digest
#130. During the course of confirming its identiy as S. bigelovii, I learned
that the collections of putative S. bigelovii reported for Bay Area, Sonoma,
and Marin, and referred to in several flora (including Jepson) are actually
S. europaea (now S. depressa), a native with a scattered range. Salicornia
bigelovii, however, was restricted (until now) to southern California. Dr.
Peter Ball has given it a tentative id as S. bigelovii, however, next year
we will go for further confirmation.
This fall we removed a limited amount from our Lanphere island, but not the
larger population. Control of this plant is likely to be impractical, so it
is important to determine whether it is having any negative impacts. This
winter we will be establishing demographic plots to monitor its emergence,
phenology, fecunity, etc. and try and make some determination as to whether
it might be competing with the two rare salt marsh annuals, since it occurs
in the same habitat.
Opinion is varied whether this situation constitutes a range extension or
introduction/invasion. I have encouraged folks at Cal IPC and elsewhere to
address this issue. If you have any questions let me know. Also, to any
potential grad students: This would make a great thesis (ecology and/or
genetics)!
---------------------------------------
5. TNC Aridlands-Invasives Network Workshop #2 (Western states, USA)
From: Mandy Tu (imtu(at)tnc.org)
As described in the previous Listserve Digest, the date is rapidly
approaching for the second workshop (of a 3-part series) of our
Aridlands-Invasives Network! This second workshop will be focused on
monitoring. The workshop is FREE to all interested participants, and you
will only need to cover your own travel costs and hotel. (TNC and Agency
staff hotel costs are covered!)
More information:
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/temp/aridregform.doc
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/listarch/arch131.html#05
CONFIRM your attendance by December 21, 2004!! Put "Aridlands Confirmation"
to the Subject Line of your e-mail, and send your completed registration
form to Bob Unnasch (bunnasch(at)tnc.org; 208-343-8826 ext. 14).
---------------------------------------
6. Spartina conference proceedings available (California, USA)
From: Peggy Olofson (prolofson(at)spartina.org)
The Third International Conference on Invasive Spartina was a resounding
success, and much excellent information, in the form of 46 presentations and
20 posters, was presented. Abstracts are now available at:
http://www.the-conference.com/2004/spartina/Program.pdf
A full proceedings document is being prepared for publication in the Spring
or Summer, and you can order the proceedings now.
Peer reviewers for proceedings manuscripts are still needed in the areas of
Spartina and tidal marsh biology and ecology, plant genetics and evolution,
and aquatic/estuarine weed management. Interested reviewers should respond
directly to me with their area of interest and qualifications. All
assistance will be greatly appreciated!
---------------------------------------
7. Invasive Alien Species Symposium (Brasilia, Brazil)
From: Silvia Ziller (sziller(at)onda.com.br)
Enroll for the Brazilian Symposium on Invasive Alien Species, to be held
24-27 May, 2005, in Brasilia, Brazil.
For more information, send your web browser to:
http://www.institutohorus.org.br/trabalhosa_simposio_eei_eng.htm