Burning Controls Barb Goatgrass (Aegilops triuncialis) in California Grasslands for at Least 7 Years

AbstractBarb goatgrass is an invasive annual grass from the Mediterranean region that negatively affects both native plant biodiversity and the forage quality of grasslands. Prescribed burning may be the best landscape-level tool available to manage invasive species like barb goatgrass while also enhancing biodiversity, but few studies have quantified the long-term effects of fire on goatgrass and the rest of the plant community. We assessed the effects of fire on an invading front of barb goatgrass on a private ranch in Sacramento County, CA. We established burned and unburned treatment plots within the goatgrass-infested area and used prescribed fire to burn the treatment plots in June 2005. We monitored plant-community composition before burning and for 7 consecutive yr following the burn. Additionally, we tested the viability of goatgrass seeds in both burned and unburned plots. One year after the burn, goatgrass cover in burned plots was 3% compared with 21% in unburned plots. This reduction in goatgrass cover was still strong 2 yr after the burn (burned, 6%; unburned, 27%) and weaker but still statistically significant for 4 of the next 5 yr. The burn also reduced germination of goatgrass seed by 99% as indicated by seed-viability tests conducted in the laboratory. The native plant community responded positively to the burn treatment in the first year following the burn with an increase in native diversity in burned plots vs. unburned plots, but the effect was not detectable in subsequent years. Nonnative annual forb species cover also increased in the first year following the burn. Our study shows that a single springtime burn can result in a short-term boost in native species diversity, reduced seed germination of barb goatgrass to near zero, and reduced cover of barb goatgrass for at least 7 yr after the burn.

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Effect of Aminopyralid on Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) and the Native Plant Community in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-d-09-00019.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 155-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Travis L. Almquist ◽

Rodney G. Lym

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Native Species ◽

Cirsium Arvense ◽

Grass Species ◽

Stem Density ◽

Native Plant ◽

Canada Thistle ◽

Native Plant Community ◽

Restored Prairie

AbstractAminopyralid efficacy on Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) and potential to injure native species was evaluated in a restored prairie at the Glacial Ridge Preserve managed by The Nature Conservancy in Polk County, MN. Canada thistle stem density was reduced from 17 to 0.1 stems m−2 10 mo after treatment (MAT) with aminopyralid applied in the fall at 120 g ha−1. Aminopyralid also altered the composition of both Canada thistle–infested and native plant communities. Aminopyralid controlled Canada thistle and removed or reduced several undesirable forb species from the restored prairie communities, such as absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). A number of high seral forbs were also reduced or removed by aminopyralid, including maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) and purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea). Foliar cover of high seral forbs in the native plant community was reduced from 12.2 to 7% 22 MAT. The cover of high seral grass species, such as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) increased after aminopyralid application in both the Canada thistle–infested and native plant communities and averaged 41.4% cover compared with only 19.4% before removal of Canada thistle. Species richness, evenness, and diversity were reduced after aminopyralid application in both Canada thistle–infested and native plant communities. However, the benefits of Canada thistle control, removal of undesirable species, and the increase in native grass cover should lead to an overall improvement in the long-term stability and composition of the restored prairie plant community, which likely outweigh the short-term effects of a Canada thistle control program.

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Do No Harm: Efficacy of a Single Herbicide Application to Control an Invasive Shrub While Minimizing Collateral Damage to Native Species

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants8100426 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 426 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David J. Gibson ◽

Lindsay A. Shupert ◽

Xian Liu

Keyword(s):

Exotic Species ◽

Community Composition ◽

Plant Community ◽

Native Species ◽

Phylogenetic Diversity ◽

Native Plant ◽

Short Term ◽

Seed Addition ◽

Herbicide Treatments ◽

Native Plant Community

Control of invasive exotic species in restorations without compromising the native plant community is a challenge. Efficacy of exotic species control needs to consider collateral effects on the associated plant community. We asked (1) if short-term control of a dominant exotic invasive, Lespedeza cuneata in grassland restorations allows establishment of a more diverse native plant community, and (2) if control of the exotic and supplemental seed addition allows establishment of native species. A manipulative experiment tested the effects of herbicide treatments (five triclopyr and fluroxypyr formulations plus an untreated control) and seed addition (and unseeded control) on taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, and community composition of restored grasslands in three sites over three years. We assessed response of L. cuneata through stem density counts, and response of the plant community through estimates of canopy cover. Herbicide treatments reduced the abundance of the exotic in the first field season leading to a less dispersed community composition compared with untreated controls, with the exotic regaining dominance by the third year. Supplemental seed addition did not provide extra resistance of the native community to reinvasion of the exotic. The communities were phylogenetically over-dispersed, but there was a short-term shift to lower phylogenetic diversity in response to herbicides consistent with a decrease in biotic filtering. Native plant communities in these grassland restorations were resilient to short-term reduction in abundance of a dominant invasive even though it was insufficient to provide an establishment window for native species establishment.

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A test of native plant adaptation more than one century after introduction of the invasive Carpobrotus edulis to the NW Iberian Peninsula

BMC Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1186/s12862-021-01785-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carlos García ◽

Josefina G. Campoy ◽

Rubén Retuerto

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Genetic Variance ◽

Common Garden ◽

Reciprocal Effects ◽

Native Plant ◽

Adaptive Responses ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Carpobrotus Edulis ◽

Nw Iberia

Abstract Background Although the immediate consequences of biological invasions on ecosystems and conservation have been widely studied, the long-term effects remain unclear. Invaders can either cause the extinction of native species or become integrated in the new ecosystems, thus increasing the diversity of these ecosystems and the services that they provide. The final balance of invasions will depend on how the invaders and native plants co-evolve. For a better understanding of such co-evolution, case studies that consider the changes that occur in both invasive and native species long after the introduction of the invader are especially valuable. In this work, we studied the ecological consequences of the more than one century old invasion of NW Iberia by the African plant Carpobrotus edulis. We conducted a common garden experiment to compare the reciprocal effects of competition between Carpobrotus plants from the invaded area or from the native African range and two native Iberian plant species (Artemisia crithmifolia and Helichrysum picardii) from populations exposed or unexposed to the invader. Results Exposure of H. picardii populations to C. edulis increased their capacity to repress the growth of Carpobrotus. The repression specifically affected the Carpobrotus from the invader populations, not those from the African native area. No effects of exposition were detected in the case of A. crithmifolia. C. edulis plants from the invader populations had higher growth than plants from the species' African area of origin. Conclusions We found that adaptive responses of natives to invaders can occur in the long term, but we only found evidence for adaptive responses in one of the two species studied. This might be explained by known differences between the two species in the structure of genetic variance and gene flow between subpopulations. The overall changes observed in the invader Carpobrotus are consistent with adaptation after invasion.

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Effect of Method and Time of Management on European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) Growth and Development in Minnesota

Journal of Scientific Agriculture ◽

10.25081/jsa.2020.v4.6457 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 113-123

Author(s):

Jenipher Bisikwa ◽

Martha I. Natukunda ◽

Roger L Becker

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Prescribed Burning ◽

Seedling Recruitment ◽

Woody Species ◽

Control Methods ◽

Native Plant ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Carbohydrate Levels

European buckthorn is an exotic problematic invasive woody species that has displaced native plant species in Minnesota woodlands. Buckthorn is also an overwintering host for oat crown rust and soybean aphids, which can cause significant crop yield losses. The overall goal of this study was to test multiple buckthorn control methods and examine the establishment of native plant species in colonized areas. Specific objectives were to 1) determine the effectiveness of buckthorn control methods when applied in different seasons, 2) monitor seedling recruitment and resprouting ability of buckthorn saplings following treatment, 3) monitor recruitment and survival of native plant species following treatment, and 4) characterize buckthorn carbohydrate fluctuations and considerations for timely and effective buckthorn management. Field experiments conducted for two years in two locations (Eagle Lake Regional Park and Battle Creek Regional Park, Minnesota, U.S.A), tested four buckthorn control treatments: 1) cutting only; 2) cutting+stump treatment with herbicide (triclopyr); 3) cutting+stump treatment with herbicide+burning, and 4) cutting+burning. Untreated controls were included in each experiment. Across management seasons, the cutting+stump treatment with herbicide resulted in higher seedling densities for buckthorn and other species the next season compared to cutting only without herbicide application. Spring management resulted in the lowest seedling density the next season for both buckthorn and other plant species, and spring control treatments that included herbicide and burning resulted in higher buckthorn and native species seedling densities than treatments without burning. Because seasonal total nonstructural carbohydrate levels in buckthorn crowns were highest in the fall season, we recommend applying systemic herbicides in the fall when carbohydrates are translocated for storage to facilitate herbicide translocation and efficacy. Our study shows that integrating multiple buckthorn control methods reduces buckthorn populations and increases native species diversity. For long-term control of buckthorn seedling establishment, follow-up treatments like applying foliar herbicide sprays can be used in addition to prescribed burning.

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Prescribed burning for control of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and enhanced native plant diversity

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500091669 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 233-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Joseph M. DiTomaso ◽

Guy B. Kyser ◽

Marla S. Hastings

Keyword(s):

Plant Diversity ◽

Prescribed Burning ◽

Plant Cover ◽

First Year ◽

Native Plant ◽

Vegetative Cover ◽

Seedling Density ◽

Yellow Starthistle ◽

Burned Areas ◽

Broadleaf Species

Two separate open grassland areas within Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Sonoma County, CA, were burned for three consecutive years (1993–1995 [Site A] and 1995–1997 [Site B]) for control of yellow starthistle. Burns were conducted in late June to early July following seed dispersal and senescence of desirable grasses and forbs but prior to viable seed production in yellow starthistle. After the first year burn, there was no significant reduction in yellow starthistle cover the following spring and summer. Despite the lack of control, the first year burn reduced the yellow starthistle soil seedbank by 74% and the number of seedlings the following spring by 83%. However, total plant diversity and species richness increased dramatically in the burned areas. This was due primarily to an increase in the number of native broadleaf species. A second burn the next summer (1995–1997 site) reduced seedbank, seedling density, and summer vegetative cover the following year by 94, 92, and 85%, respectively, while maintaining significantly higher native plant cover and richness. A third consecutive summer burn decreased yellow starthistle seedbank and seedling density by 96, 98, and 85%, respectively, in the 1995–1997 burn site. Three consecutive years of burning in the 1993–1995 site reduced yellow starthistle seedbank and seedling density by over 99% and summer vegetative cover by 91%. These results indicate that prescribed burning can be an effective tool for the management of yellow starthistle and can have a long-term benefit on native broadleaf diversity and richness.

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Evaluating winter annual grass control and native species establishment following applications of indaziflam on rangeland

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1017/inp.2020.23 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 199-209

Author(s):

Shannon L. Clark ◽

Derek J. Sebastian ◽

Scott J. Nissen ◽

James R. Sebastian

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Weed Management ◽

Native Species ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Native Plant ◽

Cool Season ◽

Species Establishment ◽

Winter Annual ◽

Cool Season Grass

AbstractIndaziflam, a PRE herbicide option for weed management on rangeland and natural areas, provides long-term control of invasive winter annual grasses (IWAGs). Because indaziflam only provides PRE control of IWAGs, POST herbicides such as glyphosate can be mixed with indaziflam to control germinated IWAG seedlings. Field trials were conducted at three sites on the Colorado Front Range to evaluate glyphosate dose required to provide adequate POST IWAG control and compare long-term downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), Japanese brome (Bromus arvensis L.), and feral rye (Secale cereale L.) control with indaziflam and imazapic. Two of the three sites were void of desirable species, so species establishment through drill seeding was assessed, while the remnant native plant response was assessed at the third site. Herbicide applications were made March 2014 through April 2015, and two sites were drill seeded with native species 9 mo after herbicide application. Yearly visual control evaluations, biomass of all plant species, and drilled species stand counts were collected. Glyphosate at 474 g ae ha−1 reduced B. tectorum biomass to zero, while glyphosate at 631 g ae ha−1 was needed to reduce biomass to near zero at the S. cereale site. At all three sites, only indaziflam treatments had significant reductions in IWAG biomass compared with the nontreated check at 3 yr after treatment (YAT). By 3 YAT in the drill-seeded sites, cool-season grass frequency ranged from 37% to 69% within indaziflam treatments (73 and 102 g ai ha−1), while imazapic treatments ranged from 0% to 26% cool-season grass frequency. In the site with a remnant native plant community, indaziflam treatments resulted in a 3- to 4-fold increase in native grass biomass. These results indicate that the multiyear IWAG control provided by indaziflam can aid in desirable species reestablishment through drill seeding or response of the remnant plant community.

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Colony dynamics and Plant Community Associations of the Harvester Ant, Pogonomyrmex salinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sagebrush-Steppe Habitat

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1093/ee/nvaa070 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 983-992 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ian C Robertson ◽

Wilma G Robertson

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Habitat Associations ◽

Sagebrush Steppe ◽

First Year ◽

Native Plant ◽

Harvester Ants ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Community Associations ◽

Pogonomyrmex Salinus ◽

Colony Dynamics

Abstract We present the results of a 5-yr field study on colony dynamics and plant community associations of Owyhee harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex salinus (Olsen), in sagebrush-steppe habitat in southwestern Idaho. Over a 5-yr period, the total number of ant colonies across 16 sites increased from 843 to 878 (4.15%) as a result of 315 colony deaths and 350 colony initiations. Up to 7.1% of colony initiations may have been instances of nest relocation. Colonies had a higher rate of failure in their first year than in subsequent years (12.4 vs 4.6–8.4% over the next 3 yr). Of the 11 sites analyzed for colony dispersion, one was significantly clumped and the others did not differ from random. Population density in the final year of study ranged from 0.1 to 62.9 colonies/ha and was best described by an inverse relationship with sagebrush cover and positive relationship with coverage of non-Bromus (non-cheatgrass) understory vegetation. We interpret these results both in terms of 1) food resources—harvester ants avoid cheatgrass seeds in their diet, preferring instead small-seeded grasses and forbs, and 2) habitat structure—harvester ants prefer nesting in open areas where the ground is exposed to sun and they can clear vegetation from the vicinity of their nests. Given the habitat associations we report, the transition from sagebrush-dominated habitat to open grasslands that is occurring rapidly throughout much of the western United States may prove costly to native plant species whose seeds are readily consumed by harvester ants.

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Emerging fungal pathogen on an invasive grass differentially affects native species

10.1101/2020.08.06.239319 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Amy E. Kendig ◽

Vida J. Svahnstrom ◽

Ashish Adhikari ◽

Philip F. Harmon ◽

S. Luke Flory

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Plant Community ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Fungal Pathogen ◽

Native Species ◽

Grass Species ◽

Leaf Spot Disease ◽

Plant Community Composition ◽

Native Plant ◽

Invasive Grass

AbstractInfectious diseases and invasive species are strong drivers of biological systems that may interact to shift plant community composition. Disease and invasion can each directly suppress native populations, but variation in responses among native species to disease, invasion, and their combined effects are not well characterized. Here, we quantified the responses of three native North American grass species to experimental inoculation with the fungal pathogen Bipolaris gigantea, which has recently emerged in populations of the invasive grass Microstegium vimineum, causing leaf spot disease. In a greenhouse experiment, we examined the direct effects of disease on the native species and the indirect effects of disease on the native species through altered competition with M. vimineum, which was planted at a range of densities. Pathogen inoculation directly affected each of the three native species in unique ways, by increasing, decreasing, or not changing their biomass relative to mock inoculation. Higher M. vimineum densities, however, reduced the biomass of all three native species, regardless of inoculation treatment, suggesting that disease had no indirect effects through altered competition. In addition, competition with M. vimineum suppressed native plant biomass to a greater extent than disease. The differential impacts of B. gigantea and the consistent impacts of M. vimineum on native species biomass suggest that disease may modify native plant community composition while plant invasion may suppress multiple native plant species in systems where these drivers co-occur.

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Operational Control of Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and Impacts to the Native Submersed Aquatic Macrophyte Community in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-d-14-00008.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 219-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John D. Madsen ◽

Ryan M. Wersal ◽

Thomas E. Woolf

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Native Species ◽

Littoral Zone ◽

Aquatic Macrophyte ◽

Myriophyllum Spicatum ◽

Native Plant ◽

Eurasian Watermilfoil ◽

Macrophyte Community ◽

Native Plant Community ◽

Aquatic Macrophyte Community

Lake Pend Oreille is the largest (36,000 ha or 91,000 ac) freshwater lake in Idaho. Approximately 27% or 10,000 ha of the lake is littoral zone habitat supporting aquatic macrophyte growth. Eurasian watermilfoil has invaded large areas of this littoral zone habitat, with early estimates suggesting approximately 2,000 ha by the mid 2000s. Idaho State Department of Agriculture developed a state-wide eradication program in response to the threats posed by Eurasian watermilfoil, which attempts to quantify Eurasian watermilfoil infestations and its effects on the native plant community. Littoral zone point intercept surveys were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to monitor the trends in aquatic macrophyte community structure and assess management strategies against Eurasian watermilfoil. Lake Pend Oreille has a species-rich aquatic macrophyte community of more than 50 species. Lake-wide, the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil significantly decreased from 2007 (12.5%) to 2008 (7.9%). The native plant community has remained stable from 2007 to 2008 despite lake-wide management activities. In managed areas, the frequency of Eurasian watermilfoil during the 2008 assessment was 23.6% after herbicide applications. This represents a 63% reduction in Eurasian watermilfoil presence from the 2007 (64.5%) survey. When 2,4-D was combined with endothall, the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil declined from 63% (2007) to 36.5% in 2008. Eurasian watermilfoil treated with triclopyr also declined significantly, 64% to 18.2%. When all treatment methods were pooled and compared with areas that were not treated, the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil was significantly greater (52.5%) in untreated areas as opposed to treated areas (23%). The removal of Eurasian watermilfoil resulted in an increase in native species in most areas. Currently, there is as little as 200 ha of Eurasian watermilfoil remaining, which represents an overall reduction of 90% in approximately 7 yr of management.

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