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Invasive plants & their impacts

Travis Gallo The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Invasive plants & their impacts. What is an invasive species?.

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Invasive plants & their impacts

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  1. Travis Gallo The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin Invasive plants & their impacts

  2. What is an invasive species? • An invasive species is defined asa species that is non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. (Executive Order 13112). Ailanthus altissima Tree of Heaven Arundo donax Giant Reed Carduus nutans Nodding Thistle Lonicera japonica Japanese Honeysuckle

  3. Why should we care? • Invasive species threaten native plants and native plant communities. • After habitat destruction, invasive species are the single largest cause of native plant extinction. • The rate at which new, potentially invasive, species are being introduced is exponentially increasing. • The U.S. spends approximately $135 billion on the control and management of invasive species Melia azedarach (Chinaberry Tree) Pueraria montana var. lobata (Kudzu)

  4. Ecosystem Impacts FIRE REGIMES HYDROLOGY EROSION AQUATIC NUTRIENTS

  5. Are all exotics invasive?The lag effect

  6. Invasive Species TexasRauschuber C. 2002. List Appendix to Invasive Species - Texas. • How many invasives are in Texas? • 67 terrestrial plants • 12 aquatic/wetland plants • 10 mammals • 4 birds • 7 fishes • 11 insects • 11 mollusks and crustaceans • Worst of the Worst • Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) • Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) • Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) • Nutria (Myocaster coypus) • Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) • Channeled Applesnail (Pomacea canaliculata) www.texasinvasives.org/publications

  7. Texas Department of Agriculture

  8. Texas Challenges • A need for a definitive source for IS information in Texas. • A need for more communication among the state’s IS stakeholders • A coordinated response to address IS on a statewide level has yet to materialize. • There is a gap in our knowledge about the distribution and biology of IS.

  9. Addressing the Issues • How can we meet challenges? • Help define the problem through information sharing and research  Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Conference, TIPPC, Universities, AgriLife, etc. • Raise public awareness through education and outreach  The Wildflower Center, AgriLife, TPWD, & You • Take hands-on action to stop the spread of invasive species  You! Pennisetum ciliare - Buffelgrass Wisteria sinensis - Chinese wisteria

  10. What you can do… Get Educated, Know your species, do something about it!

  11. Some common Invaders: • Ligustrum spp. (5) • Chinaberry • Nandina • Tree-of-Heaven • Elephant Ear • Johnson grass • Lilac Chaste-tree • Japanese honeysuckle • English Ivy • Bamboos • Giant Reed* • Chinese Tallow* * Not in trade but still spreading

  12. Ligustrum spp. • Two groups • Big leaf: L. lucidum, L. japonicum • Small leaf: L. sinense, L. quihoui, L. vulgare • All evergreen • Spread by birds and other berry eating animals • Impact: Can replace forest with a mono-culture and quickly dominate an area • Native Alternative: Yaupons, Coma, Possomhaw, Cherry laurel

  13. Small-leaf Privets L. sinense (Chinese privet) L. vulgare (European privet) L. quihoui (wax-leaf privet)

  14. Big-leaf Privets L. japonicum (Japanese Privet) L. lucidum (Glossy privet)

  15. Chinaberry (Melia azerdarach) • Extremely common • Spread by berries and root sprouts • Impact: very fast growing, drought tolerant, and insect resistant, therefore can outcompetes native vegetation • Native Alternative: Western Soapberry

  16. Nandina (Nandina domestica) • Evergreen shrub with red berries • Spread by root sprouts and berries • Impact: displaces native vegetation in shaded forest • Native Alternative: Yaupon, Possomhaw, TX Persimmon

  17. Tree-of-Heaven (Alianthus altissima) • Prolific grower • Impacts: • Tree-of-heaven is a prolific seed producer, grows rapidly, and can overrun native vegetation. • Once established, it can quickly take over a site and form an impenetrable thicket. • Ailanthus trees also produces toxins that prevent the establishment of other plant species. • The root system is aggressive enough to cause damage to sewers and foundations • Native Alternative: Pecan, Flame-leaf Sumac

  18. Elephant Ear (Colocasiaesculenta) • Invading most riparian habitat and river edges (Town Lake) • Impacts: Reduces native species along water’s edge. Can “drain” small wet depressions.

  19. Chinese Pistache (Pistaciachinensis) • Very common for fall color • Invading urban preserves in Austin • Impacts: Displaces native trees and can shade understory. Birds spread seeds far distances • Native Alternative: TX Pistache, Flame-leaf sumac, big-toothed maple, TX oak

  20. Lilac Chaste-tree • Reduces native plant populations. • Invades riparian and upland habitats (Lake Travis, BCP) • Impact: Pushes out native brush species • Native Alternative: Red Buckeye

  21. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) & English Ivy (Hedera helix) • Both climbing vines • Both evergreen • Impacts: • Both can kill trees by strangling and shading • Both also grow along ground creating a ground cover shading out all understory growth • Native Alternative: Coral honeysuckle, Caroline jessaman, Virginia creeper, 7 leaf Virginia creeper

  22. Golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) • Very prolific grower • Reproduces from rhizomes • Impacts: • Creates a complete monoculture • Non-food source for wildlife • Prolific spreader • Attracts roaches in urban setting • Native Alternative: Yaupons, Wax myrtle, native cane (Arundinaria)

  23. Giant Reed (Arundo donax) • One of the worst in the state • Illegal to sell, trade or traffic • Reproduces vegetatively • Impacts: • destroys complete ecosystems and habitats • Creates a monoculture • Non-food source for wildlife

  24. Arundo Impacts…

  25. Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) • Also illegal to sell, traffic or trade • 30% of Houston’s urban forest canopy • Impacts: • Turns areas into monocultures if not managed • Leafs are toxic to other plants • Creates a monotypic forest shading all undergrowth

  26. Taking action! Management • Five laws of Management and Control • Cultural • Preventative • Mechanical • Chemical • Biocontrol

  27. Cultural and Preventative • Cultural • Small scale-food crops • Water spinach • Grower’s growing cycles • 7 years out • Education • Nandina, bermudagrass, Ligustrums, etc. • Preventative • DON’T PLANT! • Remove them when they show up

  28. Mechanical • Hand pulling • To a certain size • Weed wrenching • Very effective • Best method for avoiding herbicides • Grazing • Prescribed Fire http://www.weedwrench.com/

  29. Chemical • Follow all labels and directions • Do not over use • Only use when needed • BE SELECTIVE • USE PESTICIDES WISELY: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PESTICIDE LABEL CAREFULLY, FOLLOW ALL MIXING AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WEAR ALL RECOMMENDED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND CLOTHING. CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE USE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. MENTION OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS ON THIS WEB SITE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF ANY MATERIAL.

  30. Direct Foliar Spray • Most cost effective • Usually done with a backpack sprayer • Use foliar active herbicides • Use proper nozzle for job and spray shield to avoid over drift • Mid-summer to fall is best, but…

  31. Stem Injection/”Hack-n-squirt” • Very selective – GOOD • Good for controlling larger trees where situation does not allow for full removal • Applying water-based herbicide to downward cuts circling the base of the trunk • Best in late winter through fall • Be careful of root graphs and rain events

  32. Cut and Treat • All around most effective (my opinion) • For larger trees that can not be weed wrenched • Cut at base and apply herbicide around edges of stump, very selective, very easy

  33. Basal Sprays • Herbicide-oil mix sprayed or daubed to the lower portion of trunk • Must apply to bottom 12-14” all the way around • Apply before bark becomes corky and rough • Very selective

  34. Selecting Effective Herbicides • Folilar active (mostly) • Glyphosate • Garlon 3A (triclopyr) • Garlon 4A (triclopyr) • Krenite S (fosamine) • Pathfinder II (triclopyr) • Milestone VM (aminopyralid) • Foliar and soil-active • Arsenal AC (imazapyr) • Escort XP (mesulfuron) • Pathway (2, 4-D + picloram) • Plateau (imazapic) • Tordon 101 (2, 4-D + picloram) • Tordon K (picloram)

  35. The most important step!! • The Rehabilitation Phase • You can’t just cut down trees! • Replanting and reseeding native species is vital to keep down re-sprouting invasives and hold soil

  36. Educate yourself, educate others! Resources • texasinvasives.org • Descriptions for 140 species • Control methods for most • Publications and links • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center • www.wildflower.org • Native plants • Suppliers list

  37. Resources • Plantwise • www.beplantwise.org • Invasive to Native Translator • Gardening tips to avoid invasives

  38. Resources • www.invasive.org • Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forest. By James H. Miller • Invasive Plants. By Kaufman and Kaufman

  39. Partners

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