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Alexander Erwig , Brennan King, Nick Gremmels , and Spencer Stein

Crescent Valley Riparian Blackberry Removal. Alexander Erwig , Brennan King, Nick Gremmels , and Spencer Stein. Background:. Himalayan Blackberry ( Rubus Armeniacus ) is an invasive species common in Oregon. b

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Alexander Erwig , Brennan King, Nick Gremmels , and Spencer Stein

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  1. Crescent Valley Riparian Blackberry Removal Alexander Erwig, Brennan King, Nick Gremmels, and Spencer Stein

  2. Background: • Himalayan Blackberry (RubusArmeniacus) is an invasive species common in Oregon. b • The plant grows rapidly and is extremely aggressive. A single shoot can grow up to 20 feet in one season. • Native species are often beaten out by the Himalayan Blackberry and die off. • One square yard of land can potentially hold up to 500 canes (the foundations of the plant).

  3. Goals: • Remove Himalayan Blackberries from a selected site. • Conduct removal in a manner such that there is a lasting impact.

  4. Purpose: • The removal of Himalayan Blackberries will allow native plant species to regrow restoring the natural riparian ecosystem • The removal of invasive blackberries and regrowth of native species promotes the sustainability and ultimate success by preventing future outbreaks,

  5. Past Efforts: • Efforts by the school grounds-keepers to cut back the vines have simply resulted in the stronger regrowth of the vines. • Another group tried to remove blackberries near the gym but the rootballs of the plants were not removed so they just grew back.

  6. Sustainability: • To make sure our project was sustainable we made sure it met the four sustainable system conditions identified by the Natural Step: • Fuels and metals should not be extracted. • Should not contribute to the build up of harmful chemicals • Prevent the destruction of nature. • Not dependent on social inequality or preventing others from meeting their basic needs.

  7. Prevent the destruction of nature: • Our project was designed to restore the site to its natural state. • Our removal of invasive species enabled native plants to reclaim the area.

  8. Should not contribute to the build up of harmful chemicals: • Our project did not contribute to the build up of harmful chemicals. • We opted to conduct removal by hand rather than through use of pesticides in order to meet this step.

  9. Methods • Site selection • Blackberry removal • Disposal

  10. Site Selection • Reviewed past efforts and determined where prior removal had been conducted. • Walked the creek to determine a spot in need of removal efforts. • Settle on the selected site after determining it was the easiest to access and most in need of removal.

  11. Removal Strategies • Himalayan blackberries were removed from the selected site by both shearing and pulling by hand. • Shearing: Using garden shears to cut the plant back as close to the root ball as possible. • Pulling: Using gloves to pull up the roots of the plant. • Tips and Tricks: • Pulling is a more effective long-term removal strategy. • Pulling the plant straight up increases your chances of getting the whole root. • Targeting the base of the plant rather than individual vines can result in a quicker removal process. Himalayan blackberry root ball.

  12. Disposal: • The blackberries were carted out of the work site using wheelbarrows. • The blackberries were loaded into a trailer. • The blackberries are to be taken to the Allied Waste compost facility this weekend.

  13. Results: After Before

  14. Discussion: • The blackberry removal was extremely successful, the removal of blackberries from our target area was thorough and complete. • We have hopes for the long term success of the project as we tried to completely remove the roots of the plants rather than simply cutting the vines back.

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