| Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
05, 2004 05:01 PDT |
ENTS:
In central West Virginia and throughout the Appalachians we have
a rapidly
accelerating problem with the aggressive alien plant, Japanese
stiltgrass and it
is starting to look like the forest soil equivalent of AIDS.
I have been working hard for several years to make people aware
of the
problem and today finally succeeded in getting some info out on
a Internet
newspaper.
A couple of minor facts were messed up in the article but it
otherwise paints
a fairly accurate but grim picture of what is happening.
For some photos and background on the plant go to http://www.hurherald.com
and look
at the news for today, May 5.
Russ Richardson
|
| Invasive
Species |
Dale
Luthringer |
| May
2004 |
| Regarding
Invasives at Cook Forest State Park, PA
Concerning
the barberry... I'm hoping to rip those buggers out. There is a
forest of them on the west bank of Cook Trail behind River
Cabins 15&16.
Since they're alien, non-native, invasive
species they're also not very high on my priority list. I
wouldn't expect any numbers on them soon. They don't give up CBH
very easily either with those nasty little thorns hiding under
each leaf. So, to answer your question, no, I haven't measured
any of them. I'd love to get rid of them, but I'd
need an army of volunteers working all summer to do it with
tractors and the like. That whole section of Cook Trail is an
absolute disaster in terms of barberry. We're talking 'acres' of
infestation.
The Japanese
SNOTWEED, err... knotweed, along the river corridor is another
problem within the park. It's another endless task. The real
worry for me is the Mile-a-Minute weed that I've observed
farther downriver near Clarion. That stuff is really nasty.
You're probably familiar with it, but that ground hugging, thick
barbed wire shin high vine will tear your chaps or waders up in
no time at all.
Dale
Luthringer
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
21, 2004 03:59 PDT |
Michele:
Good to hear from you!
Invasives are a very hot topic right now with organisms like
emerald ash
borer, sudden oak death, woolly adelgid and some of the plants
that are moving in
and around. There is a lot of decent invasive plant information
floating
around that is coming from the Alien Plant Working Group but
there is little or no
money actually available for control and under FLEP there are
potential
practices that can be funded although there is some $ available
for education.
The hardest thing about most invasive plants is that, generally
no one pays
attention until the damage is largely done or the invasion is
complete. That
is where we currently are with Microstegium, the invasion is
moving along
extremely fast, manifesting itself on thousands more acres every
year at a rapidly
accelerating rate. It has barely started in Ohio but there is
already concern
that much of the largest NF in Ohio, Wayne NF will be lost to
the stuff.
At the present time, the overwhelming majority of natural
resource
professionals from all backgrounds have a pitiful record of
advocacy on the topic of
invasives and it is only fanatics like myself that have even
bothered to become
informed on the threats our forest understory is facing.
Russ |
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
21, 2004 07:39 PDT |
Bob:
At this time, there is nearly a complete lack of awareness on
the issue of
invasives among ALL working natural resource
professionals....foresters,
wildlifers, agricultural agents and every other science remotely
related to our
environment. The only real exception seems to be the Nature
Conservancy and their
concern seems to be getting heard by a discouragingly small
audience.
Through different newsletters I write and organizations that I
belong to, I
have been beating on the issue for several years. The WV DoF has
started to
address the subject but timber people and foresters are slow to
react..........most of the worst problems may still be ten years
from fully manifesting
themselves and a majority of my contemporaries in forestry will
be retired by then.
Unfortunately, none of this concern is being actively taken up
by the younger
generation of resource professionals (under age 40).
The bottom line is that so much of the damage and economic loss
from
invasives is yet to happen that there is an unwillingness to
address the problem of
invasives seriously until the losses start to run into the
billion$.
In terms of research, much of what we need to learn about
containment and
control has barely started. Generally, we have a situation
where, no matter what
agency you speak to there will be an across the board
declaration that
invasives is a potential problem but is someone else's problem.
The other situation
I encounter that is maddening is when researchers are instructed
that a
situation is to be ignored until the powers that be higher up in
the chain of
command decide something is a problem.
Much of my time with researchers has been a clandestine activity
on the part
of the researchers because they have been specifically
prohibited from looking
into unfunded areas of concern.
If there is anything stifling the progress on invasives in WV
has been the
apparent collapse of the gypsy moth invasion into the
Appalachians over the past
few years. Millions were spent on research and it looks like the
"stop the
spread" effort has been effective. The success of
controlling the gypsy moth
spread has also led to a feeling of complacency among resource
professionals.
Researchers do not even know where to start looking at the
invasive problem.
I was contacted by a researcher starting a project to measure
the awareness
of the general public on the issue of invasives. They were going
to prepare a
blind questionnaire for property owners that was not going to
mention any
specifics on the issue or even use the word invasives. When I
asked why they
didn't contact natural resource professionals at the same
time....the answer was
that "they should already know"...............they DO
NOT! Finally, most
research is being directed at out of control invasions rather
than problems that
can still be stifled.
This invasive stuff is eating up a lot of my time. I have a
serious
dedication to sustainable management of the forest for all of
the benefits and
commodities it can provide with timber harvesting just one facet
of the equation.
Without addressing the issue of invasives the entire concept of
sustainable
forestry is just a collection of letters lacking a second l to
be able to spell
bull s**t properly.
In light of the environmental changes that are taking place
before our eyes,
the work that ENTS is doing to document our woods is rapidly
becoming
historically significant.
Russ |
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
21, 2004 03:59 PDT |
Michele:
Good to hear from you!
Invasives are a very hot topic right now with organisms like
emerald ash
borer, sudden oak death, woolly adelgid and some of the plants
that are moving in
and around. There is a lot of decent invasive plant information
floating
around that is coming from the Alien Plant Working Group but
there is little or no
money actually available for control and under FLEP there are
potential
practices that can be funded although there is some $ available
for education.
The hardest thing about most invasive plants is that, generally
no one pays
attention until the damage is largely done or the invasion is
complete. That
is where we currently are with Microstegium, the invasion is
moving along
extremely fast, manifesting itself on thousands more acres every
year at a rapidly
accelerating rate. It has barely started in Ohio but there is
already concern
that much of the largest NF in Ohio, Wayne NF will be lost to
the stuff.
At the present time, the overwhelming majority of natural
resource
professionals from all backgrounds have a pitiful record of
advocacy on the topic of
invasives and it is only fanatics like myself that have even
bothered to become
informed on the threats our forest understory is facing.
Russ |
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
21, 2004 07:39 PDT |
Bob:
At this time, there is nearly a complete lack of awareness on
the issue of
invasives among ALL working natural resource
professionals....foresters,
wildlifers, agricultural agents and every other science remotely
related to our
environment. The only real exception seems to be the Nature
Conservancy and their
concern seems to be getting heard by a discouragingly small
audience.
Through different newsletters I write and organizations that I
belong to, I
have been beating on the issue for several years. The WV DoF has
started to
address the subject but timber people and foresters are slow to
react..........most of the worst problems may still be ten years
from fully manifesting
themselves and a majority of my contemporaries in forestry will
be retired by then.
Unfortunately, none of this concern is being actively taken up
by the younger
generation of resource professionals (under age 40).
The bottom line is that so much of the damage and economic loss
from
invasives is yet to happen that there is an unwillingness to
address the problem of
invasives seriously until the losses start to run into the
billion$.
In terms of research, much of what we need to learn about
containment and
control has barely started. Generally, we have a situation
where, no matter what
agency you speak to there will be an across the board
declaration that
invasives is a potential problem but is someone else's problem.
The other situation
I encounter that is maddening is when researchers are instructed
that a
situation is to be ignored until the powers that be higher up in
the chain of
command decide something is a problem.
Much of my time with researchers has been a clandestine activity
on the part
of the researchers because they have been specifically
prohibited from looking
into unfunded areas of concern.
If there is anything stifling the progress on invasives in WV
has been the
apparent collapse of the gypsy moth invasion into the
Appalachians over the past
few years. Millions were spent on research and it looks like the
"stop the
spread" effort has been effective. The success of
controlling the gypsy moth
spread has also led to a feeling of complacency among resource
professionals.
Researchers do not even know where to start looking at the
invasive problem.
I was contacted by a researcher starting a project to measure
the awareness
of the general public on the issue of invasives. They were going
to prepare a
blind questionnaire for property owners that was not going to
mention any
specifics on the issue or even use the word invasives. When I
asked why they
didn't contact natural resource professionals at the same
time....the answer was
that "they should already know"...............they DO
NOT! Finally, most
research is being directed at out of control invasions rather
than problems that
can still be stifled.
This invasive stuff is eating up a lot of my time. I have a
serious
dedication to sustainable management of the forest for all of
the benefits and
commodities it can provide with timber harvesting just one facet
of the equation.
Without addressing the issue of invasives the entire concept of
sustainable
forestry is just a collection of letters lacking a second l to
be able to spell
bull s**t properly.
In light of the environmental changes that are taking place
before our eyes,
the work that ENTS is doing to document our woods is rapidly
becoming
historically significant.
Russ |
| Re:
Invasive Plants/Trip reports |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
21, 2004 08:47 PDT |
Ed:
There is currently available from the USFS in Morgantown, WV a
very good
CD...Invasive Plants of the Eastern US, Identification and
Control. On the CD
there are nearly 500 photos and information covering 97 species.
The CD is available free of charge from Richard Reardon, FHTET,
USDA Forest
Service, Morgantown, WV 304-285-1566..........it can also be
requested from Mr.
Reardon by e-mail at
Russ Richardson |
| Re:
Invasives |
Don
Bertolette |
| May
21, 2004 21:07 PDT |
| Russ-
Re
"overwhelming majority of natural resource professionals
having a pitiful record", we Parkies won't stand accused,
as we are quite proactive...my boss is very involved in alien
invaders/exotics and several co-workers have primary focuses on
identification and mitigation of them...they're surprisingly
pervasive, having established themselves on what we had thought
might be biogeographical islands with a chance of relict
status...
Hmmm...do I detect some stereotyping going on? This Grand Canyon
forester
has plucked his share of invasives!
-Don
Bertolette
Grand Canyon National Park
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
22, 2004 03:28 PDT |
Don:
I do agree with your premise..........most resource
professionals I have
contact with have nothing to do with NPS or recreation. If there
is any bright
spot in the invasive issue it is the interest in the subject by
NPS personnel.
Both the Medicinal Plant Working Group and the Alien Plant
Working Group,
which have strong ties to NPS and the Plant Conservation
Alliance have a strong
participation by NPS employees..........The tough thing is that
there are
minimal professionals from the private sector or other public
agencies involved at
this time.
Russ |
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
22, 2004 03:37 PDT |
| Don:
I stand
corrected. ALL was a poor word choice. Maybe overwhelming
majority
would be more appropriate.
No stereotyping intended at all. I have never encountered a more
daunting
environmental challenge than what we face from invasives. At
this time, at
least in the East, it is only a scattering of wierdos and
whackos like me and a
few others that regularly immerse ourselves in the invasives
issue.
For so many others this is either someone else's problem or
"the subject
needs more research".
I think that the far West and the deep South are the most active
regions of
the country on this issue.........it sure ain't middle earth!
Russ
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Fores-@aol.com |
| May
22, 2004 03:51 PDT |
Don:
If you get a chance this is the link for the Plant Conservation
Alliance and
the Working groups I mentioned.
There are a number of extremely interesting links on the site
and the APWG is
very active. AND....it is sponsored by NPS..........so, please
forgive my
ALL statement in my previous post....I was venting some
frustration that, from
your reaction was obviously going to the wrong people.
It also might let you know how much the Nature Conservancy and
NPS are
involved with the topic.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/
Russ
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Don
Bertolette |
| May
22, 2004 08:19 PDT |
Russ-
No problem, Russ, you're easily forgiven! I've often been
the odd man out. While I have worked in the private enterprise
arena, for the most part I have worked for federal, state and
county land management agencies. And as you suggest many of them
did not have a clue about exotics/alien invaders (probably
thought they were extra-terrestrial strippers).
Things are getting better...recently, the Coconino National
Forest began an ambitious exotics mitigation campaign, and oddly
enough are encountering resistance from the general public. The
environmental thrust of the last couple of decades has made the
USFS the ogre, and insufficient trust exists when the USFS tries
to do the right thing. Yes, I'm an apologist for them, I was
once among them and know that some of them merit scorn, but for
the most part, the rest don't deserve the stereotype.
-Don
|
| [APWG]
WEB: Yellow Starthistle Fact Sheet & Mid-Atlantic Invasives
List |
Plant
Conservation Association |
| May
22, 2004 08:44 PDT |
| RE:
Invasive Plants/Trip reports |
Paul
Jost |
| May
22, 2004 09:44 PDT |
Invasives? Tell me about it! I spent last weekend burning
previously cut
Morrow's and Tartarian Honeysuckle along with tons of common and
glossy
buckthorns and then took a break while it burned out to pluck
more Eurasian
invasives, mostly Mustard species like barbarea vulgaris, the
yellow-flowered winter cress. I've got another round coming up
to remove
more multiflora rose. Luckily, my property is either too wet or
too dry in
spots to support garlic mustard. The only places that can
support it are
still too overgrown with dense buckthorn, at least for now.
Eventually, it
will be the bur oak savanna that it used to be.
Someone put a list of invasive web sites out on this list
earlier. My
favorites, I believe including some mentioned earlier, are as
follows
(notice it even includes a NPS web site!):
http://www.invasive.org/
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs.html
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/
http://www.ipaw.org/
Invasive Plants of Wisconsin
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm
By the way, Lee mentioned his blown down oak stand recently. My
stand has
heights from 60-70' and is mostly 6-8' cbh with some up to 11'
cbh. A
significant invasive in my stand is black cherry. It is probably
due to the
long term combined exclusion of fire and grazing (by buffalo and
then
cattle.)
Regards,
Paul Jost
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Michele
Wilson |
| May
22, 2004 13:18 PDT |
hi
russ;
remember the barberry that grows out of the front of the house?!
well, it's still there...I lop it off sometimes, or ole' Warren
used to. someday, when the porch is rebuilt, I imagine the plant
will be dealt with completely. meanwhile, I have been telling
clients for years about invasives. just one example: a current
plan client has been informed about many spots of various
maladies...he isn't necessarily concerned (!), a typical
attitude out there. however, when I mentioned that I do have to
address the issue within his plan to some degree and make a
recommendation for dealing with such, of course/per usual, the
next question was "so how much will it cost?"! So, it
really comes down to money for the average landowner...this is
how it seems, anyway, with every client to whom I recommend
dealing with various invasives stuff, which is most clients
these days...the world definitely needs to be better informed of
the long-term ramifications of the invasives issue(s) and learn
the notion of 'if don't pay now will pay later'...
michele
|
| Re:
Invasives |
Don
Bertolette |
| May
22, 2004 13:40 PDT |
Michelle-
Hmmm, I must have composed three different starts to this post,
before I
realized that your reference to Thelma and Louise was their
'dropping in' on
the lower reaches of the Park...by the way there are more than
one account
that details attempts to drive at high speed into the
canyon...mostly
suicidal in nature but recently Evil Knieval's son
'successfully' jumped a
downstream corner of the Canyon, just outside of the Park.
But most invasives have arrived in less spectacular vectors...vibram
soles
of extreme adventure hikers (they just thought they were
enviironmentally
hip, but wouldn't have thought to thoroughly clean their boots,
or spray off
the underside of their cars/bikes. Cattle, deer, elk, horses,
mules and
burros have all had significant effects on the native understory
vegetation
as well as non-native/invasives. We have some very isolated
'biogeographical islands' that have numerous species that seem
rather
improbably there. However, after a little bit of 'googling' on
these once
thought to be relict sites' names, it is clear from the
"trail blogs" that
such a search yields, that we have more visitors than we
realize. Right
hearted folks are guiding naive hikers into our wildernesses
without fully
realizing their collective impacts.
-Don
|
|
