Biology Commons^™

Effects Of Fire Season And Temperature On A Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) Infested Grassland, Zachery T. Pitman

Masters Theses

Invasive species, including the non-native forb Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed), constitute an imminent threat to degraded and restored native prairies. Considering the major threat that C. stoebe poses to imperiled prairie ecosystems, I examined the effectiveness of fire as a control agent of C. stoebe and (±)-catechin. I conducted a 2-year experiment in part of a restored tallgrass prairie community at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Barry County, Michigan between May and August of 2016 and 2017. My experiment consisted of individually burning 60 1-m² plots with a propane torch to achieve high (316° C) and low (103° C) temperatures …

Restoration Of Native-Dominated Plant Communities On A Centaurea Stoebe L.-Infested Site, Neil W. Macdonald, Kaitlyn M. Dykstra, Laurelin M. Martin

Funded Articles

Questions: Restoring native-dominated plant communities often requires controlling invasive species, reintroducing native species, and implementing continued management practices. Can single herbicide applications to control Centaurea stoebe L. encourage establishment of seeded native species more effectively than a single mowing? Can annual hand pulling to control C. stoebe favor the persistence of seeded native species? Can mid-spring burning reduce C. stoebe and increase native forbs and grasses? After eight years, will the restored plant communities differ from those in untreated areas?

Location: Bass River Recreation Area, Ottawa County, MI, USA.

Methods: We studied the effects of site preparation (mowing, clopyralid, glyphosate), …