Weed Science Commons^™

Bathurst Burr And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Bathurst burr (Xanthium spinosum) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant, requirements land owners/occupiers must adhere to, control methods, and how to search, detect, and report it.

Bathurst burr is a summer growing annual shrubby plant originating in South America. In south west Australia, some mature plants survive well into winter, with the result that burrs may be found for most of the year. The weed spreads entirely by burrs, which are usually carried by people or animals, attached to clothes, fur, or other fibre by their hooked spines. They may …

Noogoora Burr And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Noogoora burr, also known as cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium), is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements that land owners/occupiers must adhere to and control methods.

Native to western United States of America. Locally abundant in parts of the Kimberley, especially near water courses. Occasionally found in the South West region of WA.

Herbivory Of Phragmites Australis Along A Salinity Gradient In Connecticut Wetlands, Sydney H. Kolz

Honors Scholar Theses

Invasive Phragmites australis (common reed) is widely distributed in New England wetlands, where it often outcompetes native plants and decreases biodiversity throughout the food web. Controlling its invasion is a priority, especially in salt marsh habitat, but current management techniques are inefficient. Leveraging natural processes may improve control strategies, but in order to do so, we must first better understand how abiotic and biotic stressors interact and affect Phragmites. This study focuses on herbivory and salinity, two factors limiting Phragmites’ fitness. I measured soil salinity and quantified the damage of three herbivore guilds (i.e. gall-formers and stem-borers, leaf-chewers, and …

Roaded Catchments In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Roaded catchments are earthwork structures designed to increase the amount of run-off from the catchment above a receiving farm dam.

Roaded catchments are lined with clay and compacted to make a smooth surface that reduces infiltration and increases run-off. Roaded catchments should discharge into a silt trap and then into a dam (excavated earth tank). This combined structure should be fenced to exclude livestock.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that roaded catchments are part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

The information in this page is only a guide – seek expert advice before …

Water Lettuce And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements landowners/occupiers must adhere to and pest control methods.

Gorse And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements that landowners/occupiers must adhere to, pest control methods and how to search, detect and report it.

Gorse is a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) present in Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory; it is not present in the Northern Territory. Gorse is a declared pest plant in WA.

Roly Poly And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Roly poly, also known as prickly saltwort or tumbleweed (Salsola australis), is a native species found throughout Australia. The dead plants can break off at ground level, forming the ‘tumbleweeds’ seen in movies.

Like most summer weeds, roly poly uses soil moisture and nutrients that would otherwise be available to the following crop. The time taken to clear uncontrolled plants can delay seeding.

Livestock will graze the young plants; however, they will not eat the mature plants and are injured by the prickly leaves.

Spray-Topping Pastures, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Spray-topping or pasture topping is the application of a sub-lethal rate of herbicide when grasses are coming into head and flowering.

The aim is to reduce the production of viable seed and the seedling population in the following year. The grass is not killed by the herbicide application.

Spray-topping is normally carried out in preparation for the following season's cropping program.

Rotary Spading To Ameliorate Soil Water Repellence, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

One-off deep cultivation can reduce the severity of soil water repellence by mixing some of the repellent topsoil into the wettable subsoil and bringing wettable subsoil to the surface.

Rotary spading or deep cultivation increases water infiltration by providing pathways for water entry; diluting the water repellent soil with non-repellent soil; increasing the breakdown of soil organic matter causing water repellence; in some soil types, spading and other deep cultivation can lift subsoil with higher clay content to the surface.

Deep cultivation increases the risk of wind and water erosion. To minimise the risk of erosion, follow the guidelines on …

Herbicides, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Herbicides play a vital role in integrated weed management programs. Knowledge of the mechanisms and activity of herbicides will improve the impact and sustainability of herbicides as a weed management tactic. This fact sheet is a guide to the types of herbicides available and when and how they should be used.

Herbicide Application, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Herbicides can be applied by a variety of means, including boom sprayers, aerial spraying, misters, blanket wipers, rope wick applicators, weed seekers and back-pack sprayers. This fact sheet reviews the different methods, including nozzles and calibration of equipment, used to apply herbicides.

Addressing Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) Impacts On Aquatic Biota In Lake Okeechobee, Joseph Salerno

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The incursion of water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes in Lake Okeechobee has resulted in management systems to be implemented to reduce the coverage of the invasive macrophyte. Its residence in the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem and the effects it has on organisms in the lake, whether it be positive or harmful is unknown. This study attempted to assess the potential effects that water hyacinth has on aquatic biota in Lake Okeechobee. Biotic data were collected on open water, water hyacinth covered, and native vegetation covered habitats via hook-and-line fishing, electrofishing, baited minnow traps, and the sampling of plant roots over a thirteen-month …

Managing Forest Disturbances: Effects On Mule Deer And Plant Communities In Montana's Northern Forests, Teagan Ann Hayes

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are frequently the focus of population and habitat management in the western United States. Land and wildlife managers use disturbance to reset forests to earlier successional stages and improve the quality and quantity of forage available to mule deer. However, the effects of management practices on nutrition and selection vary widely, so the implementation of management practices raises ecological as well as management-related concerns. This work investigated how disturbance from wildfire, prescribed fire, and timber harvest influences the spatial and temporal distribution of nutritional resources in mule deer summer range, and therefore, how the …

Farmer Attitudes Toward Cooperative Approaches To Herbicide Resistance Management: A Common Pool Ecosystem Service Challenge, David E. Ervin, Elise H. Breshears, George B. Frisvold, Terrance M. Hurley, Katherine E. Dentzman, Jeffrey L. Gunsolus, Raymond A. Jussaume, Micheal D. K. Owen, Jason Norsworthy, Mustofa Mahmud Al Mamun, Wesley Everman

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dramatic growth in herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds in the United States threatens farm profitability and may undercut environmentally beneficial farming practices. When HR weeds move across farm boundaries due to ecological processes or human action, a common pool resource challenge emerges, requiring farmer cooperation to manage such weeds effectively. We investigate the scope for cooperative management using responses to a national survey on HR weed issues to test a recursive model of three preconditions for collective action: (1) concern about HR weeds migrating from nearby lands; (2) communication with neighbors about HR weeds; and (3) belief that cooperation is necessary for …

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

Survey Of Invasive Lantana Camara At Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby Forest Complex, Eliza Pessereau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Lantana camara is a shrub known globally as an invasive pest that grows primarily in degraded areas. The species is known to exist at Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby, a forest complex in northeastern Madagascar with 167 endemic species of flora and fauna, several of which are on the IUCN Red List. The complex, specifically Tsihomanaomby forest, is used as a resource for the three rural communes that live on its outskirts, meaning that it experiences much human activity. The objective of this study was to survey the population of L. camara at two sites: one just outside of the Tsihomanaomby forest and one …

Managing Opuntioid Cacti In Australia - Best Practice Control Manual For Austrocylindropuntia, Cylindropuntia And Optunia Species, M. R. Sheehan, S. Potter

Biosecurity published reports

The twenty-seven species of opuntioid cacti that are recognised as Weeds of National Significance are some of Australia's worst weeds. They grow over a wide climatic range and have impacted on pastoral and agricultural use of large tracts of land; pose an environmental risk to wildlife; and reduce aesthetic and recreational use, with direct impact on human safety.

Weedy infestations occur in all states and territories. Some are extensive, covering hundreds of thousands of hectares with a significant potential for range expansion

Over time there has been a substantial effort by government, industry, landholders and community groups to manage opuntioid …

Barrow Island Ute Guide - Non-Indigenous Invertebrates, Frogs, Reptiles & Weeds, Mike Grimm, Kristofer Collett, Jessica Harrison, Peter Davis, Marc Widmer, Andras Szito, Rob Emery, Peter Mangano, John Botha, David Robinson, Brad Maryan

Biosecurity published reports

Barrow Island, the second largest island in Western Australia, is a Class A Nature Reserve and home to a variety of rare and endangered fauna and flora, some of which occur nowhere else. To protect fauna and flora it is essential workers and visitors to the island are aware of the risks that a non-indigenous species (NIS) poses to the ecological balance of Barrow Island.

Workers and visitors to Barrow Island need to be aware and keep their eyes open for any unusual fauna and flora that might be in accommodation units, recreation areas or the work place. Reports from …

Situation Statement: The 'Prickle Bush' Weeds (Mesquite, Parkinsonia And Prickly Acacia) In Western Australia, Jon Dodd, Andrew Reeves, Richard Watkins, Linda Anderson

Biosecurity published reports

The term 'Prickle bush weeds' refers to weedy trees and shrubs of Mesquite, Parkinsonia and Prickly acacia. All are present in Western Australia.

Mesquite and Parkinsonia are widespread, well established woody weeds in various parts of the WA Rangelands. Prickly acacia is a recent introduction and has a relatively restricted distribution in the East Kimberley. All three impact mainly on the pastoral industry and have considerable potential for further spread and greater impact within the Rangelands. All are Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) and are high priority Declared Plants in WA.

The purpose of this situation statement is to describe …

Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis: Final Report, Scott R. Abella

Fire Science

Species selection can make the difference between successful revegetation projects and costly failures. Candidate native species for revegetating burned arid lands in the southwestern United States must meet at least two criteria. These species must: (1) be competitive in postfire environments typically dominated by exotic grasses, and (2) be able to become established reliably by seeding or planting. In response to Manager’s Request Task 3 (reestablishment of native vegetation after fires on arid lands) in the 2006 JFS announcement for proposals, this research tackled the problem of selecting native species with the greatest chance of revegetation success by conducting synergistic …

Joint Fire Science Program – Lake Mead National Recreation Area Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Time Period: January 1 — April 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Fire Science

• Article entitled “Competitive Hierarchy of Native Desert Plants with Red Brome (Bromus rubens): Towards Identifying Invasion-Reducing Species" was submitted to the Invasive Plant Science and Management journal
• Maintained nursery plots and added installment of nitrogen treatment.
• Took measurements in nursery (competition) plots and harvested biomass.

Assessing Invasive Plant Species As Threats In Mojave Desert Parks, Sara L. Mcpherson, Donovan J. Craig, Scott R. Abella

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

The invasion and persistence of exotic plant species threatens the natural features that national parks are designed to protect. For example, park managers have witnessed an increase in the frequency, extent and intensity of fires along with a reduction in native species richness and diversity. Many park managers are familiar with a suite of highly invasive plants, but lack a comprehensive and systematic way of prioritizing invasive plant species based on potential threats to the parks’ resources. We have entered into a collaborative project with the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring program to develop an invasive plant early detection …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Final Project Report, Scott R. Abella, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Vegetation Monitoring and Analysis at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) was funded by the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and Lake Mead NRA base-funds. This Cooperative Task Agreement was awarded to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on September 30, 2006 with the term ending December 31, 2009, as modified. The primary purpose of this Task Agreement was to work within an interagency framework towards the accomplishment of three main vegetation management objectives. These three goals were to: (1) inventory, research …

Native Species Interactions With Red Brome: Suggestions For Burn-Area Revegetation, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

In deserts, native perennial plants often actually facilitate the establishment of exotic annual grasses. One of our focal areas of research is to identify native species for use in revegetation projects that reduce the establishment of exotic annual grasses, or at least do not strongly facilitate exotic species establishment. An initial research effort involving a competition experiment of red brome with native species and a correlational field study of brome distribution among native perennial plants is in press with the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, July 1, 2009 To September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• Weed Sentry staff surveyed over 55 miles and 311 acres (most of which was conducted by foot) this quarter.
• Planning for future Brassica tournefortii research projects has been implemented through collaboration between PLI and NPS staff.
• Preliminary results from ongoing Brassica tournefortii projects indicate little effect of disturbance on abundance of the species, but, as expected, the species benefitted with increased water availability
• Rare plant data monitoring and data entry for this season is complete.
• Pre-planning activities for the upcoming Northshore Road restoration plantings and evaluation were initiated.
• Gypsum restoration research is ongoing, data are being analyzed and …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, April 1, 2009 To June 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• The Weed Sentry program surveyed over 187 miles (1,342 acres) of federal land by vehicle and foot in Clark County for incipient populations of exotic plants.
• Weed Sentry staff continue to survey never before surveyed sites, and trails and regions within Upper Las Vegas Wash CTA and Sloan Canyon NCA as requested by BLM managers
• In 2009 rare plant monitoring was completed. Data entry and analysis are in progress.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, January 1, 2009 To March 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Executive Summary

• The Weed Sentry program surveyed over 126 miles (981 acres) of federal land by vehicle and foot in Clark County for incipient populations of exotic plants.
• Weed Sentry staff continue to survey never before surveyed sites, and trails and regions within Red Rock and Sloan Canyon NCAs requested by BLM managers.
• The 2009 rare plant monitoring was initiated and in progress.
• Northshore Road reconstruction monitoring was initiated and active monitoring and care of salvaged plants was performed by UNLV staff.
• Rana onca vegetation monitoring and reporting was completed.

Progress In Strategic Research Areas, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Three years ago through conversations with resource managers, assessing the status of knowledge of the scientific literature, and our own interests, we set forth several strategic research areas that we believed would be timely for advancing Mojave Desert conservation and management.

Early Post-Fire Recovery On A Heavily Visited Mojave Desert Burn: Red Rock Canyon Near Las Vegas, Nevada, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel, Christina L. Lund, Jessica E. Spencer

Fire Science Presentations

Wildfire has become widespread in southwestern USA deserts. In a record 2005 fire season in the Mojave Desert, for example, more than 385,000 hectares burned (Brooks and Matchett 2006). This burned area is approximately 3% of the entire Mojave Desert. Fueled in large part by exotic annual grasses, these fires burned desert ecosystems thought to have only burned infrequently historically. Burns now occupy significant portions of desert landscapes, posing prominent management challenges. Improving our understanding of plant recovery on desert burns is important for evaluating future fire hazard, whether natural revegetation will meet management objectives, and for planning active revegetation …

Post-Fire Plant Recovery In The Mojave And Sonoran Deserts Of Western North America, Scott R. Abella, Public Lands Institute, Department Of Environmental Studies, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fire Science Presentations

Fire is thought to have been generally rare historically in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. However, invasion by exotic grasses (e.g., Schismus spp.) has increased fuel continuity, promoting fire in these deserts. Succession and recovery are not well understood processes in deserts, nonetheless for a novel disturbance like fire. In addition to helping build theories of desert succession and recovery, information on post-fire recovery has numerous practical implications (e.g., determining whether active revegetation is needed). Systematic reviews provide a means for obtaining literature using reproducible search criteria. This approach facilitates a balanced appraisal of available information, synthesizes scattered literature, and …