controlling reed canary grass in the ross lake national ...todd neel & mignonne bivin national...
TRANSCRIPT
Todd Neel & Mignonne Bivin
National Park Service
Controlling Reed Canary Grass in the
Ross Lake National Recreation Area:
Adapting to Improve; A Ten Year Retrospective
Executive Order On Invasive Species (February 1999)
“Prevent the introduction of invasive
species and provide for their control
and minimize the economic, ecological,
and human health impacts that invasive
species cause.”
Reed Canary Grass Basics
• Phalaris arundinacea
• Rhizomatous perennial
• Seed production and germination
variable
• Forms dense monocultures, and may
bind soils into hummock-like
formations
• Facultative aquatic
May 2004
Inventory - Baseline
• Three 100m transects
• Twenty-five randomly placed 1m2
sampling plots per transect
• Reed canarygrass represents up to
85% of cover in transects
Control
• 3.5 pt/A aquatic glyphosate or 3 pt /
A aquatic imazapyr applied Spring
• Timed to coincide with reservoir
levels in seasonal wetlands; plant
phenology; and carbohydrate
reserves.
May 2004
May 2006
June 2008
Restoration
Are We There Yet?
May 2004
2014 pic
May 2014
Sedges pic
Where Do We Go From Here?
Lessons Learned
• Survey, Survey, Survey
• Two - Three years to maintenance control (90+% reduction)
• Timing , rate, herbicide and surfactant all important (modified over time)
• Timing of restoration efforts vs control efforts
2014 pic
Sedges pic
