LeeAnna Young

Leanne Penry

Liz Montgomery

Johnathan Sutton

John Atkinson

Exotic Invasive Vegetation

Why is monitoring exotic invasive vegetation important?

Exotic invasive vegetation can severely impact native vegetation by consuming precious resources such as light, water,

nutrients, and space and eventually leave healthy native plants susceptible to disease.

The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, 2008

Monitoring exotic invasive species in important to the Triangle Land Conservancy

because it is an indicator of conservation success. Keeping “natural areas” involves preventing exotic invasive vegetation from invading natural ecosystems and competing

with native vegetative.

Why is monitoring exotic invasive vegetation important?

• To create a method for measuring the extent of exotic invasive vegetation.

• To make this method user-friendly for volunteers of the Triangle Land Conservancy.

• Demonstrate how our method can be used in several test areas, including NCSU main campus, Centennial Campus, and Schenck Forest.

Objectives

Results

Exotic Invasive Land Cover

0

5

10

15

Per

cent

Lan

d C

over

Main Campus

CentennialCampus

Schenck Forest

Results

Coefficient of Variation Among Points

0

0.25

0.5

0.75

Point 7 Point 13 Point 51 Point 55 Point 12 Point 15

Sampling Points

Coe

ffic

ien

t of

Var

iati

on

Our Method

Materials:• Rope with pre-measured lengths (2m, 5m) and stake attached• Clipboard with data sheet, percent cover card, and plot layout• Diameter tape (record units on data sheet) • Metric tape measure (100m)

Recommendations

• Data collected can be evaluated over time to determine increases or decreases in exotic invasive vegetation per site

• Exotic invasive species identification training session for volunteers

Common: Multiflora roseScientific: Rosa multiflora

• Alternate leaf arrangements (one leaf with 5 leaflets in picture)

• 5-11 leaflets per leaf• Leaf edges serrated• White flowers with 5 petals

bloom in early summer• Thorn-like prickles on stems• Long arching stems, can be

vine-like

ROMU

The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. (2009). Invasive.org: Invasive and Exotic Species to North America. Retrieved Apr., 2009, from http://www.invasive.org/

Conclusion

• Method is repeatable• Method can be adjusted to accommodate

different cover types• Comparing data over time will alert TLC to

exotic invasive vegetation problems• Early detection allows for intervention

Questions?