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• 11. [Article] Recommendations for Control of Tall Oatgrass, Poison Oak, and Rose in Willamette Valley Upland Prairies

  Native upland prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor many rare ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Recommendations for Control of Tall Oatgrass, Poison Oak, and Rose in Willamette Valley Upland Prairies Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Native upland prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor many rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. Invasion of remnant prairies by woody plants and weedy non-native herbaceous species is of great concern to agencies and managers responsible for conserving these native ecosystems. Available methods for the control of these pests include herbicides, biological control, prescribed burning, and mowing. This report first reviews the literature on the control of tall oatgrass and the shrubs poison oak and rose. Each of these species is an important threat to Willamette Valley upland prairies. We then presents recommendations. For control of tall oatgrass, we recommend for most situations mowing in late spring or early summer. Mowing height should be just above most of the foliage of native plants to be protected (typically 10 cm - 15 cm). In areas with Kincaid’s lupine and Fender’s blue butterfly, mowing should be delayed until July, after the flowering and flight seasons. For control of prairie shrubs, we recommend further studies to evaluate herbicide effectiveness against the target shrubs and safety for non-target native plants and animals. If herbicide use is unavailable, we recommend burning or mowing. All burning or mowing treatments should be repeated, perhaps indefinitely, to maintain pest plant control. Title: Recommendations for Control of Tall Oatgrass, Poison Oak, and Rose in Willamette Valley Upland Prairies Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Native upland prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor many rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. Invasion of remnant prairies by woody plants and weedy non-native herbaceous species is of great concern to agencies and managers responsible for conserving these native ecosystems. Available methods for the control of these pests include herbicides, biological control, prescribed burning, and mowing. This report first reviews the literature on the control of tall oatgrass and the shrubs poison oak and rose. Each of these species is an important threat to Willamette Valley upland prairies. We then presents recommendations. For control of tall oatgrass, we recommend for most situations mowing in late spring or early summer. Mowing height should be just above most of the foliage of native plants to be protected (typically 10 cm - 15 cm). In areas with Kincaid’s lupine and Fender’s blue butterfly, mowing should be delayed until July, after the flowering and flight seasons. For control of prairie shrubs, we recommend further studies to evaluate herbicide effectiveness against the target shrubs and safety for non-target native plants and animals. If herbicide use is unavailable, we recommend burning or mowing. All burning or mowing treatments should be repeated, perhaps indefinitely, to maintain pest plant control. Close

• 12. [Article] Final report: Predicting field establishment rates from standardized plant traits - Year two of: Restoring prairies: A synthesis of studies on vegetation and invasive species in support of effective management

  Willamette Valley wetland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species (Wilson et al. 1993, Noss et al. 1995, USFWS 2000, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Final report: Predicting field establishment rates from standardized plant traits - Year two of: Restoring prairies: A synthesis of studies on vegetation and invasive species in support of effective management Author: Wilson, Mark V., Roberts, Rachel E., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Willamette Valley wetland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species (Wilson et al. 1993, Noss et al. 1995, USFWS 2000, Schultz et al. 2003). A rigorous program of ecosystem restoration can protect and enhance wetland plants, animals, and services (Pywell and Putwain 1996). The restoration projects of the West Eugene Wetlands Program (WEWP) comprise one of the few large-scale and long-term integrated restoration programs in the world. Successful ecosystem restoration requires establishing and maintaining native plants. In turn, plant establishment hinges on having suitable environmental conditions, using species with adequate germination and growth rates, and reducing competitive pressure from non-native plants (Figure 1). In year one of this project, we synthesized the wealth of plant establishment data during wetland restoration in the West Eugene Wetlands Program (Wilson 2004). In year two, our objectives were to expand on these results in several important ways: • Generalize these results through the investigation of plant traits (Table 1) that consistently correspond to the patterns of establishment and vigor (Figure 1). • Systematically compile the results into a trait database. This database includes findings from similar ecosystems, both in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere. • Testing the effect of habitat variation on the relationship between traits and seedling establishment patterns. Our goal is to predict key aspects of prairie restoration performance, in this case establishment rates, based on species traits and habitat. These predictions can then be applied as management recommendations, such as which species to sow to maximize native plant abundance at a given site, even if the species have not been field tested. The two components of our project–plant traits and the database–are crucial to this goal. • Without the generalization that traits allow, understanding of wetland restoration increases slowly and expensively, one case study at a time. • The organization of the database will increase the power and efficiency of revealing the relationships between plant traits and plant performance. Perhaps even more important is the role of the database in developing a Web-based expert system for managers wishing to plan wetland restorations. Title: Final report: Predicting field establishment rates from standardized plant traits - Year two of: Restoring prairies: A synthesis of studies on vegetation and invasive species in support of effective management Author: Wilson, Mark V., Roberts, Rachel E., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- Willamette Valley wetland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species (Wilson et al. 1993, Noss et al. 1995, USFWS 2000, Schultz et al. 2003). A rigorous program of ecosystem restoration can protect and enhance wetland plants, animals, and services (Pywell and Putwain 1996). The restoration projects of the West Eugene Wetlands Program (WEWP) comprise one of the few large-scale and long-term integrated restoration programs in the world. Successful ecosystem restoration requires establishing and maintaining native plants. In turn, plant establishment hinges on having suitable environmental conditions, using species with adequate germination and growth rates, and reducing competitive pressure from non-native plants (Figure 1). In year one of this project, we synthesized the wealth of plant establishment data during wetland restoration in the West Eugene Wetlands Program (Wilson 2004). In year two, our objectives were to expand on these results in several important ways: • Generalize these results through the investigation of plant traits (Table 1) that consistently correspond to the patterns of establishment and vigor (Figure 1). • Systematically compile the results into a trait database. This database includes findings from similar ecosystems, both in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere. • Testing the effect of habitat variation on the relationship between traits and seedling establishment patterns. Our goal is to predict key aspects of prairie restoration performance, in this case establishment rates, based on species traits and habitat. These predictions can then be applied as management recommendations, such as which species to sow to maximize native plant abundance at a given site, even if the species have not been field tested. The two components of our project–plant traits and the database–are crucial to this goal. • Without the generalization that traits allow, understanding of wetland restoration increases slowly and expensively, one case study at a time. • The organization of the database will increase the power and efficiency of revealing the relationships between plant traits and plant performance. Perhaps even more important is the role of the database in developing a Web-based expert system for managers wishing to plan wetland restorations. Close