Weed wrench test
Invasive Plant Control, Inc was kind enough to donate an extractagator, a shrub wrench you can use to pull up woody invasive plants, to the AOWCP. Below is a picture of it in action, pulling up some oriental bittersweet.
It worked very well on the tap root of the oriental bittersweet.
A privet we tested it on took a little longer, but we still got it out. Judy Dumke poses with our victim.
Weed wrenches can be a great way to reduce invasive populations in small areas, but it requires patience,persistence, and a lot of sweat!
Phenology update: curly dock
Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is flowering and fruiting. You can tell it apart from Broadleaf dock (Rumex obtusifolius) by looking at the calyx on the fruit (wing on the seeds). Curly dock (seen below) has smooth edges whereas broadleaf dock has small teeth on the calyx. Follow this link to see pictures http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Rumex_obtusifolius_page.html
Distinguishing the Invasive paulownia from catalpa trees
Catalpa
Our native catalpa tree (Catalpa speciosa, above) can be difficult to distinguish this time of year from the invasive royal princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa). When you get closer though it is easy to distinguish. The first characteristic is that catalpa has whorled leaves, that means that 3 leaves attach to the same portion of the stem. See how above the leaves in various stages of maturation appear in groups of three? The below picture is a close up off the stem.
catalpa
paulownia
See how Paulownia above has leaves that are growing in sets of two (opposite leaves). Also note how much more hairy the leaves seem and their rougher edges. Below is a close up of where the leaves attach to the stem, note that only two leaves attach at a node.
paulownia
If you break off a branch from the paulownia that is from last year (brown bark) you will also see the center is hollow
paulownia
Ohio Invasive Plant Council post 18 invasive plant factsheets
The Ohio Invasive Plants Council (OIPC) has posted on their website, www.oipc.info, the new factsheets on some of the most problematic invasive plant species in Ohio. Jennifer Windus coordinated the effort to update these factsheets with the latest information, including best practices in management/control for each, new distribution maps, etc.. Funding for the printing of hard copies of booklets of these 18 factsheets came from an Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF) grant from the Ohio Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Here is a direct link to the downloadable factsheets: http://oipc.info/FactSheet_TOC.html
Wilderness invasion video
This video is shot in a different area, but many of it’s themes are applicable to southeast Ohio.
The video can also be found at http://www.icindie.com/wildernessinvasion.html
Song Bird Program Offered on May 18th at the Vinton Furnace State Forest
Would you like to know more about the songbirds living in your woods? “Song Birds”, a BONUS Saturday of the “2nd Friday Series” program of 2013, is designed to help you:
◾Learn to identify common forest birds by sight and song
◾Understand habitat requirements of many woodland song birds
◾Spend a day in the woods with an experienced birder
“Song Birds” and the “2nd Friday Series” are sponsored by the Education and Demonstration Subcommittee of the Vinton Furnace State Experimental Forest with support from the ODNR-Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, US Forest Service, Vinton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Ohio State University Extension, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hocking College, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Glatfelter.
Phenology updates: Mile-a-minute, Oriental bittersweet, Tree of heaven, Privet, and Ivy
Mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata) – [plant with triangular leaves] seedlings growing. Please note, AOWCP is still tracking populations of this species. If you see any please report it to appalachianohioweeds@gmail.com
Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) – seedling (above), flower buds (below)
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) – leaf out
Privets (Ligustrum spp.) – flower buds forming
Ivy – (Hedera spp.) – Interesting set of photos demonstrating why it might not be a good idea to landscape with ivy. This ivy happens to be growing behind the siding. Second photo is almost 4 feet above the ground
Phenology updates: Bush Honeysuckles and Moneywort
Bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) – have begun flowering. It is a good idea to not control these with herbicide until it is done flowering to avoid unintentional damage to pollinators.
Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) – Has started growing. Moneywort is a popular ground cover in landscaping but can readily take over areas, as seen in this drainage area below.
Identifying Understory Plants offered on May 10th at the Vinton Furnace State Forest
“Identifying Understory Plants in Your Woods” offered to woodland owners in SE Ohio at the Vinton Furnace State Forest on May 10th
McArthur, OH – Would you like to know more about the wildflowers, shrubs and other plants growing in your woods? “Identifying Understory Plants in Your Woods”, the first “2nd Friday Series” program of 2013, is designed to help you:
New scientific studies reveal Midwestern frogs decline, mammal populations altered by invasive plant
http://phys.org/news/2013-05-scientific-reveal-midwestern-frogs-decline.html
New scientific studies reveal Midwestern frogs decline, mammal populations altered by invasive plant
Researchers at Lincoln Park Zoo and Northern Illinois University have discovered a new culprit contributing to amphibian decline and altered mammal distribution throughout the Midwest region – the invasive plant European buckthorn. This non-native shrub, which has invaded two-thirds of the United States, has long been known to negatively impact plant community composition and forest structure, but these two innovative studies slated to publish in upcoming editions of the Journal of Herpetology and Natural Areas Journal demonstrate how this shrub negatively impacts native amphibians and affects habitat use by mammals including increased prevalence of coyotes and other carnivores.
See the link above for the full article text.
