Field Guide for Pacific Coast Forest Invaders

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Sylvan Kaufman

Similar to its guide for Southern forests, the USDA Forest Service has published a guide to invasive plants in Pacific Coast forests.  Download it at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr817.pdf or order a copy from http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/gtrs.shtml

Gray, A. N., K. Barndt and S. H. Reichard. 2011.  Nonnative invasive plants of Pacific coast forests: a field guide for identification.  Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-817. Portland, OR.  USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 91 p.

Share
Posted in Online Information, Pacific Northwest, State/Region | Comments Off on Field Guide for Pacific Coast Forest Invaders

Weed sniffing dogs

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Sylvan Kaufman

The Montana based non-profit, Working Dogs for Conservation, http://www.workingdogsforconservation.org/, trains dogs to sniff out invasive plants. The dogs can sniff out at least 5 species, including Dyer’s Woad (Isatis tinctoria).  Their noses are especially useful in detecting small populations of plants in rough country.  Other work for the dogs includes tracking elusive wildife for scientific studies, and finding invasive animals like introduced snails in Hawaii.

Share
Posted in Detection and Control, Isatis tinctoria | Comments Off on Weed sniffing dogs

Burning bush makes poor amphibian habitat

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Sylvan Kaufman

A study in Missouri woodlands demonstrated that amphibian species richness (numbers of species) and evenness (relative distribution of species) declined in plots dominated by burning bush, Euonymus alatus.  The decline was attributable to a cooler microclimate under burning bush.  The cooler temperatures did seem to favor the green frog, but the authors noted that the shrubs might also limit the mobility of the frogs making them more vulnerable to predators. 

Watling, J. I., C.R. Hickman, J. L. Orrock. 2011. Invasive shrub alters native forest amphibian communities.  Biological Conservation 144: 2597-2601.

Share
Posted in Euonymus alatus, Research | Comments Off on Burning bush makes poor amphibian habitat