Author Archives: Sylvan Kaufman

Trendiest weed control method? Goats!

Goats seem to be the hottest new weed control method.  They have been used for weed control probably since they were first domesticated, but companies offering rental goats specialized in weed control are, growing like weeds.  Goats offer an alternative … Continue reading

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Assessing plants for invasiveness

I’ve been steeped in the nuances of assessments of plant invasiveness the last few months as the Maryland Invasive Plant Advisory Committee develops an assessment for non-native terrestrial plants that grow or could grow in Maryland.  Most assessments look at … Continue reading

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Controlling Para grass without herbicides

Para grass, Urochloa mutica, grows in the southeastern United States in fields, marshes and swamps.  It spreads by runners to form dense stands. It can be controlled with herbicides, but managers often wish to avoid using herbicides in sensitive wetland … Continue reading

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Tadpole morphology changed by Roundup

Researchers discovered that tadpoles of three frog and toad species (wood frogs, leopard frogs and American toads)  developed the same tail shape that they do when exposed to predators such as dragonfly larvae or newts.   The different tail shape … Continue reading

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Adaptations of native plants to invasive plants

I often get questions about what the long-term outlook is like for native plants, so it was great to see a study that looks at genetic adaptations of native species in invaded grasslands.  The authors have been studying adapations of … Continue reading

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How wide to stream buffers need to be to reduce plant invasions?

Most riparian buffer regulations are set to reduce nutrient inputs to waterways, but riparian buffers also serve as habitat for native plants and animals.  Plant invasions can significantly alter riparian habitats.  A new paper by Ferris et al. looks at … Continue reading

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Invasive Plant Legacies

Invasive plants can leave legacies after they have been removed, just as politicians do.  Rather than a legacy of public works or corruption, invasive plants may leave a legacy of altered soils, hydrology or new genes.  A recent paper by … Continue reading

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Herbicide resistant creeping bentgrass

Another study on the potential effects of escaped transgenic creeping bentgrass, Agrostis stolonifera, is out.  This study shows that in Central Oregon wetland communities are at particular risk of invasion by creeping bentgrass and by redtop, Agrostis gigantea. Redtop can … Continue reading

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