Page 5 - MountainEar Winter 2020
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“Controlling Invasives“ continues  from page 1
                                                                 Invasives in Your Yard
        drainage ditches where fill from outside the Wildlands was   The positive, fun part of the invasive spe-
        brought in.                                              cies issue is getting to know, understand
           In managing the Wildland’s forests, one of the main   and plant native Maine plants and seeds
        challenges is the invasive beech bark scale insect and its   to create habitat for other native spe-
        accompanying fungus that decimate the American beech.    cies and combat invasives at the same
        These diseased beech are significantly altering the forest by   time. Many native plants are available
        reproducing so rapidly that they crowd out other species.   from spring plant sales at county Soil
        Without intervention,  parts of the  Wildlands will evolve   and Water Conservation Districts and
        into stands dominated by diseased beech.                 Fedco Trees & Shrubs. Wild Seed Project sells 60
                                                                 species of native seeds and publishes a magazine full of
        Managing Russian olive, autumn olive,                    information on reestablishing native ecosystems:
        knotweed and beech bark scale insects                                 https://wildseedproject.net/
           A combination of several mowings and spot herbicide ap-
        plication was used on Russian olive in 2012 & 13 and it was   This past summer we used herbicide on two single knot-
        successfully eradicated. We have also used spot herbicide  weed plants and one small area about twenty feet square, all
        application on autumn olive, and this past summer used me-  of them in or next to water courses where any mechanical
        chanical methods (digging and cutting) to remove       disturbance is likely to send plant material that can regen-
           it.  It is tentatively under control, but because the shrub  erate downstream. Their location is of special concern be-
        germinates easily, cutting can cause it to spread. We are  cause of knotweed’s predilection to take over water courses
        monitoring it at present and expect some of the larger roots  very quickly. Although the patch, which is near the bank of
        may require herbicide application.                     Hot Hole stream, was treated experimentally with salt and
                                                               vinegar and covering with a tarp, the treatment was ineffec-
                                                               tive and we concluded that both salt and vinegar, so close to
                                MNAP Invasives                 the stream, may be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.
                                Guide                             For forestry purposes, we have treated several stands of
                                                               small, diseased beech with herbicide manually applied to
                                The Maine Natural Areas        a  small  section  of  bark.  We  have  also  treated  freshly-cut
                                Pro gram has just published    stumps of beech to prevent root-sprouting and further pro-
                                an excellent new guide,        liferation of diseased trees. Last year, our forester, Roger
                                Invasive Plants in Maine. The   Greene experimented with “high-stump” cutting (the tree
                                3.75x8˝ field guide covers 46   stem is cut at waist height to prevent viable sprouts from
                                species of terrestrial and wet-  growing) with promising results. He thinks it’s about 80%
                                land invasive plants and is    effective, depending on the amount of sunlight the stems
                                waterproof, pocket- size, and   get. It may be a reasonable alternative to herbicide treat-
                                ring-bound to allow for future   ment, but running chainsaws with high levels of exhaust
                                additions. Each species account   and oil emissions for hours at a time has its own environ-
                                includes key identification    mental impact.
                                characters, growth form, habi-
                                tats invaded, control methods,   The future
                                similar native and non-native     The management of invasives is evolving and we will
                                plant species, and current sta-  likely  change  our  practices  as  other  treatments  and  best
                                tus of the plant in Maine. This   practices are developed. We are watching closely as two
                                is  an  excellent  reference  for   other species of insects invade Maine, the wooly adelgid,
                                any landowner to identify and   which attacks hemlocks, and the emerald ash borer.
                                deal with invasives on their
          land. Invasive species are the second-greatest threat
          to global bio diversity after loss of habitat.  Invading
          plants outcompete native species by hogging sunlight,
          water, nutrients, and space. They change animal habitat
          by eliminating native foods, altering cover, and destroy-
          ing nesting opportunities. To buy the field guide or find
          out more about invasives, go to the Maine Natural Ar-                                      Jennifer Riefler,
          eas Program (MNAP) website https://www.maine.gov/                                          Dave Doherty, Rosie
          dacf/mnap/ If you want to help document invasives, or                                      Pointer and Andy
          see where they are, IMap has a great interface, also ac-                                   Peake getting a sign
          cessible on the MNAP website.                                                              just right.

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