Transcript Buckthorn and Beyond

Buckthorn Bashers
Restoring Natural Areas in the Twin
Cities
What is Buckthorn Bashers?
Buckthorn Bashers is an organization whose
goal is to help connect volunteers with habitat
restoration projects in and around the Twin
Cities metro area.
A website has been created on meetup.com
which allows volunteers see restoration events
that are going on and sign up to attend them.
Benefits of the Website
. It instantly connects you with a variety of habitat restoration
events from various organizations such as The National Park
Service, Great River Greening, and the MN DNR.
. You can see what other “Buckthorn Bashers” are signed up for
events
. You can sign up to receive email reminders for events that you
signed up for.
. The website allows you to share events you are attending with
your facebook and twitter friends with a couple clicks of a
mouse.
. It is free to sign up!!
www.meetup.com/St-Paul-Buckthorn-Bashers/
What is Buckthorn?
Buckthorn is a non-native , extremely invasive shrub, that is highly capable of crowding
out the majority of the native plants and trees in the understory of forests where it
is present.
Glossy Buckthorn
Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA
Common Buckthorn
K.E Bolin, MN D.O.T
Common vs Glossy Buckthorn
• Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus Cathartica)As the name suggests this is the more
common of the two and is found more in the
upland sites.
• Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula Alnus)- Glossy
Buckthorn isn’t as large of a problem as
common buckthorn. It typically grows in
lowland, wet sites.
History
• Buckthorn is not a native species to the United States.
Common Buckthorn and Glossy Buckthorn are the two
species found in Minnesota. While both species are
native to Europe, they were brought over to be used in
landscapes and hedgerows. It quickly became evident
that both species spread rapidly and could not be
contained. Buckthorn rapidly spread to Woodlands,
wetlands, parks, roadsides, and yards taking over as
the dominant plant. With no natural insects or
diseases to control buckthorn populations, it has
quickly outcompeted native species degrading the
overall quality of the natural habitat. [Anoka County Parks]
http://www.anokacountyparks.com/park_info/documents/BuckthornBrochure.pdf
Video Links
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“Buckthorn Boot Camp”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oq6JpL88k&feature=related
Forest Avenger (Funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dzgCuq5LM8&feature=
related
Forest Restoration-Buckthorn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSeD-oiEvOM&NR=1
Buckthorn Experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqGbyF55eRU&feature
=related
US Common Buckthorn Distribution
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RHCA3
USDA
MN Common Buckthorn Distribution
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Minnesota&statefips=27&symbol=RHCA3
USDA
WI Common Buckthorn Distribution
Map
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Wisconsin&statefips=55&symbol=RHCA3
USDA
Why Should We Be Concerned About
Buckthorn
Buckthorn is detrimental to the health and
future of our woodlands, prairies, wetlands
and parks because is takes over large areas
destroying wildlife habitat and food sources
and out-competes other important native
plants that we need for a stabile, healthy
ecosystem.
[Rice Creek Watershed District]
Restricted Noxious Weed
• The MN Department of Agriculture has put
both common and glossy buckthorn on their
restricted noxious weed list. This means it is
illegal to import, sell, or transport it in the
state of Minnesota. [MN Department of Agriculture]
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/badplants/noxiouslist.aspx
Methods of Removal
• Mechanical
• Chemical
• Biological
Mechanical Methods
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Hand pulling
Weed Wrench
Loppers
Girdling
Chainsaw
Chemical Methods
. There are a variety of chemicals that have proven effective at
treating buckthorn. It is very important to make sure you are
using a chemical that is approved by reputable agencies and
that you use an amount that is strong enough to kill the tree,
but not so strong that you are wasting chemical.
See links below for local agencies recommendations on chemical
use.
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/news/publications/pestsplants/ba
dplants/buckthornfactsheet.pdf
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/b
uckthorn/control.html
Biological Control
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Biological control, the use of natural enemies to control
non-native pests, can be an effective tool in managing
invasive plants. Non-native plants can become invasive
because they lack the insects and diseases that control them
in their native environments. Biological control reunites
natural enemies, such as herbivores and pathogens, with
their host (invasive plant) to reduce impacts caused by the
pest. Frequently, this involves the use of specialized insects
that were tested extensively for host specificity (safety) and
efficacy. The goal of biological control is not to eradicate the
invasive plant, but to reduce its impact to an acceptable level.
[MN Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources]
Biological Control
• Biological Control in Minnesota is a collaborative effort that
involves many organizations. The MN DNR and the MN Dept.
of Agriculture have been the two agencies that have taken
lead roles to find “natural enemies” for some of the invasive
species found here in MN. The MN DNR, the leader in
buckthorn biological control research, is still in the research
phase of finding a suitable “natural enemy” for buckthorn. If
they find a suitable “natural enemy” it will be another 10-20
years before they could implement a biological control
program for buckthorn.
Here is a link that provides more information on Biological
Control in Minnesota.
http://www.ipaw.org/symposium/posters/chand015.pdf
Alternate Uses of Buckthorn
• Energy Source- Buckthorn can be collected
and burned to create energy at a heat plant.
St. Paul’s District of Energy has partnered with
some local organizations to use the “waste
wood” to create energy for the city.
http://www.districtenergy.com/
• Craftsmanship- Some people have said
buckthorn can be used to make “walking
sticks” for hikers.
Buckthorn and Beyond
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Buckthorn Bashers does a lot more than just eradicate buckthorn. Buckthorn is perhaps the
biggest threat to our woodlands in Minnesota, but unfortunately there are many other
threats to our forests, prairies, and wetlands. There are a variety of non-native species that
restoration organizations see as major threats to taking over our native plants.
Here is a list of a few other non-native species you may help to eradicate as a “Buckthorn
Basher”
.Burdock
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.Purple Loosestrife
.Garlic Mustard
.Leafy Spurge
.Sweet Clover
.Canadian Thistle
.Hoary Allysum
http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/page/invasive-species
Buckthorn and Beyond
• Buckthorn Bashers will be involved in much more than just
pulling buckthorn. We will also help out with the critical step
of planting trees after the buckthorn is out.
Last year we helped out with other restoration events such
as planting acorns and collecting prairie seed.
It is a really great opportunity to work with environmental
professionals, learn about nature, and meet new friends!!
That Buckthorn got Bashed!!
Matt Dynan-Buckthorn [email protected] 3-www.meetup.com/St-Paul-Buckthorn-Bashers/