IN THIS ISSUE PresidentS Message Mike Pitcairn
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CalEPPC A quarterly publication of the California News Exotic Pest Plant Council Volume 7 Numbers 3/4 Summer/Fall 1999 IN THIS ISSUE Presidents Message Mike Pitcairn ..................... p. 3 Ecology & Management of Alien Annual Plants in the California Deserts Matt Brooks & Kristin Berry p. 4 Where the Wild Weeds Are Tamara Kan ...................... p. 7 Weed Management Areas Steve Schoenig .................. p. 9 The Role of Herbicies in Preserving Biodiversity Jake Sigg ........................ p. 10 Elizabeth Brooks holding huge Brassica tournefortii, Kramer Hills, San Bernardino. Photo by Matt Brooks CalEPPC News Who We Are 2000 CalEPPC Officers and CalEPPC NEWS is published quarterly Board Members by the California Exotic Pest Plant Council, a non-profit organization. The Officers objects of the organization are to: President Mike Kelly email: <[email protected]> Vice-president Joe DiTomaso email: <[email protected]> j provide a focus for issues and Secretary Anne Knox email: <[email protected]> concerns regarding exotic pest Treasurer Sally Davis email: <[email protected]> plants in California; Past-president Mike Pitcairn email; <[email protected]> j facilitate communication and the At-large Board Members exchange of information regarding Joe Balciunas* email: <[email protected]> all aspects of exotic pest plant Matt Brooks email: <[email protected]> control and management; Carla Bossard* email: <[email protected]> Tom Dudley email: <[email protected]> Jodie Holt email: <[email protected]> j provide a forum where all interested Bill Neill* email: <[email protected]> parties may participate in meetings John Randall* email: <[email protected]> and share in the benefits from the Mona Robison* email: <[email protected]> information generated by this Steve Schoenig email: <[email protected]> Peter Warner email: <[email protected]> council; *Board Members whose terms expire December 31, 2000 j promote public understanding regarding exotic pest plants and Working Group Chairpersons their control; Artichoke thistle Mike Kelly 858.566.6489 [email protected] Arundo Tom Dudley 510.643.3021 [email protected] j serve as an advisory council regard- Brooms Karen Haubensak 510.643.5430 [email protected] ing funding, research, management Cape ivy Mona Robison 916.451.9820 [email protected] and control of exotic pest plants; Cortaderia spp. Joe DiTomaso 530.754.8715 [email protected] Fennel Jennifer Erskin 530.752.1092 [email protected] Lepidium Joel Trumbo 916.358.2952 [email protected] j facilitate action campaigns to Saltcedar Bill Neill 714.779.2099 [email protected] monitor and control exotic pest Spartina spp. Debra Ayres 530.752.6852 [email protected] plants in California; and Veldt grass Dave Chipping 805.528.0914 [email protected] Volunteers Maria Alvarez 415.331.0732 j review incipient and potential pest Yellow starthistle Mike Pitcairn 916.262.2049 [email protected] plant management problems and activities and provide relevant CalEPPC News information to interested parties. Editor: Sally Davis 32912 Calle del Tesoro, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 949.487.5473 [email protected] CalEPPCs web site: www.caleppc.org Submission Dates for CalEPPC News If you would like to submit a news item, an article, a meeting announcement, or job opportunity for publication in the CalEPPC News, they must be received by the deadlines listed below. Editor reserves the right to edit all submissions. Send your text/disk/email to editors address above. Submission Dates: Spring... April 15 Fall... October 15 Summer... July 15 Winter... January 15 Please Note: The articles contained herein were contributed to the CalEPPC newsletter. These The California Exotic Pest Plant Council is a articles represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the California 501(c)3 non-profit, public benefit corporation organized to provide a focus for views of CalEPPC. Although herbicide recommendations may have been re- issues and concerns regarding exotic pest plants viewed in contributed articles, CalEPPC does not guarantee their accuracy with in California, and is recognized under federal and state tax laws as a qualified donee for tax regard to efficiancy, safety, or legality. deducible charitable contributions. Page 2 Spring 1999 CalEPPC News Presidents Message Mike Pitcairn here are several methods used in California and approval for release F&W), an Environmental Assessment Tin controlling exotic, invasive of these insects has not been pursued (EA) may be required. EAs often weeds. Usually no one method here. require information regarding all is used to control these plants; rather Recently, the California Depart- available control methods, especially a combination of methods is required. ment of Food and Agricultures biological control methods. How these methods are combined for (CDFA) Biological Control Program Sometimes, a natural enemy will a particular habitat is specified in an produced a list of all exotic natural find its way to its host without the integrated weed management plan. enemies approved for release as deliberate efforts of biological control One of these methods of weed biological control agents in California. workers. The natural enemies listed in control is biological control, where The list is presented in Table 1, page Table 2 are the 26 insects that have natural enemies of a weed (usually 6 which lists all weeds that have been found on 19 weeds or host herbivorous insects or pathogens) are biological control agents approved for plants that were not part of an transported from the weeds area of California. If you are aware of a intentional release effort. These host origin and released in its new habitat. biological control agent used on a associations were in some cases the The abundance of several exotic weed in other states, but is not listed result of native species attacking weeds [e.g. Klamath weed (Hyperi- in Table 1, then that agent is not weeds closely allied to their native cum perforatum), tansy ragwort approved for use in California and is hosts (e.g. Uresiphita reversalis on (Senecio jacobaea), pucturevine not available. French Broom), unknown introduc- (Tribulus terrestris), and musk thistle A total of 49 species of natural tions of insects from other parts of (Carduus nutans)] have been substan- enemies have been imported into the world (e.g. Aganopterix tially reduced following introduction of California and released against 22 alstroemeriana on poison hemlock), their natural enemies. This activity is species of weeds. Of the 49 species, accidental introductions (e.g. highly regulated for a natural enemy is 22 are well established in California Chaetorellia succinea on yellow not approved for introduction until it and available for distribution and can starthistle) or natural spread of the has gone under a series of host tests be obtained by calling your County biological control agent (e.g. that serve to identify which host plants Agricultural Commissioners office. Urophora quadrifasciata) from will likely be attacked after release. However, before one considers use of releases that occurred in other states Only those natural enemies that have a particular biological control agent, (Washington and Oregon) or countries a high degree of host-specificity are one should look at the other columns (Canada). In some cases these new approved for release. Also, two levels included in Table 1 which give prelimi- associations resulted in variable of approval are required for release of nary information on its potential to degrees of fortuitous biological control an exotic biological control agent. control its host. Twelve species have in the weeds. Also listed in Table 2 are First, is the approval obtained by the limited distributions either because of releases of an approved biological United States Department of Agricul- the limited distribution of their host control agent on weeds closely related ture (USDA) for introduction into plant or because the biological control to their original target (e.g. North America. Second, is approval agent is still expanding its population. Bangasternus fausti on squarrose by the state into which the release will It should be noted that three species knapweed). Other than the last case, be made. It is not unusual for a natural were recently released and their status none of the natural enemies in Table enemy to be approved in one state is still in the initial release stage. On 2 have been approved as biological but not another. Thus, even though the other hand, eight species failed to control agents and, thus, are not some insects are currently approved establish and the status of two others available for redistribution. These for release elsewhere in the United is unknown. species are listed because they are States, these insects have not been The information provided in this common and appear to provide some approved for release in California. table may be useful in other ways as impact on their host species. Examples include insects that have well. In order to obtain approval for Thank you for the great two been released on leafy spurge and an integrated weed management plan years as President of CalEPPC and Dalmatian toadflax in Montana. Both on lands managed by Federal Agen- working with a wonderful Board of of these plants are under eradication cies (e.g. BLM, Forest Service, US Directors. j Spring 1999 Page 3 CalEPPC News Ecology and Management of Alien Annual Plants in the California Desert by Matt Brooks and Kristin Berry USDI, USGS, Biological Resources Division, Western Ecological Research Center, 6221 Box Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA 92507 [email protected], [email protected] lien plants comprise a rela of the ecologically similar Mediterra- habitats are being altered. Potential Atively small proportion of nean grass during the middle 1900s. negative effects include reduced desert floras worldwide, and Plant litter created by alien annual availability of preferred food plants, the deserts of California are no grasses decomposes more slowly than loss or reduction of available nutrients exception.