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Table of Contents 1 Non-Native Plant Species Inventory Of Southeast Alaska: Ketchikan Wrangell Mitkof Kupreanof Summary Of 2006 Survey Findings December 2006 Final Report for USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Katie Arhangelsky Turnstone Environmental Consultants, Inc. Portland, Oregon Non-native Plant Species Inventory of Southeast Alaska, 2006 2 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................5 2. METHODS........................................................................................................7 3. RESULTS .......................................................................................................10 3.1 SPECIES DIVERSITY .................................................................................................10 Ketchikan (Revillagigedo Island) .............................................................................. 10 Wrangell Island......................................................................................................... 11 Mitkof Island ............................................................................................................. 12 Kupreanof Island ...................................................................................................... 13 Kake Road System................................................................................................... 13 Portage Bay Road System ....................................................................................... 14 3.2 CANOPY COVER ......................................................................................................15 3.3 AGGRESSIVENESS ...................................................................................................15 4. DISCUSSION..................................................................................................16 4.1 OVERVIEW OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES PATTERNS .......................................................16 4.2 HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES ..........................................................................................18 4.3 SPECIES SUGGESTED FOR IMMEDIATE CONTROL .......................................................22 4.4 SPECIES FOR FURTHER OBSERVATION......................................................................24 5. REFERENCES ...............................................................................................25 APPENDIX A- CLASS I SPECIES LIST ............................................................27 APPENDIX B- CLASS II SPECIES LIST ...........................................................31 APPENDIX C- NON-NATIVE SPECIES LISTS..................................................32 NON-NATIVE SPECIES LIST ............................................................................................32 KETCHIKAN NON-NATIVE SPECIES LIST ..........................................................................36 WRANGELL NON-NATIVE SPECIES LIST ..........................................................................38 MITKOF NON-NATIVE SPECIES LIST................................................................................40 KUPREANOF NON-NATIVE SPECIES LIST.........................................................................42 Kake ......................................................................................................................... 42 Portage Bay.............................................................................................................. 44 APPENDIX D- LIST OF VOUCHER SPECIMENS .............................................45 APPENDIX E- MAPS OF SURVEY AREAS ......................................................53 APPENDIX F- HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES LOCATIONS...................................59 APPENDIX G- COMPLETE LIST OF ROADS SURVEYED ..............................64 Non-native Plant Species Inventory of Southeast Alaska, 2006 3 Non-native Plant Species Inventory of Southeast Alaska, 2006 4 1. Introduction The USDA Forest Service is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of the number, identity and biology of non-native plants in Alaska and how these species may be impacting intact plant communities and timber-producing areas. To address these concerns, the USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection State and Private Forestry (S&PF) and the National Forest System (NFS) initiated a contract to survey and identify non-native plant species infesting the road systems of Ketchikan, Wrangell, Mitkof, and Kupreanof Islands within the Tongass National Forest. From July 10th through August 26th of 2006, botanists from Turnstone Environmental Consultants, Inc. surveyed an estimated 468 miles of state, local, and Forest Service roads on main and remote road systems throughout the islands. This report summarizes the initial findings from our field season of data collection. Southeast Alaska is in a unique position to prevent large scale infestations of non-native species. Its remote location and the lack of terrestrial connectivity of many regions have enabled much of the land to remain free of serious infestations. Southeast Alaska is in the first stages of experience with non-native plant species (Borchett, 2004). Native plant communities of Southeast Alaska are vulnerable to invasion by aggressive and competitive non-native species. The roads traversing the islands’ terrain provide open pathways in which non-native species can travel and colonize new areas. Industrial logging and road building are prevalent, providing ideal vectors for invasive plant dispersal. Plants commonly hitch rides on the large equipment and machinery used in these operations, helping to spread the species throughout the island. Infestations of invasive exotic species in rock pits are common, with the population dispersing out along the neighboring roads. Additionally, urban places like the cities of Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Wrangell attract horticulturists who often unknowingly introduce threatening species to the island ecosystem. Towns become dispersal vectors as enterprising garden escapees spread outwards. The goal of this project is to assess the extent of non-native plant populations on Ketchikan, Wrangell, Mitkof, and Kupreanof Islands and identify areas of particular concern. The data collected for this project can help guide future management and control efforts. Specifically, the project involved the following data collection and deliverables: • AKEPIC Inventory Field Data Sheets were completed for each point surveyed along the roads, regardless of whether invasive species were found. • Maps provided by the Forest Service are submitted showing the locations of all high priority species/areas of interest. • A summary report giving a synopsis of the contract work and findings. • Data entry into the AKEPIC database for future tracking and management. Non-native Plant Species Inventory of Southeast Alaska, 2006 5 • Two voucher specimens of each species located were collected, pressed, dried, and labeled and will be submitted to the appropriate herbarium for use as a teaching collection. During the course of the project, our botanists also engaged in informal community education. Curious passersby were provided with informative brochures and had questions answered on the spot about invasive species on the island. An estimated 50 “Selected Invasive Plants of Alaska” pamphlets were distributed to residents and visitors of the islands during the course of our field work. Photo 1. Typical roadside ecosystem of Southeast Alaska with muskeg adjacent to gravel. Photo from Mitkof Island, Reservoir Road. Non-native Plant Species Inventory of Southeast Alaska, 2006 6 2. Methods Field data on non-native plants was collected on road right-of-ways on state and local lands and Forest Service controlled road rights-of-way on private land. An estimated 518 miles of road right-of-way were inspected for survey suitability, with 468 miles thoroughly surveyed using the AKEPIC protocol. Forest Service roads slated for survey were designated as maintenance levels 3 and 4 (suitable for passenger car and moderate degree of user comfort). The reasoning for surveying the more major road systems on the island was to capture areas of heavier use, and therefore more susceptible to invasion by non-native species. Frequently, surveyors discovered that roads slated for survey were not maintained, closed, decommissioned, or otherwise inaccessible, which reduced the total distance surveyed. Table 1. Road miles slated for survey at each location involved in the study. Road System Local/ State USFS Total Ketchikan 68 10 78 Wrangell 23 115 138 Mitkof 38 95 133 Kupreanof- Kake 6 109 115 Kupreanof- Portage Bay 0 54 54 Total miles 518 Surveyors walked an area every ¼ mile along the roads. At each survey point the botanists surveyed both sides of the road for 25 meters each direction, recording all non- native plant species encountered. We also surveyed the area around each road intersection, Recreation Site, pull-out, rock pit, and parking area as specified by the contract. Occasionally survey points were spaced slightly more or less than the required ¼ mile interval. Some roadsides did not offer safe locations to park and we parked at the nearest possible location. At other times we altered the survey point slightly to include a nearby visible area of higher disturbance and therefore higher likelihood of the presence of non-native species. A few additional times we did not survey a point due to extraordinary conditions. Private property
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