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Field Guide for Managing Giant Reed in the Southwest

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Field Guide for Managing Giant Reed in the Southwest United States Department of Agriculture Field Guide for Managing Giant Reed in the Southwest Forest Southwestern Service Region TP-R3-16-11 September 2014 Cover Photos Left: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Right: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Bottom: David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on recycled paper Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) Grass family (Poaceae), Arundineae tribe Giant reed is an invasive grass common to riparian areas • Flowers June through November, depending on throughout the Southwest. This field guide serves as the location. Inflorescence is a dense, plume-like panicle, U.S. Forest Service’s recommendations for management of 1 to 2 feet long. Seed viability is very low, and giant reed in riparian areas and waterways associated with seedling establishment from germinated seed is quite its Southwestern Region. The Southwestern Region covers rare. Arizona and New Mexico, which together have 11 national forests. The Region also includes four national grasslands Ecology located in northeastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, Impacts/threats and the Texas panhandle. Giant reed forms dense, monocultural stands and often crowds out native vegetation for soil moisture, nutrients, and space. When dry, it is highly flammable and becomes a Description fire danger in riparian habitats unaccustomed to sustaining Giant reed (synonyms: phragmites, carrizo, giant reed, fire. It uses far more water than native vegetation, thus arundo grass, donax, elephant grass, Spanish cane, wild disturbing the natural flood regime. One study showed cane, oboe cane) is a bamboo-like grass with stems that giant reed to transpire 56,200 acre-feet of water over the grow over 20 feet tall. It is an Asian native and was course of a year, whereas native species only transpired cultivated for thousands of years in southern Europe, 18,700 acre-feet. Giant reed provides limited shade along northern Africa, and the Middle East. It was introduced bank edges as compared to native willow or cottonwood, into southern California as an ornamental, and was used as resulting in warmer stream temperatures and increased an erosion control species along drainage ditches. From a algae photosynthesis. Water quality in a waterway may be distance, giant reed looks like a corn plant and is similar in impacted when nontoxic ammonium (NH4+) from decaying appearance to common reed (Phragmites australis L.), a reed materials is transformed into toxic ammonia (NH3). native grass found widely across the United States. There is a sharp decline in the number and variety of wildlife associated with dense giant reed stands, which is likely due Growth Characteristics to lack of food and acceptable cover. Giant reed also has • Introduced perennial grass, 20 to 30 feet tall. high levels of chemical defense compounds in its stems and • Root system consists of tough, fibrous, lateral leaves that can inhibit other vegetation. rhizomes, and deep roots. Location • Primary reproduction is vegetative; sprouts from Giant reed is a common hydrophytic plant found along disturbed stems or rhizomes, even those buried 3 to disturbed and undisturbed streambanks, desert springs, flood 10 feet deep. plains, drainages, and irrigation waterways. It thrives in • Robust, hollow, stems up to 2 inches in diameter with moist soils (moderately saline or freshwater), on sand dunes, knotty nodes. and in wetland or riparian areas. It occurs with saltcedar and • Pale green to blue-green, alternate leaves 1 to 2 Russian olive in many southwestern riparian communities. It inches wide and 1 to 2 feet long that grow at 180 is usually limited to areas under 5,000 feet in elevation. angles from one another. Lower part of leaf is yellow, Spread has fine hairs, and clasps the stem in a distinctive “S” Giant reed spreads with or without flooding. Stem or root wave. parts smaller than 2.5 inches in size have the potential to resprout if a node is present. Grading and construction 1 accelerates spread due to soil disturbance. Rhizomes buried giant reed, always evaluate how the plant community is 3 to 10 feet under soil will produce surface shoots. likely to respond once the grass is removed. A contingency plan should be in place to monitor and treat invasive weeds Invasive Features after treatment. In many instances, treated areas will return Shoots and stems grow rapidly (as much as 4 inches per naturally to the desirable riparian community without day during spring) outpacing native plant growth. Shallow revegetation. However, artificial plantings or seeding may be parts of the root system along stream edges are susceptible necessary for complete restoration in other situations. to undercutting which contributes to bank collapse and spreading of reproductive parts downstream. Giant reed Physical Control grows back quickly following fire, thereby increasing its Manual Methods dominance over native riparian species. Hand removal is very difficult, but digging can be used to target individual plants (usually < 6 feet tall). To improve handling, first cut the canopy near the surface by using a Management chain saw, machete, or pruning shears before pulling up Giant reed is not easily managed. Mechanical control the remaining portions of reed stems, rhizomes, and roots. options for giant reed are limited, and there are no classical Shovels, mattocks, or pick-ax are the most commonly biological control agents (insects, pathogens, etc.) currently used tools. The root mass and associated rhizomes must available. In general, the most effective treatment to control be entirely removed from the soil. Loose, rain-moistened giant reed is to spray a foliar systemic herbicide when soils are most conducive to hand pulling. Uprooted material plants are green and actively growing. Table 1 summarizes should be removed or burned onsite to prevent rerooting. For management options for some common situations recommendations on handling giant reed debris, see table 2. involving giant reed. Control efforts will usually require 3 to 5 years of persistent, repeated treatment. Mechanical Methods Mechanical methods used to remove giant reed range in When implementing giant reed control, priority should be scale from individual plant treatment (digging out with given to the following: a hand tool, backhoe, excavator, etc.) to broad scale • Choose a control approach that is most likely to clearing with hammer-flail mowers, root plows, rakes, etc. complement future restoration efforts. Mechanical control of areas with giant reed is usually more effective when used in combination with chemical control • Address giant reed populations near waterways and and the planting and/or seeding of desired native species as wherever the likelihood is high for plant parts to be followup. Large-scale mechanical control usually causes spread via flowing water. Then address populations major soil disturbance and interferes with native plant that would only be affected by high water or by establishment. In some cases, there may be an increase 100-year-flood events. invasion from other noxious weeds on cleared sites that will • Remove giant reed from high quality areas first. require additional later management. For recommendations These areas are likely to respond favorably to on handling giant reed debris, see table 2. restoration activities. Then work toward controlling dense, accessible stands that are most easily Excavating using a backhoe or excavator and grapple can be managed. used to remove small, dense stands of giant reed. Precutting is not necessary since the long stems may be an aid to pull Without special planning and care, treated areas may up roots. Excavating is not recommended in the streambed rapidly be invaded by other invasive plants. Before treating or edge because root material may be washed downstream. 2 Table 1. Management options* Site Physical Methods Cultural Methods Biological Methods Chemical Methods Dense, nearly pure Complete root removal Coordinate control Consider grazing Targeted broadcast or stand of giant reed is necessary for effective efforts with other with goats to suppress individual plant treatment located along a control but this is extremely landowners. sprouting. (IPT) application with a lethal waterway; goal difficult to accomplish using herbicide approved for use in A scale insect is to suppress only physical methods. aquatic or riparian areas. (Rhizaspidiotus donacis) or provide high Mowing or burning followed may be available as a Methods include foliar mortality. later by spraying regrowth biological control agent in application; cut–resprout–spray is usually the most practical the future (see “Biological and cut-stump; and aerial approach. Control” section). application by helicopter. Site with a uniform Cut dormant top growth Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. older dense stand using a hammer-flail mower of giant reed on in fall-winter, followed by accessible level application of herbicide to terrain (< 30% resprouts the following year; slope) such as and again in summer of the open areas on a third year. Can also cut with flood plain. a rotary brush cutter, chain saw, or tractor mounted mower. Site is difficult to Remove localized Same as above.
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