Prescribed Burning for Control of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis) and Enhanced Native Plant Diversity Author(S): Joseph M
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Weed Science Society of America Prescribed Burning for Control of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and Enhanced Native Plant Diversity Author(s): Joseph M. DiTomaso, Guy B. Kyser and Marla S. Hastings Source: Weed Science, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Mar. - Apr., 1999), pp. 233-242 Published by: Weed Science Society of America and Allen Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4046201 . Accessed: 06/08/2014 17:34 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Weed Science Society of America and Allen Press are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Weed Science. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 6 Aug 2014 17:34:43 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions WeedScience, 47:233-242. 1999 Prescribed burning for control of yellow starthistle (Centaurea soistitialis) and enhanced native plant diversity Joseph M. DiTomaso Two separate open grasslandareas within Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Sonoma Coun- Corresponding author. Weed Science Program, ty, CA, were burned for three consecutive years (1993-1995 [Site A] and 1995- Department of Vegetable Crops, University of 1997 [Site B]) for control of yellow starthistle. Burns were conducted in late June California, Davis, CA 95616; to early July following seed dispersal and senescence of desirable grasses and forbs [email protected] but prior to viable seed production in yellow starthistle. After the first year burn, there was no significant reduction in yellow starthistle cover the following spring Guy B. Kyser and summer. Despite the lack of control, the first year burn reduced the yellow Weed Science Program, Department of Vegetable starthistle soil seedbank by 74% and the number of seedlings the following spring Crops, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 by 83%. However, total plant diversity and species richness increased dramatically in the burned areas. This was due primarily to an increase in the number of native Marla S. Hastings broadleaf species. A second burn the next summer (1995-1997 site) reduced seed- State of California Department of Parks and bank, seedling density, and summer vegetative cover the following year by 94, 92, Recreation, Sonoma, CA 95476 and 85%, respectively,while maintaining significantly higher native plant cover and richness. A third consecutive summer burn decreasedyellow starthistle seedbank and seedling density by 96, 98, and 85%, respectively,in the 1995-1997 burn site. Three consecutive years of burning in the 1993-1995 site reduced yellow starthistle seed- bank and seedling density by over 99% and summer vegetative cover by 91%. These results indicate that prescribed burning can be an effective tool for the management of yellow starthistle and can have a long-term benefit on native broadleaf diversity and richness. Nomenclature: Yellow starthistle, Centaureasolstitialis L. CENSO. Key words: Plant diversity, rangeland, grassland, fire, CENSO. Yellow starthistle (Centaureasolstitialis L.) is a winter an- prohibitedor discouraged,particularly when the manage- nual, native to dry open habitats in southern Europe. It was ment objectiveis to enhancenative broadleaf plant diversity. first introduced into the United States in the 1850s as a Historically,fire has played an important role in the contaminant of ballast soil or alfalfa seed (Medicago sativa maintenance of many ecosystems, including grasslands L.) in Oakland, CA (Gerlach 1997; Maddox 1981). Since (Hatch et al. 1991). Historical fire frequencywithin the 1960, it has spread exponentially to infest rangeland, native northernCoastal Range of Californiawas analyzedthrough grasslands, orchards, vineyards, pastures, roadsides, and oth- fire scars on redwoods(Sequoia spp.) (Finney and Martin er areas throughout the western United States (Maddox and 1992). From this work, 67% of the fire intervalswere be- Mayfield 1985). Today, yellow starthistle is the most widely tween 2 and 10 yr. These resultsare a conservativeestimate, distributed weed in California, occupying between 5 and 8 as they probablyexcluded grass fires not intenseenough to million ha. Although not as widespread in other western leave fire-scarson surroundingredwoods. Thus, the success states, yellow starthistle is also a major rangeland weed in of plant species native to these areaslikely depends upon Oregon, Washington, and Idaho (Roche and Roche 1991). occasionalfires to reducecompetition, remove thatch, enrich It is difficult to ascribe a monetary value to the effect of the soil, or scarifyseeds. Plant communitiesin most grass- yellow starthistle on rangeland and other noncrop areas. land ecosystemstypically show increasedplant diversity after However, it is well recognized that infestations lower forage firesand reduceddiversity following long periodsof firesup- yield and quality, interfere with grazing, cause problems in pression(Kruger 1983). forage and crop harvesting, increase livestock and crop man- SugarloafRidge State Park is in the northernCoast Range agement and production costs, and reduce recreational and of Californianear Sonoma.It is a typicaldry, low-elevation economic value of infested land. In addition, yellow star- woodlandwith largeexpanses of open grassland.Since the thistle causes a lethal neurological disorder in horses known state acquiredthe land in the 1920s, fire suppressionhas as "chewing disease" (Kingsbury 1964). Yellow starthistle been a common practice.Around 1984, yellow starthistle infestations can reduce wildlife habitat and forage, displace began to spreadrapidly through the park,and within 5 yr native plants, and decrease native plant and animal diversity nearly all open grasslandareas were severelyinfested. In (Sheley and Larson 1994). these infestedareas, no existingcontrol options were prac- Several methods are used to control yellow starthistle tical or acceptable.Although prescribedburning has been (DiTomaso et al. 1998, Thomsen et al. 1996). These in- used somewhatsuccessfully to manageother rangelandspe- clude tillage, mowing, grazing, reseeding, biological control, cies, particularlyshrubs such as big sagebrush(Artemisia tri- and herbicides. Many of these methods are restricted in spe- dentataNutt.), falsebroomweed (Ericameria austrotexana M. cific environments. In many cases, herbicide use is either Johnst.), and junipers(Juniperus spp.) (Mayeuxand Ham- DiTomaso et al.: Burning for control of yellow starthistle * 233 This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 6 Aug 2014 17:34:43 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ilton 1988; Rasmussen 1994; West 1991), no studies have sects (3 transects per sampling area). Measurements were previously examined the effect of burning on yellow star- conducted in spring (late April to early May) prior to yellow thistle control. starthistle bolting and in summer 1 d prior to the prescribed The objectives of this study were to determine the effec- burn when yellow starthistle was in early flower. Plant di- tiveness of multiple-year prescribed burning on yellow star- versity was calculated from data obtained in spring using thistle control and seedbank reduction, as well as evaluate the Shannon-Wiener index (Magurran 1988). the effect of burning on species composition, particularly changes in the diversity and richness of the native plant Plant Species Richness community. The long-term goal is to provide land managers with an effective and economical means of managing yellow An additional measure of plant diversity was obtained by starthistle, while returning the ecosystem to a more healthy counting all species present within randomly placed quad- condition. rats of 0.0625, 0.25, 1, 4, and 16 m2 (four subsamples of each size per sampling area). Species richness lines were de- veloped by plotting species numbers by quadrat size on a Materials and Methods log-log scale. Both line transect data and quadrat analysis Burn Plan were used to determine the effect of burning on changes in frequency and cover of various species within the study site. A 14-ha prescribed burn was conducted within a heavily infested grassland site in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (Sono- ma County, CA) in 1993, 1994, and 1995 (Site A). Mea- Seed and Seedling Density surements within Site A were made during the growing sea- Yellow starthistle seedbank was determined in burned and son after the second (1994) and third (1995) year of the unburned sites after seed dispersal in fall. Seeds from five prescribed burn. A second, 70-ha grassland area at Sugarloaf soil samples per sampling area (5 cm diameter by 5 cm deep) Ridge State Park was similarly burned in 1995, 1996, and were collected in November and counted following extrac- 1997 (Site B). Within Site B, measurements described below tion with a water/air elutriator similar to that described by were made 1 yr prior to burning and following the first, Wiles et al. (1996). Intact achenes were counted using a second, and third year of burning. An adjacent 4-ha un- stereomicroscope. burned control site was separated from the burn area by Densities of yellow starthistle seedlings