Prescribed Burning for Control of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis) and Enhanced Native Plant Diversity Author(S): Joseph M

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Prescribed Burning for Control of Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis) and Enhanced Native Plant Diversity Author(S): Joseph M 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
Recommended publications
  • Yellow Starthistle Management with Grazing, Mowing, and Competitive Plantings
    California Exotic Pest Plant Council 1996 Symposium Proceedings Yellow Starthistle Management with Grazing, Mowing, and Competitive Plantings Craig D. Thomsen, William A. Williams, and Marc P. Vayssieres Dept. of Agronomy and Range Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 1. Using livestock to manage yellow starthistle in annual grasslands Introduction Livestock grazing has been recognized as a major driving force for noxious weed invasions in pastures and on rangeland (Parker 1949). Livestock alter botanical composition and contribute to weed proliferation by reducing plant cover, dispersing seed, concentrating nutrients, compacting soil, and selective grazing (Burcham 1957). Many weeds that occur on grazing land possess anti-herbivore traits such as spines, stiff awns, high silica and lignin content, or secondary compounds such as alkaloids and glandular exudates. Because animals selectively graze some plants and avoid others, species that have grazing deterrents are favored on grazing lands and often increase relative to those eaten by livestock. Paradoxically, some noxious weeds that flourish on grazing lands have some stages of growth that are palatable to livestock, and with alterations in grazing management, can be suppressed by livestock. For example, medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) (Lusk et al. 1961), Klamath weed (Hypericum perforatum) (Murphy et al. 1954), spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) (Kelsey and Mikalovich 1987), leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) (Johnston and Peake 1960), tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) (Mosher 1979) and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) (Thomsen et al. 1993) have all been suppressed by livestock grazing. Some invasive species are absent from grazing land because they are highly palatable to livestock. In maritime areas, the palatable sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) can reach dominant status in ungrazed grasslands, but is usually entirely absent from adjacent grazed land.
    [Show full text]
  • Thistle Identification Referee 2017
    Thistle Identification Referee 2017 Welcome to the Thistle Identification Referee. The purpose of the referee is to review morphological characters that are useful for identification of thistle and knapweed fruits, as well as review useful resources for making decisions on identification and classification of species as noxious weed seeds. Using the Identification Guide for Some Common and Noxious Thistle and Knapweed Fruits (Meyer 2017) and other references of your choosing, please answer the questions below (most are multiple choice). Use the last page of this document as your answer sheet for the questions. Please send your answer sheet to Deborah Meyer via email ([email protected]) by May 26, 2017. Be sure to fill in your name, lab name, and email address on the answer sheet to receive CE credit. 1. In the Asteraceae, the pappus represents this floral structure: a. Modified stigma b. Modified corolla c. Modified calyx d. Modified perianth 2. Which of the following species has an epappose fruit? a. Centaurea calcitrapa b. Cirsium vulgare c. Onopordum acaulon d. Cynara cardunculus 3. Which of the following genera has a pappus comprised of plumose bristles? a. Centaurea b. Carduus c. Silybum d. Cirsium 4. Which of the following species has the largest fruits? a. Cirsium arvense b. Cirsium japonicum c. Cirsium undulatum d. Cirsium vulgare 5. Which of the following species has a pappus that hides the style base? a. Volutaria muricata b. Mantisalca salmantica c. Centaurea solstitialis d. Crupina vulgaris 6. Which of the following species is classified as a noxious weed seed somewhere in the United States? a.
    [Show full text]
  • Weed: Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis L.)
    Weed: Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family) Images: Brief Plant Description: (Summarized from Healy, E. and J. DiTomaso, Yellow Starthistle Fact Sheet, http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst/biology/yst_fact_sheet.html) The seed leaves (cotyledons) are oblong to spatulate, 6-9 mm long and 3-5 mm wide, base wedge- shaped, tip +/- squared and glabrous. First few rosette leaves typically oblanceolate. Subsequent rosette leaves oblanceolate, entire to pinnate-lobed. Terminal lobes largest. Later rosette leaves to 15 cm long and are typically deeply lobed +/- to midrib and appear ruffled. Surfaces +/- densely covered with fine cottony hairs. Lobes mostly acute, with toothed to wavy margins. Terminal lobes +/- triangular to lanceolate. Mature plants have stiff stems, openly branched from near or above the base or sometimes not branched in very small plants. Stem leaves alternate, mostly linear or +/- narrowly oblong to oblanceolate. Margins smooth, toothed, or wavy. Leaf bases extend down the stems (decurrent) and give stems a winged appearance. Rosette leaves typically withered by flowering time. Largest stem wings typically to ~ 3 mm wide. Lower stem leaves sometimes +/- deeply pinnate-lobed. Foliage grayish- to bluish-green, densely covered with fine white cottony hairs that +/- hide thick stiff hairs and glands. Flower heads ovoid, spiny, solitary on stem tips, consist of numerous yellow disk flowers. Phyllaries palmately spined, with one long central spine and 2 or more pairs of short lateral spines. Insect- pollinated. Flowers mid-summer to fall. Corollas mostly 13-20 mm long. Involucre (phyllaries as a unit) ~ 12-18 mm long. Phyllaries +/- dense to sparsely covered with cottony hairs or with patches at the spine bases.
    [Show full text]
  • Fire Controls Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea Solstitialis) in California Grasslands
    California Exotic Pest Plant Council 1996 Symposium Proceedings Fire Controls Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) in California Grasslands. Burns timed to prevent seed maturation have nearly eliminated this exotic, and increased natives within test plots at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, CA Marla S. Hastings and Joseph M. DiTomaso [Editor's note: the following article, Hastings, Marla. "Fire Controls Yellow Starthistle." RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT NOTES, Volume 14, number 2 (Winter, 1996), is reprinted by permission of The University of Wisconsin Press. It summarizes the talk given at the 1996 CalEPPC Symposium in San Diego. Adapted according to Guidelines for Preparation of Manuscripts for Publication in the Proceedings of the California Exotic Pest Plant Council 1996.) Marla S. Hastings California State Parks, Silverado District 20 E. Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476 Joseph M. DiTomaso Coop Ext. Non-Crop Weed Ecologist Vegetable Crops/Weed Science Program, Robbins Hall University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) first invaded open grassland sites within the San Francisco Bay Area sometime before 1869 when a specimen was collected in Oakland. Native to Eurasia, it was apparently introduced in association with livestock use during the Mexican and post-mission period (Maddox and Mayfield 1985). A fast-growing, aggressive annual herb, yellow starthistle reaches a height of 0.3 to 2 meters, and often grows in dense stands, mainly in grasslands. It rapidly crowds out less-aggressive natives. At present it is the most widely distributed weed in California, infesting over 4 million hectares, or approximately 10 percent of the total surface area of the state. In addition, it has infested large areas in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and is present in smaller numbers scattered throughout much of the United States and Canada (Maddox 1981).
    [Show full text]
  • Seed Set in a Non-Native, Self-Compatible Thistle on Santa Cruz Island: Implications for the Invasion of an Island Ecosystem
    SEED SET IN A NON-NATIVE, SELF-COMPATIBLE THISTLE ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INVASION OF AN ISLAND ECOSYSTEM JOHN F. BARTHELL1, ROBBIN W. THORP2, ADRIAN M. WENNER3, JOHN M. RANDALL4 AND DEBORAH S. MITCHELL5 1Department of Biology & Joe C. Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK 73034; [email protected] 2Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 3Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 4The Nature Conservancy, Invasive Species Program Initiative & Department of Vegetable Crops, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 5Animal Medical Center, Edmond, OK 73034 Abstract—In two previous studies we demonstrated a positive association between honey bee visitation and seed set or seed head weight in the invasive yellow star-thistle, Centaurea solstitialis. However, as reported here, we were unable to find similar evidence for the congeneric tocalote, Centaurea melitensis. Both seed head weights and percent seed set levels obtained from two plots showed no significant differences among four treatments. Indeed, no significant differences occurred between controls (open) and bagged flower heads that excluded honey bees (but allowed native bee visitation). There were also no differences between controls and complete exclusion of bee-pollinators, confirming self-compatibility reported for this species elsewhere. Unlike C. solstitialis, C. melitensis attracts relatively low numbers of honey bees. In addition, C. melitensis is generally more widespread on the Channel Islands than C. solstitialis. We discuss these patterns with reference to the invasiveness of both species on Santa Cruz Island. Keywords: Apis mellifera, Centaurea solstitialis, honey bee, invasive species, pollination, yellow star- thistle INTRODUCTION environments is subject to controversy, increasingly so during the last decade.
    [Show full text]
  • Centaurea Revisited: a Molecular Survey of the Jacea Group
    Annals of Botany 98: 741–753, 2006 doi:10.1093/aob/mcl157, available online at www.aob.oxfordjournals.org Centaurea Revisited: A Molecular Survey of the Jacea Group N. GARCIA-JACAS1,*, T. UYSAL 2, K. ROMASHCHENKO3,V.N.SUA´ REZ-SANTIAGO4, K. ERTUG˘ RUL2 and A. SUSANNA1 1Botanic Institute of Barcelona (CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s.n., E-08038 Barcelona, Spain, 2Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey, 3Institute of Botany M. G. Kholodny, Tereshchenkovska 2, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine and 4Department of Botany, Science Faculty, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain Received: 9 December 2005 Returned for revision: 11 April 2006 Accepted: 6 June 2006 Published electronically: 27 July 2006 Background and Aims The genus Centaurea has traditionally been considered to be a complicated taxon. No attempt at phylogenetic reconstruction has been made since recent revisions in circumscription, and previous reconstructions did not include a good representation of species. A new molecular survey is thus needed. Methods Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 and the 5.8S gene. Parsimony and Bayesian approaches were used. Key Results A close correlation between geography and the phylogenetic tree based on ITS sequences was found in all the analyses, with three main groups being resolved: (1) comprising the most widely distributed circum- Mediterranean/Eurosiberian sections; (2) the western Mediterranean sections; and (3) the eastern Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian sections. The results show that the sectional classification in current use needs major revision, with many old sections being merged into larger ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Centaurea Solstitialis
    Orange County Chapter occnps.org California Native Plant Society ! HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PLANT? It is an Emergent Invasive in Orange County YELLOW STAR THISTLE Centaurea solstitialis Known OC sites & Status Updates Distribution map & info: • calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi? where-calrecnum=1853 Flowering & seed production occur from April to September • cal-ipc.org/ip/management/plant_profiles/ Centaurea_solstitialis.php Can be confused with: Tocalote, Centaurea melitensis Yellow star thistle is a highly invasive, bushy winter annual, up to 3 + ft. It inhabits open hills, grasslands, open woodlands, fields, roadsides, & rangelands. It is toxic to livestock & is considered one of the most serious rangeland weeds in the state. It propagates rapidly by seed. A large plant can produce nearly 75,000 seeds, which are wind-dispersed. Orange County Chapter occnps.org California Native Plant Society ! YELLOW STAR THISTLE, P. 2 IF YOU SEE THIS PLANT AT A SITE THAT’S NOT ON THE LIST: • Record the plant’s location as exactly as you can (GPS coordinates if possible), the date you saw it, and an estimate of how many there were. Include the site’s landowner or manager, if known. • Take identifying photos: the whole Centaurea solstitialis: Centaurea melitensis: note the long straight note the shorter, plant & its surroundings, closeups of stout spines curved spines leaves & flowers. • If you take a sample, place it immediately into a sealed bag. • To avoid spreading the plant, check your clothing and shoes thoroughly before leaving the area, and remove and bag all traces of seeds. • Report the find immediately to [email protected]..
    [Show full text]
  • Yellow Starthistle Management Guide
    Yellow Starthistle Management Guide JOSEPH M. DITOMASO Weed Science Program, Department of Plant Sciences University of California, Davis GUY B. KYSER Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis MICHAEL J. PITCAIRN Biocontrol Program, Integrated Pest Management Branch California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento Published by the California Invasive Plant Council US Army Corps of Engineers September 2006 Engineer Research and Development Center YSTMgmt(FINAL).indd 1 10/12/06 12:49:19 PM ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Development of this management guide was one of the long-term goals of a re- search demonstration project on Integrated Weed Management of Yellow Starthistle at Fort Hunter Liggett, CA. The authors are grateful to the Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program for partial funding through Legacy Project Model Invasive Species Control Project: Yellow Starthistle (Legacy Project #01-160 and 03-160) under MIPR W31RYO30983808, and the U.S. Army Environmental Center for their financial support of the project, and to the Western Integrated Pest Management Center “IPM Issues” program for their financial support of the preparation and publication of this management guide. The authors also thank the many people who assisted in the development and completion of the Fort Hunter Liggett project. Dr. Steven R. Bennett, U.S. Army Environmental Center, provided leadership on the the project’s vision and orga- nization. Dr. Al Cofrancesco, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, and Dr. Herb Bolton, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service liaison to the U.S. Army Environmental Center, assisted with technical coordination for the project.
    [Show full text]
  • Two New Species of Centaurea (Compositae, Cardueae) from Turkey
    Willdenowia 36 – 2006 423 GERHARD WAGENITZ, FRANK H. HELLWIG, GERALD PAROLLY & LUDWIG MARTINS Two new species of Centaurea (Compositae, Cardueae) from Turkey Abstract Wagenitz, G., Hellwig, F. H., Parolly, G. & Martins, L.: Two new species of Centaurea (Compositae, Cardueae) from Turkey. – Willdenowia 36 (Special Issue): 423-435. – ISSN 0511-9618; © 2006 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. doi:10.3372/wi.36.36139 (available via http://dx.doi.org/) Two new species of Centaurea collected by R. Ulrich in southern Anatolia are described, mapped and illustrated. C. ulrichiorum is apparently very isolated and cannot be assigned to any of the known sections; molecular data place it in a clade comprising, e.g., the sections Jacea and Acrolophus. C. werneri is a member of C. sect. Acrolophus with affinities to species of the Balkans. Key words: angiosperms, Asteraceae, Anatolia, ITS, ETS, systematics, endemism. Introduction Centaurea L. is one of the largest genera in the flora of Turkey. This holds true even if the new, re- vised system is accepted that excludes Rhaponticoides Vaill., Psephellus Cass. and Cyanus Mill. (Wagenitz & Hellwig 2000, Greuter 2003). Since the last revision for the Flora of Turkey (Wagenitz 1975a) the following new species of Centaurea s.l. have been added (literature cita- tions are given for the newly described species): Centaurea amplifolia Boiss. & Heldr. ≡ Rhaponticoides amplifolia (Boiss. & Heldr.) M. V. Agab. & Greuter C. (sect. Phalolepis (Cass.) DC.?) antalyense A. Duran & H. Duman in Ann. Bot. Fenn. 39: 45. 2002 C. (sect. Cheirolepis (Boiss.) O. Hoffm.) cankiriense A. Duran & H. Duman in Ann. Bot. Fenn. 39: 43. 2002 C. (sect.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrated Strategies for the Attrition of Yellow Starthistle on Northern California Rangeland
    Integrated Strategies for the Attrition of Yellow Starthistle on Northern California Rangeland Stephen F. Enloe and Joe DiTomaso, University of California Davis, Weed Science Steve Orloff and Dan Drake, University of California Cooperative Extension Introduction Over the past 30 years, yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) has become a serious threat to California grasslands. Recent 1996-1998 CDFA surveys have estimated that roughly 40% of the townships in California have some level of infestation, with potential acreage estimates of 12 million acres (Pitcairn et al. 1998). Yellow starthistle control strategies have included chemical (DiTomaso et al. 1999b), classical biological control (Balciunas and Villegas 1999), burning (DiTomaso et al. 1999a), mowing (Benefield et al. 1999), and grazing (Thomsen et al. 1993). Each of these strategies alone may reduce total seed production. However, the inherent issue in dealing with yellow starthistle lies in its ability to readily reinvade annual grasslands following successful control. Therefore, any short- term management plan will likely fail given enough time. A successful long-term management plan must attempt to address the issue of reinvasion following control. The current paradigm in California and much of the Western United States suggests that reestablishing perennial grasses is a sustainable long-term strategy for preventing or suppressing noxious weed invasion (Sheley et al. 1996). However, this paradigm has not been widely tested. We initiated a long -term experiment in 1997 using an integrated system with the herbicide clopyralid and the perennial grass pubescent wheatgrass to test this idea. The focus of this paper is an update on the experiment following three years of treatment.
    [Show full text]
  • Yellow-Starthistle-WF-Update.Pdf
    WRITTEN FINDINGS OF THE WASHINGTON STATE NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL BOARD Updated 2015 Scientific Name: Centaurea solstitialis L. Common Name: Yellow starthistle, yellow cockspur, St. Barnaby's thistle, Barnaby star-thistle, yellow centaury, geeldissel Family: Asteraceae Legal Status: Class B Noxious Weed in 1988 Images: left, Centaurea solstitialis blooming flowerhead with spine-tipped bracts, image WSNWCB; center, mature plant habit with branching stems; right, winged stem, center and right image by Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org. Description and Variation: Overall habit: Centaurea solstitialis is typically a winter annual or occasionally noted as being a biennial, with branched stems that are grayish to bluish green in appearance as the plant is covered in fine woolly hairs. Plants have winged stems and yellow flowerheads with large spines at the base. Roots: Centaurea solstitialis develops a taproot that can extend over 6 feet deep in the soil (DiTomaso et al. 2013). These deep, penetrating roots allow C. solstitialis to access water deeper in the soil profile than many species, particularly annual grasses (Spencer et al. 2011). Stems: Centaurea solstitialis stems are simple or branched, gray-tomentose (covered in short woolly hairs), and grow up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall, though sometimes taller (Keil and Ochsmann 2006, Keil 2013). The branched stems can create an overall bushy appearance (Keil and Ochsmann 2006). Stem leaves have long-decurrent bases, giving the stem a “winged” appearance (Keil and Ochsmann 2006). Leaves: Plants start as a basal rosette of leaves that can grow up to7.9 inches (20 cm) long by 2 inches (5cm) wide (Hitchcock et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Supporting Information. C. M. Herrera. 2020. Flower Traits, Habitat, and Phylogeny As Predictors of Pollinator Service: a Plant Community Perspective
    Appendix S1 – 1 Supporting Information. C. M. Herrera. 2020. Flower traits, habitat, and phylogeny as predictors of pollinator service: a plant community perspective. Ecological Monographs. Appendix S1. Information on pollinator sampling sites. TABLE S1. Information on the N = 42 pollinator sampling sites. See Fig. S1 for location map. No. plant Elevation Latitude Longitude species Local toponym Code (m) (º N) (º W) sampled Arenales del Guadalentín AGU 1360 37.909835 2.837405 4 Arroyo Aguaderillos AAG 1180 37.961573 2.883887 1 Arroyo de la Mesa AME 1100 37.902591 2.928966 1 Arroyo de los Ubios AUB 1250 37.939725 2.899766 1 Barranco de la Canal BCA 1580 37.789385 2.956438 3 Barranco de la Charca BCH 1360 37.942843 2.859057 1 Barranco de la Juanfría BJU 1380 37.836814 2.975302 10 Calarilla CLA 1710 37.944316 2.851708 2 Calerón CLE 1075 37.897973 2.942710 1 Cantalar CAN 770 37.964158 2.907974 3 Cañada de la Medianega CME 1580 37.894287 2.903146 1 Appendix S1 – 2 Cañada Pajarera CPA 1640 37.927456 2.805615 1 Collado del Calvario CCA 1420 37.950202 2.885484 1 Collado Zamora CZA 1420 37.839329 2.999615 2 Coto del Valle CVA 850 37.930542 2.928517 7 Cuesta del Bazar CBA 1330 37.906523 2.907470 1 Cuevas Bermejas CBE 1160 37.966959 2.851117 5 Fuente Bermejo FBE 1550 37.932268 2.840672 14 Fuente la Reina FRE 1460 37.941698 2.833632 2 Guadalentín GUA 1310 37.900404 2.836944 8 Hoyos de Muñoz HMU 1110 37.984831 2.876597 3 La Cabrilla LCA 1600 37.932364 2.780637 5 La Fresnedilla LFR 1080 37.980387 2.855875 2 La Mesa LME 1610 37.889823 2.913788 2 Las
    [Show full text]