Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) Watch Protocol United States Executive Order 13112 defines an invasive species as “an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Invasives have huge impacts, both economically and environmentally. It is estimated that invasive species cost the United State more than $120 billion in damages every year (Pimental et al. 2005)! Most of this cost comes from prevention, detection, rapid response, outreach, and habitat restoration. These invasives cause large-scale environmental impacts in agricultural operations, native fisheries, tourism, outdoor recreation, and the overall health of ecosystems. Invasives alter predation regimes and pressures, degrade the structure of habitats, and compete with native species for resources. Invasive plant species, in particular, are adaptable, have aggressive growth, and have a high reproductive capacity. These characteristics combined with a lack of natural enemies often leads to outbreak populations. A lot of information is needed to investigate a plant as a potential invasive species including its invasion status (does is maintain populations outside of captivity; where is it located), biological characteristics (does it produce seeds with a high germination rate; does is spread vegetatively), and ecological impacts (does it harm other associated plants or animals). Once a species is listed as invasive, law-makers can use this information to create laws to protect our native ecosystems from these plants! Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is a very popular ornamental shrub native to Asia that is of growing concern as an invasive species in Ohio. A small amount of information is known about the potentially invasive biological characteristics of burning bush (it produces a high number of seeds, the seed germination rate is high, and it spreads vegetatively through root sprouting). There is no current knowledge of the ecological impacts of burning bush on the forest environment; but researchers at Wright State University are beginning to investigate these impacts. Burning bush has begun to establish populations outside of planted areas; however, its specific invasive status is unknown. In order to most accurately examine the extent of burning bush invasion, the location and extent of the invasion must be carefully documented. However, because burning bush invasion may be widespread, the researchers are asking for the help of the master naturalists! While out on hikes, camping trips, driving, or any other outdoor experience, please look for burning bush! Tips for identifying burning bush and the documentation protocol are below. Thank you in advance for your participation and help! [email protected] Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) Identification: Burning bush is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 8 ft. tall. The leaves are broad and diamond shaped with a rounded tip. They are 2-7cm in length and 1-4cm wide. The stems of burning bush have a characteristic “winged” appearance, although the “wings” may be less pronounced in shaded individuals. This characteristic leads to the two common names for this plant, “winged-burning bush” and “winged wahoo”. The most striking characteristic of burning bush is its striking red fall color, which remains after many other species have lost foliage. This makes it very easy to identify during the fall. During this time, the plant also has orange-red fruits. Burning Bush Reporting Protocol: 1. Print out the Burning Bush Watch Data Sheet 2. Use the burning bush identification guide to locate the shrub. 3. Record the observation number (you may find more than one burning bush location on a given observation day) 4. Take and record GPS coordinates of the burning bush on the data sheet. a. This is very easy using the Google Maps App on Android or iPhone! i. Open the app. ii. Just press and hold your location on the map. iii. On the bottom of your screen, tap the white area that says “Dropped Pin.” iv. Record the GPS Coordinates on the data sheet. b. If you do not have a smart phone or GPS unit, just record the location of the shrub in detail on the data sheet. i. For example: “Taylorsville MetroPark – one mile north on the orange trail from parking lot CC; on right side of trail approx. 10m off trail” 5. Record a few brief notes about the invaded area: open or forested? Dominant plant species? Flat ground or on hill? 6. Classify the proximity to currently occupied homes or yards/abandoned homesteads where burning bush may have been planted (A = no homestead noted; B = homestead < 10m away; C = homestead < 50m away; D = homestead < 100m away) 7. Estimate and record the height/ average height of the plant/plants. a. It is easy to use your body to help predict height. For example, in the picture below, the shrub is as tall as my mid-thigh. I would estimate the height to be 2ft. 8. Estimate and record the area of land covered by the shrub/shrubs. a. For example, in the picture above, I would estimate the area covered to be 1ft2. 9. Fill in the electronic data sheet with the data you collected. 10. Email the completed data sheet to [email protected] 11. Thank you so much for your help with this project! Please feel free to email with any questions. .