Integrated Pest Management Plan for Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Nye County, Nevada 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service December 2006 Integrated Pest Management Plan for Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Nye County, Nevada Monoculture of Russian knapweed Tamarix spp. bordering Peterson Reservoir. near Bradford Springs. The Integrated Pest Management Plan for Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge was prepared by staff of Ash Meadows National Wildllife Refuge and the Southern Nevada Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Marco Buske, Integrated Pest Management Specialist for Klamath Basin NWRC and Bob Wilson, Extension Educator, University of Nevada-Reno Cooperative Extension, reviewed this document. Brian Hobbs, Biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and Gary Scoppettone, Scientist with the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, were also consulted. 2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 6 I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 7 IMPACT OF INVASIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................... 8 IMPACT OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES ON ASH MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ...................... 8 IMPACT OF INVASIVE ANIMAL SPECIES ON ASH MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ................... 9 ASH MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGEMENT SETTING .............................................. 10 MANDATES TO CONTROL NON-NATIVE AND INVASIVE SPECIES ............................................................ 10 FUNDING ................................................................................................................................................. 11 II. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ................................................................... 16 INCORPORATING THE IPM PROGRAM INTO REFUGE MANAGEMENT ...................................................... 16 Endangered Species Management and Recovery ............................................................................... 16 Habitat Restoration ............................................................................................................................. 17 Resource Protection ............................................................................................................................ 17 Wildlife-dependent Recreation, Public Education and Outreach ....................................................... 18 IPM MANAGEMENT STRATEGY .............................................................................................................. 19 ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL ......................................................................................................................... 19 Resource-Based Refuge Management Unit Approach ........................................................................ 20 Targeted Species Approach ................................................................................................................ 20 III. INVASIVE AND PEST PLANT CONTROL ................................................................................. 26 INVASIVE AND PEST PLANT SPECIES MANAGEMENT: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Prevention and Early Detection of Weeds .......................................................................................... 26 Inventory and Monitoring ................................................................................................................... 27 Prioritization of Target Management Units and Species .................................................................... 28 Treatment ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Revegetation ........................................................................................................................................ 29 INVASIVE AND PEST PLANT CONTROL METHODS .................................................................................. 30 Cultural Control .................................................................................................................................. 31 Manual Control ................................................................................................................................... 32 Mechanical Control ............................................................................................................................ 33 Solarization ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Fire ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Biological Control .............................................................................................................................. 38 Chemical Control ................................................................................................................................ 41 Chemicals Currently Approved for Vegetation Management on AMNWR ......................................... 42 IV. INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES INVENTORY AND PRIORITIZATION ................................... 48 INVENTORY ............................................................................................................................................. 48 CHARACTERIZATION OF INFESTATIONS AND PRIORITIZATION BY MANAGEMENT APPROACH .............. 49 Sub-basin Management Units ............................................................................................................. 49 Spring and Reservoir Management Units ........................................................................................... 50 Targeted Species ................................................................................................................................. 50 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................. 51 3 TARGET SPECIES ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Acroptilon repens ................................................................................................................................ 59 Bassia hyssopifolia .............................................................................................................................. 62 Bromus rubens .................................................................................................................................... 63 Cardaria draba ................................................................................................................................... 67 Centaurea melitensis and C. solstitialis .............................................................................................. 72 Elaeagnus angustifolia ........................................................................................................................ 79 Phragmites australis ........................................................................................................................... 82 Solanum elaeagnifolium ...................................................................................................................... 87 Sorghum halepense ............................................................................................................................. 88 Tamarix ramosissima and related Tamarix species............................................................................ 91 Tribulus terrestris ............................................................................................................................... 94 Typha domingensis .............................................................................................................................. 95 VI. INVASIVE ANIMAL CONTROL ................................................................................................... 99 INVASIVE ANIMAL SPECIES MANAGEMENT: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES 99 Prevention and Early Detection of Invasive Animal Species .............................................................. 99 Inventory and Monitoring ................................................................................................................. 100 Prioritization of Target Management Units and Species .................................................................. 100 Treatment .......................................................................................................................................... 101 INVASIVE ANIMAL CONTROL METHODS............................................................................................... 102 Cultural Control ................................................................................................................................ 102 Physical Control ..............................................................................................................................