Going to the Mat: Biodegradable benthic mats for invasive aquatic plant control ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Andrew Tucker & Lindsay Chadderton (The Nature Conservancy) Anna K. Monfils, Blake Cahill, & Heather Dame (Central Michigan Univ) Pam Tyning & Paul Hausler (Progressive A/E) Ryan Thum (Montana State Univ) James McNair (Grand Valley State Univ) Conventional control options • Chemical • Mechanical • Biological • Physical www.blackoaklake.com (including shade/ smothering) Lance Wynn, The Grand Rapids Press Traditional barriers Traditional bottom barriers Lakemat.com Biodegradable benthic mats Caffrey et al. 2010 Aquatic Invasions 5: 123-129 Biodegradable benthic mats JUTE MAT JUTE FIBER JUTE PLANT Biodegradable benthic mats Hofstra & Clayton 2012 J Aquat. Plant Manage. 50: MISGP Integrated aquatic plant pest management: Refining and expanding the management toolbox Objectives 1) Understand mechanisms for variable success of herbicide treatment for EWM 2) Assess efficacy of herbicide treatments for CFW and SSW 3) Assess efficacy of benthic barriers to control EWM, CFW and SSW Cabomba caroliniana ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Cabomba caroliniana Discoverlife.org Sheldon Naive Cabomba caroliniana Cabomba caroliniana Cabomba caroliniana Invadingspecies.com Management options - Prevention - Chemical - Mechanical - Biological - Shading Schooler 2008. Shade as a management tool for Cabomba caroliniana. J. Aquat Plant Manage. 46: 168-171. Barton Lake (Kalamazoo Co., MI) Preliminary Rake Toss Survey 10m x 10m plots (benthic barriers and controls) 14 oz 17 oz Monitoring Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Deployment ©The Nature Conservancy/Big Foot Media Results Taxa Richness Before After M1 3 0 By frequency of occurrence in quadrats: Cabomba caroliniana (Carolina fanwort) M2 3 1 Potamogeton spp (pondweed) Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed) M3 3 2 Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil) Ceratophyllum demersum (Coontail) Heteranthera dubia (water stargrass) C1 4 7 Stuckenia pectinata (sago pondweed) Myriophyllum verticillatum (native milfoil) C2 4 3 C3 7 4 Results Results Results Results Results Results Challenges Mat maintenance Challenges Challenges Non-target impacts Challenges Scale & Cost Next Steps & Future Opportunities - Long-term monitoring - Mat decay - Re-establishment of native vegetation? - Non-target impacts - Assess efficacy of cheaper & lighter burlap - Consider application for other species and/or other locations Acknowledgements - Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program (MISGP) - Sarah LeSage (MDEQ) - Bill Keiper (MDEQ) - Andrew Clare (CMU) - Alanna Johnston (CMU) - Jason Whalen & Big Foot Media.