[APWG] Microstegium in West Virginia--get a truckload of money together!

Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Wed May 19 08:14:03 CDT 2004


Introducing Chasmanthium where Microstegium (JSG) has been removed is an
interesting idea.  It's native to the area in question (the Appalachians).
It does ok in the shade, but does even better in the sun (which is
apparently where JSG takes hold - in forest gaps).  So, it would be really
cool if Chasmanthium could comepte with/fend off JSG.   I see also that
Chasmanthium has ornamental value - so it might very well be of interest to
landowners who are already turned on to the idea of managing their forests
for NTFPs.

Two questions - they are basic but I'm not in the "restoration" business so
I'm not up on the latest info....

1. Is there information on whether Chasmanthium would crowd out/compete
with other understory species (such as ginseng, black cohosh, etc.)?

2. I understand the soil becomes depleted/altered as a result of JSG
infestation.  I suppose there is some methodology for "correcting" this
once JSG is removed - ?

-Patricia

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>



|---------+---------------------------------------->
|         |           A & T Schrum                 |
|         |           <agschrum at mindspring.com>    |
|         |           Sent by:                     |
|         |           APWG-bounces at lists.plantconse|
|         |           rvation.org                  |
|         |                                        |
|         |                                        |
|         |           05/18/2004 03:15 PM          |
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  |        To:      apwg at lists.plantconservation.org                                                             |
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  |        Subject: Re: [APWG] Microstegium in West Virginia--get a truckload of      money together!            |
  >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




Back to the Microstegium topic...

In areas of the SE where it's native, experiments re-introducing
Chasmanthium latifolium into areas troubled with Microstegium have shown
great promise.  Since it is also an aggressive seed producer and has the
advantage of being perennial, C. latifolium seems to be able to do well
against Microstegium.  Now, this may not be the best solution, but the
approach sounds interesting.

T. Schrum

Bill Stringer wrote:

> One of our first priorities should be to develop economically viable
> sources of seed of most native species (locally (read regionally)
> adapted) sources of all but the most commonly used native species.
> This will take away the need to buy seeds! -any seeds! by government
> agencies.
>
> Bill
>
> At 06:52 PM 5/17/2004 Monday, Craig Dremann wrote:
>
>> Dear Patricia and Russ,
>>
>> Stiltgrass in West Virginia is becoming a tiny, little problem?
>>
>> Unfortunately, everyone who is watching the Stiltgrass starting to get a
>> root-hold in WV in 2004,  is like the unfortunate Californians in
>> 1769-1820 watching the annual European grasses smother about 100 million
>> acres of native perennial grasslands here.
>>
>> And after 150 years, we're Californian's are barely making any headway
>> in figuring out how to manage any of these 1,000 exotic plant that are
>> now "naturalized", nor has there been any substantial economic interest
>> so far in making any serious investments in managing the exotics in the
>> California or the rest of the USA (with the exception of Rook's project
>> in Florida).
>>
>> Plus, the Federal government is still developing (ARS, NRCS, etc.) and
>> releasing new invasive exotics every decade, and BLM and the USFS still
>> purchasing exotic invasive plant seeds by the millions of pounds
>> annually, and sowing them onto public lands.  You can read about that at
>> http://www.ecoseeds.com/juicy.gossip.six.html
>>
>> We must start making the investment necessary to invent the processes
>> and technologies that can successfully convert each exotic
>> species-infestations back to local native ecosystems.
>>
>> Otherwise,  I'm afraid that each State in the USA should pull up their
>> chairs, grab a box of popcorn and watch a rerun of the horror-film that
>> Californians saw 150 years ago---when our state (outside of the Mojave
>> desert) from sea level to 3,000 feet elevation was 99.99% carpeted by
>> about 1,000 exotics.
>>
>> I gave a talk last year on this issue in Monterey at a BLM conference on
>> Weeds, that you can read about at http://www.ecoseeds.com/talk.html
>>
>> Sincerely,  Craig Dremann, The Reveg Edge (650) 325-7333
>> Box 609, Redwood City, CA 94064
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> APWG mailing list
>> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
>>
http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org

>>
>
>
>
> William C. Stringer
> Forage Agronomist &
> Native Plant Enthusiast
> Clemson University
>
> Entomology, Soils and Plant Science
> 279 P&AS Bldg
> PO Box 0315
> Clemson, SC  29634
>
> 864 656 3527  Voice
> 864 656 3443  FAX
>
> _______________________________________________
> APWG mailing list
> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
>
http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org

>
>



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