[APWG] Saharan mustard explosion imminent

[Jane_Cipra at nps.gov]

Death Valley National Park has so far been able to keep Saharan mustard
under control, but the tide is turning.  The first small population was
discovered on Artist's Drive in 2004.  This population was pulled and the
site is revisited every year.  In the spring of 2010 however, 8 other
populations were discovered in Death Valley spanning an area 100 miles long
and 30 miles wide.  All of these populations were pulled and revisited
repeatedly.  This year, in addition to pulling resprouts in the known
populations, I discovered a heavily infested area of about 10 acres
spreading off of a roadside and up a steep rocky slope, This population is
very close to Ashford Mill which is the location of Death Valley's premiere
annual wildflower display.  This population had also been Additional
populations have already been discovered along the roadsides on the
southwest corner of park including on the edge of the Dumont Dunes.

The Dumont Dunes is a major recreation area for off highway vehicles and I
am concerned about the potential for Saharan mustard to both colonize the
dunes and to spread further through vehicular transport.  Death Valley
National Park staff have so far been able to manage the invasions inside of
the park, but some level of control outside of the park is going to be
critical to success.  If anybody is looking for an outside edge to this
invasion  I would suggest that The Dumont Dunes and the highway north of
Baker would be a highly effective area to control.

Jane Cipra
Botanist
Death Valley National Park
PO Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328
760-786-3233