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<DIV><FONT size=4>Russ/APWG:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I hope you'll follow up with the results of the analysis. What
follows is pure speculation/conjecture, but if it will serve as a stimulus
toward a more solid course, maybe it will be worth considering. You have been
forewarned! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>My first thought is that it may take additional lab work to
identify "the cause." Sometimes natural phenomena, as you know, are complex. If
an organism is found, or some chemical signature of one, that may or may not
mean that "inoculation" with that organism will necessarily, in of itself, be
effective as a "control" method. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>You might want to do some comparative field studies of areas
where the stiltgrass is in various stages of decline, areas where it is
"stable," and areas where it is advancing, and chart other characteristics of
the sites, such as the species diversity, distribution, density, and age. It
looks like the site is second-growth of significant age since the last
disturbance, judging by the trees, the apparent diversity of companion herbs,
and the downed timber. Judging by the colonization of some of that timber and
the relatively "clean" nature of other pieces (which look like they might be
split--intentionally, by lightning strike, or ?), there could be a history of
multiple disturbances, some perhaps "major" and some relatively "minor."
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I have a gut feeling that this might be due to increasing
diversity (shall we say "maturity?") of site soil characteristics (which can
vary a lot from one small location to another, perhaps combined with simple
factors such as the amount and intensity of solar radiation and ecosystem
dynamics such as the buildup of vectors, populations of organisms, and
increasingly favorable habitat conditions therefor. There may or may not be a
single "silver bullet;" a number of big guns and little guns, and even lesser
guns* may be "required" to achieve the die-off you have observed. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>A key player might be (mycorrhizal) fungi, nutrient
sequestration/availability, which may be connected to other soil chemistry
effects, which might be combined with biological ones. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I look forward with interest to reports of your further work.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>WT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=ForestRuss@aol.com
href="mailto:ForestRuss@aol.com">ForestRuss@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=APWG@lists.plantconservation.org
href="mailto:APWG@lists.plantconservation.org">APWG@lists.plantconservation.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, September 01, 2009 6:48
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [APWG] Microstegium
question</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>APWG:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am a forester in central WV and have been involved with fighting the
spread of Japanese stiltgrass for most of the past decade.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Everything I have read about stiltgrass indicates that there are no known
diseases of the plant that have an impact on its health or spread.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A couple of years ago I started to notice that in some places the
stiltgrass was dying.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This year in some portions of WV there is a massive die off of stiltgrass
with 100% of some populations dying. My thought it that it could be a
virus of some sort.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have taken a tremendous amount of photos of the changes in the
stiltgrass plants and below are a few images. When the plants die the
thatch is different and the stiltgrass is decomposing much more rapidly than
when they go their full life cycle. There are many areas where there
will be no seed produced this year.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Samples of the grass were taken to WVU in Morgantown, WV last week to see
what was killing the plants.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Below are a couple of photos.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thank you for your thoughts or comments.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Russ Richardson, Certified Forester</DIV>
<DIV>Crummies Creek Tree Farm</DIV>
<DIV>PO Box 207</DIV>
<DIV>Arnoldsburg, WV 25234</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG id=MA1.1251812596 style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 320px" height=320
src="cid:056b01ca2b3e$f2779390$6401a8c0@wayneb2f97d881" width=480 vspace=5
DATASIZE="50622" comp_state="speed"></DIV>
<DIV>Spots on the leaves is the first sign that the plants are sick.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG id=MA2.1251812596 style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 320px" height=320
src="cid:056c01ca2b3e$f2779390$6401a8c0@wayneb2f97d881" width=480 vspace=5
DATASIZE="69439" comp_state="speed"></DIV>
<DIV>It moves pretty quickly once lesions show up on the leaves.</DIV>
<DIV><IMG id=MA3.1251812596 style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 320px" height=320
src="cid:056d01ca2b3e$f2779390$6401a8c0@wayneb2f97d881" width=480 vspace=5
DATASIZE="77806" comp_state="speed"></DIV>
<DIV>Most of the straw on the ground is stiltgrass that died already.</DIV>
<DIV><IMG id=MA4.1251812596 style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 320px" height=320
src="cid:056e01ca2b3e$f2779390$6401a8c0@wayneb2f97d881" width=480 vspace=5
DATASIZE="86232" comp_state="speed"></DIV>
<DIV>The tan area in the center of the photo is dead and dying
stiltgrass.</DIV>
<DIV><IMG id=MA5.1251812596 style="WIDTH: 480px; HEIGHT: 320px" height=320
src="cid:056f01ca2b3e$f2779390$6401a8c0@wayneb2f97d881" width=480 vspace=5
DATASIZE="79486" comp_state="speed"></DIV>
<DIV>The last plants in an area that was almost waist high a month
ago.</DIV></FONT>
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