<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Mid-Atlantic
Invasive Plant Council 2015 Conference <br>
<b><i>Advances in Invasive Plant Science:</i></b><i> Applying research
outcomes to management and restoration at the species, community, and landscape
levels</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Tuesday,
August 4 & Wednesday, August 5, 2015<br>
Juniata College, Ellis Hall Ballroom<br>
Huntingdon, PA</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Registration
for the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council’s 2015 conference “<b>Advances in
Invasive Plant Science,</b>” August 4<sup>th</sup> & 5<sup>th</sup> at
Juniata College, is now active. Please go to <a href="http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/ed_conference_ipc.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/ed_conference_ipc.shtml</span></a> to
register and view the full agenda. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Breakfast,
lunch, and snacks during break times and the poster session are included in the
registration fee, but dinner will not be covered and will not be available at
the campus cafeteria. Dorm room housing is available on campus for about
$40-$50 per night. There is a link to Juniata’s room reservation website
at the bottom of the registration page.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">There
will be a poster session and reception after the plenary sessions on the first
day of the conference. Posters relating to invasive plant projects,
research, and restoration will be accepted on a first-come first-served
basis. The session will be curated by the MAIPC Board. Sponsorship
opportunities are still available as well. Send inquiries to Jenn Truong
at <a href="mailto:invasivegirl@yahoo.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">invasivegirl@yahoo.com</span></a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Finally,
many thanks are due to the Morris Arboretum for handling registration and other
logistics for our conference again this year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Thank
you,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Damien P. Ossi</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wildlife Biologist</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fisheries and Wildlife Division</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">District Dept. of Environment</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">1200 First Street NE; Fifth Floor</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Washington, DC 20002</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">202-741-0840</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><a href="mailto:damien.ossi@dc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">damien.ossi@dc.gov</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Join
researchers and invasive plant managers as they come together to discuss the
latest invasive plant research and how it can be used to increase the
effectiveness of invasive plant management strategies.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Managing
invasive plants in the Mid-Atlantic region can be complicated. The area
encompasses urban lands and wilderness areas, stretches from coastal swamps to
high mountain forests, and includes numerous well-established invasive
species. Adding to the complexity are the threats of newly-emerging invasive
species, the recent addition of biocontrol vectors, and the role of restoration
in recently-managed areas. With all of these factors, a scientific
approach to managing invasive plants is critical to success.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Through
a number of case studies our invited speakers will present their recent applied
research on invasive plants. Research topics will cover applied
management at the species, ecosystem, and landscape levels. We will cover
effective control strategies: biocontrol vectors, pre-emergent herbicides,
early detection of new species, and cooperative weed management areas.
Restoration projects in wilderness areas and urban habitats will be discussed
along with information on re-vegetation, weed risk assessment, and impacts on
pollinators.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>We
will also have a field session to cover species identification, mapping tools,
and chemical techniques.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Time
will be available for questions, discussion, and networking with speakers and
attendees. We invite you to join us for this 9th Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant
Council Conference. It will be an exciting and informative two-day meeting.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">· Day
One, August 4</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>8:15am
Registration and Continental Breakfast</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>9:00am
Welcome and Introduction</b> —Damien
Ossi, <i>President, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council</i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>9:10am
Keynote Talk: Invasive Plants Are NOT for the Birds</b><i>—Johnny Randall, Director of
Conservation Programs, North Carolina Botanical Garden, The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill</i><br>
The co-evolutionary relationship between birds and the dispersal of fleshy
fruits has gone bad. The bird/plant mutualism benefits multitudes of plants
(for the effective dispersal of fruits/seeds) and birds (that receive a
nutritious “reward”). Non-native plants (both invasive and benign) have
“spoiled” this relationship by facilitating invasive plant spread, competing
with native plants for fleshy fruit dispersal, and altering bird nutrition. In
this presentation I will discuss the relationship between and among these
separate but related phenomena for some of the common and incipient invasive
plants in our region.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>10:10am
Break</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>10:30am
Ecological Restoration of Invaded Urban Forests: What Is Possible?</b> <i>—Lea Johnson, Assistant
Professor at the University of Maryland</i><br>
More than half of humanity now lives in cities. Municipalities are increasingly
turning to ecological restoration of urban forests to provide ecosystem
services that cannot be outsourced. These forests are subjected to ongoing
human-caused disturbances that provide challenges to restoration, from extreme fragmentation
and local atmospheric warming to frequent introduction of non-native, invasive
species. Studies of the effects of restoration treatments after 15-20 years in
New York City Park forests invaded by non-native woody plants indicate both
successes and a need for possibility-based approaches to setting targets for
urban ecological restoration.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>11:00am
Using Research to Guide Invasive Plant Management Efforts in the Anacostia
River, a River in the Nation's Capital</b> <i>-Jorge
Bogantes Montero, Natural Resource Specialist, Stewardship Department,
Anacostia Watershed Society</i><br>
For the last 10 years, the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS), an environmental
non-profit organization in the Washington, DC area, has been tackling the
threat posed by invasive plant species in the wetlands, forests, and meadows of
the Anacostia River watershed, an urban watershed in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Throughout these years, AWS has been looking for ways to prioritize its
invasive plant management efforts to make them more successful. As a small
non-profit organization, scientific research has not been a top priority for
AWS. However, as a way to make invasive plant removal efforts more beneficial
and cost effective, AWS has started to measure the efficacy of its invasive
plant management efforts by conducting applied field research. This research
has made a difference in measuring removal success, recovery of native plant
community, and also to determine what removal techniques work best.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>11:30am
Prioritizing Early Detection Species in the National Capital Region</b> <i>—Mark Frey, Exotic Plant
Management Team Liaison, National Capital Region</i> <br>
Invasive plants are found throughout the mid-Atlantic and no one has the
resources to attack all plants impacting all areas. One important component of
an effective invasive plant control program is target species prioritization.
This presentation will discuss the qualitative and semi-quantitative
prioritization systems in use or development for the National Parks Service's
National Capital Region.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>12
noon Lunch</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>1:15pm
The Linville Gorge Wilderness: A Case Study in Adaptive Management</b> <i>—Ben Prater, Director of
Conservation, Wild South</i><br>
The 1964 Wilderness Act called for preservation of “natural” conditions in
wilderness areas. For wilderness managers, preserving natural conditions
has historically meant to do nothing or to actively prevent the
destruction of the resource by disturbance. In recent years, wilderness
managers have begun to see that this is a contradiction especially when it
comes to “natural” disturbances like wildfire. To further complicate matters we
now have threats to our wild places such as the invasion of exotic pests that
have drastic impacts on the “natural” conditions and wild character of
wilderness areas. Ben will use the Linville Gorge Wilderness, a fire-adapted
12,000 area with rare endemic plants, as a case study in adapting our
management strategies as our ecological knowledge expands, threats grow, and
our value for wilderness deepens. He will discuss the combined problems of the
ecological degradation due to fire suppression and the invasion of non-native
invasive plant species.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>1:45pm
Managing Co-Invaded Forest Ecosystems: Lessons from Research on
Co-Occurring Invasive Woody Shrubs</b> <i>—Sara
Kuebbing, Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental
Studies</i> <br>
It is now common to find multiple nonnative, invasive plant species growing
side by side in invaded habitats. Yet, a disproportionate amount of research
has focused on understanding the effects of single rather than multiple
invaders. This is true for eastern deciduous forests, which can be invaded by
multiple woody shrub species. I discuss how interactions between invasive
shrubs can alter their impacts on native plant communities and ecosystem
function, and how co-occurring shrubs may indirectly promote the presence of
other nonnative plants.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>2:15pm
Forming a Landowner-Centric Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA)</b> <i>—Rod Walker, One of the
founders of the Blue Ridge PRISM; landowner in Albemarle County, VA</i><br>
A brief introduction to CWMAs will be followed by an update on the Blue Ridge
PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management). The Blue Ridge
PRISM is the first CWMA to be headquartered in Virginia. It covers 10 counties
(almost 3 million acres) including the entire Shenandoah National Park. This
update will cover the strategies and plans for pulling together a large number
of diverse landowners to work toward common goals.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>2:45pm
Break</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>3:00pm
Mechanical and Biological Controls Methods for Japanese Stiltgrass
(Microstegium vimineum)</b> —Samantha
Nestory, <i>Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Delaware</i><br>
Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an invasive grass that poses a
major threat to the biodiversity of many natural areas throughout its
introduced range. While there are recommended control methods, few studies have
scientifically quantified the efficacy of these control methods. A study
conducted through the University of Delaware evaluated the effect of mowing
height on regrowth, reproductive output, and the resident plant community.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>3:30pm
Halt! Who Goes There? Maryland's Weed Risk Assessment Process</b> —Kerrie Kyde, <i>Invasive
Plant Ecologist/ Regional Biologist Natural Heritage Program, Maryland DNR -
Wildlife and Heritage Service</i><br>
In 2011, Maryland created an Invasive Plant Advisory Committee, and adopted a
formal risk assessment and ranking system for plants, largely those introduced
through ornamental horticulture, This session explains the background of the
law, the assessment tool and its use, and the current species rankings of
invasive plants within the state. The need for and development of the new
Statewide Eyes program is also described.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>4:00pm
Adjourn</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>5:00pm
Poster Session and Reception</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Day
Two, August 5</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>8:15am
Registration and Continental Breakfast</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>9:00am
Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council Business Meeting</b><i> —Damien Ossi, President, MAIPC</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>9:45am
Sustaining Native Pollinators: Beyond the Butterfly Garden</b> <i>-Deborah Delaney, assistant
professor of entomology in the Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Department at
the University of Delaware</i> <br>
If our native landscapes are to be “sustainable,” our native flora needs to be
able to self-perpetuate. This requires seed production and, in turn, the
services of pollinators. This presentation will discuss pollinators found
in the northeast and their nutritional requirements; the effect of land use on
pollinator health and diversity; and new data on pollinator preferences of
different plant cultivars within specific genera. Deborah will also cover
invasive Plants and their impacts on native pollinators.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>10:15am
Break</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>10:30am
The Ecology and Control of Wavyleaf Basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius)</b> <i>—Vanessa Beauchamp, Associate
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University</i><br>
In her talk Dr. Beauchamp will cover habitat, seed production, dispersal and
competitive ability of wavyleaf basketgrass, a relatively new forest understory
invader in the mid-Atlantic. She will also talk about an ongoing herbicide
control study and a new citizen-science initiative to map the distribution of
wayleaf basketgrass.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>11:00am
Hits and Misses: Managing Japanese Stiltgrass with Preemergence Herbicides</b><i>—Art Gover, Research Support Associate
with the Roadside Vegetation Management Project of the Department of
Horticulture at the Penn State University</i><br>
This talk will review the specifics of using pre-emergence herbicides to manage
stiltgrass, compare this approach to postemergent methods, and consider how
this approach integrates with other management tools and management of other
species in the same setting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>11:30am
Source materials for ecological restoration and the role of local adaptation</b> —Norris Muth, associate professor
of biology at Juniata College—Managing the invasive species in a site is but
one important aspect of the larger goal of restoration. Whether the goals of a
project include restoration of function, aesthetics, or a particular community
composition, it is always necessary to consider what might come after the weeds
are gone (if we should be so fortunate). In the most promising of cases, native
or desirable plants may colonize a site at an acceptable rate, unassisted. In
other cases it is often necessary to play a more active role towards shaping
the future vegetation by intentional introduction or reintroduction of selected
species. This type of management leads to a number of potentially non-trivial
decisions, including, from where should our restored plants be sourced?
Addressing this question carefully is important as it will affect the ultimate
success of the effort, the price tag and logistical ease of the project, and
the ecological and evolutionary future of the site and the species therein. Our
presentation here aims to address some of the major concerns about revegetation
provenance choices with a particular focus on the role and scope of local
adaptation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>12
noon Lunch</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>IPC
Strike Team Field Demonstration</b><br>
During this session participants will take a 15 minute stroll to the Peace Chapel
Natural Area. The Peace Chapel occupies 14 acres just east of the Juniata
College campus, off Warm Springs Avenue in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and is
part of the larger 315-acre Baker-Henry Nature Preserve. The preserve was
originally donated to Juniata by John C. Baker and C. Jewett Henry as a bird
sanctuary and land preserve. The crew from one of Invasive Plant Control,
Inc’s (IPC) Mid Atlantic Strike Teams will be onsite to demonstrate the
tools, equipment, and various methods used to treat some of the common
invasives in the Mid Atlantic including Ailanthus and spotted
knapweed. IPC’s strike teams travel thousands of miles each year
selectively treating invasives in natural area and are currently developing a
model EDRR Strike Team for the Department of Defense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>3:30pm
Return to Conference Room and Adjourn</b></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div>