Severe Sericea lespedeza infestation in a 15-year old prairie reconstruction, Sept 2003.

 

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Invasive Species at CERA

Invasive species pose a serious threat to our ability to preserve, restore, recreate, and maintain native ecosystems at CERA. Invasives are native or non-native species that disrupt the structure and functioning of native ecosystems. The following list includes non-native species we are trying to control in each type of habitat.

Prairie Invaders

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Crown vetch (Coronilla varia)
Yellow and White sweetclovers (Melilotus officinale, M. alba)
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis)
Smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

Savanna/Woodland Invaders

Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)
Honeysuckles (Lonicera maackii, L. tartarica)
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis)
Smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

Wetland Invaders

Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

Generalists/Disturbed Area Invaders

Wild carrot/Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota)
Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
Burdock (Arctium minus)

Control & Monitoring

Herbicides, mowing, hand-cutting, prescribed burning, and combinations of all of these methods are used to control invasives at CERA. Generally, biennial species like wild carrot, wild parsnip, and sweetclovers are controlled by cutting flowering stems prior to seed set. Perennial grasses are controlled by carefully timing prescribed fire. Herbicides are used extensively to control perennial forbs (Sericea lespedeza, Canada thistle, crown vetch) and woody shrubs and trees (multiflora rose, honeysuckles, black locust) in combination with frequent prescribed burns.

goats eating sericea lespedeza in prairie at CERAIn 2008 we began two field experiments to determine the effectiveness of goats for control of multiflora rose in a wooded habitat and sericea lespedeza in a reconstructed prairie (see student research papers below). The experimental goat treatment was applied during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The goats will browse in the experimental paddocks in both habitats again in 2010, with oversight, inquiry, field data collection, and analyses by two MAP students. 

Extensive monitoring is conducted each year to evaluate the effectiveness of all control methods. Numbers and locations of cut plants are recorded in work journals and numbers and locations of plants cut and/or treated with herbicides are documented in herbicide records. Systematic monitoring data have been collected since the 2001 growing season. Contact the CERA Manager for access to these data.

Student Research

  • Alward, Sarah E. 2003. Using herbarium records to document plant invasions in Iowa. MAP, Vince Eckhart.
  • Perbix, Brian. 2008. First year of prescribed rotational goat (Capra hircus hircus) browsing in Iowa prairie: potential for controlling Lespedeza cuneata, a nonnative invasive perennial legume. MAP, Kathy Jacobson and Larissa Mottl.
  • Johnson, Curran. 2008. First year use of prescribed, rotational goat browsing to control multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), an exotic, invasive shrub in Iowa woodlands. MAP, Kathy Jacobson and Larissa Mottl.

Links