Invasion Age and Invader Removal Alter Species Cover and Composition at the Suisun Tidal Marsh, California, USA

Estrella, Sarah; Kneitel, Jamie M.

doi:10.3390/d3020235

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Terrestrial vertebrates, such as feral cats (Felis catus) and house mice, affect the species through predation and competition, respectively. Invasive plants are a large concern (USFWS 2013); species such as smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), common reed (Phragmites australis), and perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) alter habitat structure and may displace native flora and fauna (Takekawa et al 2006;Estrella and Kneitel 2011;Wigginton et al 2014). Aquatic invasive plants can alter flows and displace native species in the estuary, which affects SMHM habitat (Moyle et al 2010).…”

Section: Threatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery: A Review

Smith¹,

Riley²,

Barthman–Thompson³

et al. 2018

SFEWS

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The salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM, Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species, endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. Despite being protected for almost half a century and being included in a large number of recovery, restoration, and management plans, significant data gaps hinder conservation and management of the species, a challenge further complicated by developing threats such as climate change. In this review, we present the current state of knowledge; highlight research gaps on habitat requirements and distribution, taxonomic status and genetic structure, physiology, reproduction and demographics, population dynamics, and behavior and community interactions; and present an overview of threats to the species. Our review indicates that substantial data gaps exist; although some aspects of SMHM ecology, such as habitat use, have been addressed extensively, others, such as the effects of environmental contamination, are largely unaddressed. We suggest that conservation and restoration-planning processes consider experimental approaches within restoration designs to address these deficiencies. Continued investment in basic and applied SMHM ecology to collect baseline and longterm data will also be beneficial. Additionally, further coordination among managers and researchers can facilitate more effective responses to uncertainties and emerging threats, especially climate change, which threatens the SMHM and its habitat throughout its range.

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Section: Threatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery: A Review

Smith¹,

Riley²,

Barthman–Thompson³

et al. 2018

SFEWS

Self Cite

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“…First, competition for water and other resources further reduces native species density, biomass, and species richness of a site [35]. This is followed by reduction in native species growth, which depletes the native seedbank and, finally, subtle changes of soil biological and chemical properties may occur that hinder repopulation by native plants [36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass, or warm-season grasses) also influences community composition response to different burn timings [24]. Results from these diverse studies indicate that individual plant and community responses to burn timing could assist or hamper land managers in their goal to manipulate species composition.A second method of influencing grassland composition is adding or withholding nutrients, with or without prescribed burns [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Burning changes nutrient cycling [26,27].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Warm-Season Native Grass Biomass Using Fire, Herbicide, and Nitrogen Applications

Clay¹,

Smart²,

Clay³

2020

Grasses and Grassland Aspects

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The North American Great Plains tallgrass prairie was once a system of native cool and warm season grasses, which have been degraded by non-native invasive plants. Native grass restoration is highly desirable to improve ecosystem functions and productivity. In this two-year study, the impact of fire, herbicide, and nitrogen on productivity and the presence of invasive species [primarily the cool season grass, smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.)] and native warm season native grass species [big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), sideoats and blue grama (Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.), and B. gracilis (Willd. Ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths] were investigated. Spring fire or a glyphosate application increased warm season grass biomass and decreased cool season grass biomass at peak warm season growth (August) during the treatment year. A second consecutive year of fire or herbicide further increased warm season grass biomass. If left untreated in the second year, cool season grasses tended to increase when sampled in August. Longterm management implementation is needed to suppress the tenacious cool season species and encourage the reestablishment of warm season grass populations.Grasses and Grassland Aspects 2 species are estimated to be present on 82% of its 9.7 million ha of rangeland, and account for at least 25% of the relative canopy cover on 22% of these areas.Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and smooth brome are typically cited as the most invasive cool season species in the Northern Great Plains, accounting for over 10% of all plant cover and 62% of exotic species cover [9,10]. Infestations progress from scattered patches to over 90% of a pasture in 30 yrs. [11]. These C 3 species suppress native cool and warm season grass production and can create negative feedback cycles that increasingly perpetuate favorable microclimates for the invasive species, making restoration to natives increasingly difficult [12,13]. Cool season grasses become dominant by breaking dormancy very early in the season and outcompeting later emerging plants for nutrients, water, and light [13,14], and later, forming a thick thatch layer that does not readily decompose [12,13,15], which slows soil warming, shades the soil surface, and delays the growth of warm season plants [16,17].Management practices are needed that reduce invasive species competitiveness and enhance growth and productivity of native species [11,18]. Spring burns remove thatch layers, allowing up to 40% more sunlight to reach the soil surface [17], which increases soil temperatures, provides more direct light to small plants that could be stunted by shading, and removes or sets back growth of cool-season species, thus reducing competition from larger more vigorous plants. Hulbert [19] reported that thatch removal and exposing the soil surface to light resulted in an increase of warm season species vegetative and reproductive productivity regardless of how the thatch was removed (e.g. clipped or burned). Native warm season grass biomass had greater re...

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“…In addition, plants may have altered the ecosystem and abiotic processes (e.g. soil salt content) such that pre-invasion communities cannot be restored (Busch and Smith 1993;Estrella and Kneitel 2011;Kerns et al 2009;Tomanek and Ziegler 1962). Therefore, the best defense against saltcedar is to identify and remove plants before they become well-established.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Greater control often is achieved at less expense when perennial weeds are treated as seedlings, immature plants, or in young stands (Estrella and Kneitel 2011;Smith et al 2002;Westbrooks 2004) yet only a few control techniques are reported for young (a few weeks to one growing-season old) saltcedar plants. Flooding has been reported to control saltcedar plants between 4 and 10 wk old if completely submerged for .25 d (Gladwin and Roelle 1998;Horton et al 1960;Sprenger et al 2001).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Control Treatments on Young Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) Plants

Ohrtman

Clay

Waughtel

et al. 2014

Invasive plant sci. manag.

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Preventing the establishment of saltcedar in new areas requires early detection and rapid response. However, it is unclear when saltcedar develops perennating tissue and which treatments are most efficacious for young plants. The effectiveness of mowing, herbicide, and fire treatments, alone and in combination, was evaluated on saltcedar plants grown from seed to 4, 8, and 12 wk age in 2011 and 6 and 12 wk age in 2012. Plants were clipped to 2 cm height or remained intact. Plants were then exposed to no treatment (control), herbicide application (0.12 mg ae imazapyr), or treated with fire for 30 or 60 s. Six weeks after treatment, plant survival and tallest living shoot height were recorded and roots were dried and weighed for biomass comparison. Saltcedar survival increased with greater plant age. No 4-wk-old plants survived herbicide or fire treatments, whereas 6-wk-old plants were eliminated by fire. Clipping alone did not control plants of any age but clipping before fire was the most effective control for older plants. Herbicide alone did not kill 8- and 12-wk-old plants during the study period, but reduced plant vigor suggests that these applications may be effective in the long-term. Fire alone for 60 s was the most effective single treatment for 12-wk-old plants. Root biomass was reduced for all treatments relative to untreated plants with the lowest biomass typically associated with fire treatments. Resprouts were shortest for combined clipping and herbicide and clipping and fire treatments. Results indicate that saltcedar grown from seed can develop viable belowground reproductive tissues between 6 and 8 wk after germination. Multiple intensive control practices may be required to kill saltcedar plants ≥8 wk of age, whereas younger plants can be controlled by single, less-intensive treatments such as fire.

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Invasion Age and Invader Removal Alter Species Cover and Composition at the Suisun Tidal Marsh, California, USA

Cited by 4 publications

References 46 publications

Towards Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery: A Review

Towards Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery: A Review

Increasing Warm-Season Native Grass Biomass Using Fire, Herbicide, and Nitrogen Applications

Effectiveness of Control Treatments on Young Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) Plants

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