Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T02:24:21.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Managing Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) in a Constructed Grassland with Aminopyralid and Prescribed Fire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Greta G. Gramig  and
Amy C. Ganguli
Greta G. Gramig*
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, 166 Loftsgard Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102
Amy C. Ganguli
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Sciences, 166 Loftsgard Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Green spaces such as golf courses that intermingle within or exist on fringes of urban landscapes can provide opportunities for increasing the ecological value of urban areas. To that end, more naturalistic and less input-intensive “links”-style golf courses have recently gained favor over input-intensive parkland courses. The Osgood Public Golf Course in Fargo, ND is a links-style golf course set adjacent to suburban housing developments. This course incorporated large areas of prairie plantings, or “constructed grasslands,” which over time became dominated by fescue species and infested with Canada thistle. Our objective was to explore the efficacy of using prescribed fire combined with aminopyralid herbicide to control Canada thistle and promote a more diverse mix of warm-season C4 and cool-season C3 grasses. Aminopyralid was applied during fall 2010 and prescribed fire was applied during spring 2011. We found that aminopyralid provided excellent control of Canada thistle 1 and 2 yr post-treatment. Open niches created from Canada thistle control were readily filled by C3 grasses, primarily fescue species, which were the dominant species on the constructed grasslands prior to treatment. Fire intensity was variable within and across plots and was associated with reductions of litter and C3 grasses, but was not associated with increases of C4 grasses within the time frame of this study. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of aminopyralid for Canada thistle control in constructed grasslands. Prescribed fire maintained C3 grass dominance while removing litter, but C4 grass response was variable and appeared dependent on pretreatment C4 species abundance. Reduction of litter in constructed grasslands dominated by fescue could potentially lead to microsite conditions that would favor C4 and other C3 species, especially if short-term management promoted additional facilitation efforts, such as repeat spring fire treatments and seeding.

Keywords

AminopyralidCanada thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. CIRARCool-season grassesgolf coursegrassland restorationprescribed fireurban grasslandwarm-season grasses
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , June 2015 , pp. 243 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Alexander, JM, D’Antonio, CM (2003) Seedbank dynamics of French broom in coastal California grasslands: effects of stand age and prescribed burning on control and restoration. Restor Ecol 11:185–197 Google Scholar
Andersson, E, Barthel, S, Borgström, S, Colding, J, Elmqvist, T, Folke, C, Gren, Å (2014) Reconnecting cities to the biosphere: stewardship of green infrastructure and urban ecosystem services. Ambio 43:445–453 Google Scholar
Bahm, MA, Barnes, TG, and Jensen, KC (2011) Herbicide and fire effects on smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) in invaded prairie remnants. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 4:189–197 Google Scholar
Bartlett, MD, James, LT (2011) A model of greenhouse gas emissions from the management of turf on two golf courses. Sci Total Environ 409:1357–1367 Google Scholar
Colding, J, Folke, C (2009) The role of golf courses in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Ecosystems 12:191–206 Google Scholar
Diboll, N (1986) Mowing as an alternative to spring burning for control of cool-season exotic grasses in prairie grass plantings. Pages 204–209 in. Proceedings of the Ninth North American Prairie Conference, Moorhead MN University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Google Scholar
DiTomaso, JM, Brooks, ML, Allen, EB, Minnich, R, Rice, PM, Kyser, GB (2006) Control of invasive weeds with prescribed burning. Weed Technol 20:535–548 Google Scholar
Enloe, SF, Lym, RG, Wilson, R, Westra, P, Nissen, S, Beck, G, Moechnig, M, Peterson, V, Masters, RA, Halstvedt, M (2007) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) control with aminopyralid in range, pasture, and noncrop areas. Weed Technol 21:890–894 Google Scholar
Goddard, MA, Dougill, AJ, Benton, TG (2009) Scaling up from gardens: biodiversity conservation in urban environments. Trends Ecol Evol 25:90–98 Google Scholar
Grace, JB, Smith, MD, Grace, SL, Collins, SL, Stohlgren, TJ (2002) Interactions between fire and invasive plants in temperate grasslands of North America. Pages 40–65 in Galley, KEM, Wilson, TP, eds Proceedings of the Invasive Species Workshop: the Role of Fire in the Control and Spread of Invasive Species. Fire Conference 2000: the First National Congress on Fire Ecology, Prevention, and Management. Miscellaneous Publication No. 11. Tallahassee, FL Tall Timbers Research Station Google Scholar
Hulbert, LC. (1988) Causes of fire effects in tallgrass prairie. Ecology 69:46–58 Google Scholar
Jacobs, JS, Sheley, RL (2003) Prescribed fire effects on Dalmation toadflax. J Range Manag 56:193–197 Google Scholar
Jansson, Å. (2013) Reaching for a sustainable, resilient urban future using the lens of ecosystem services. Ecol Econ 86:285–291 Google Scholar
Kilde, R. (2000) Going Native: A Prairie Restoration Handbook for Minnesota Landowners. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Section of Ecological Services, Scientific and Natural Areas Program. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/backyard/prairierestoration/goingnative.pdf. Accessed May 9, 2014Google Scholar
Lesica, P, Martin, B (2003) Effects of prescribed fire and season of burn on recruitment of the invasive exotic plant, Potentilla recta, in a semiarid grassland. Restor Ecol 11:516–523 Google Scholar
Lyman, GT, Throssell, CS, Johnson, ME, Stacey, GA (2007) Golf course profile describes turfgrass, landscape, and environmental stewardship features. Appl Turfgrass Sci DOI: 10.1094/ATS-2007-1107-01-RSGoogle Scholar
McGranahan, DA, Engel, DM, Fuhlendorf, SD, Miller, JR, Debinski, DM (2012) An invasive cool-season grass complicates prescribed fire management in a native warm-season grassland. Nat Area J 32:208–214 Google Scholar
McKinney, ML (2002) Urbanization, biodiversity, and conservation. BioScience 52:883–890 Google Scholar
McKinney, ML (2006) Urbanization as a major cause of biotic homogenization. Biol Conserv 127:247–260 Google Scholar
Samuel, LW, Lym, RG (2008) Aminopyralid effects on Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) and native plant species. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 1:265–268 Google Scholar
Simmons, MT, Windhager, S, Power, P, Lott, J, Lyons, RK, Schwope, C (2007) Selective and non-selective control of invasive plants: the short-term effects of growing-season prescribed fire, herbicide, and mowing in two Texas prairies. Restor Ecol 15:662–669 Google Scholar
Tanner, RA, Gange, AC (2005) Effects of golf courses on local biodiversity. Landsc Urban Plann 71:137–146 Google Scholar
Terman, MR. (1997) Natural links: naturalistic golf courses as wildlife habitat. Landsc Urban Plann 38:183–197 Google Scholar
Travnicek, AJ, Lym, RG, Prosser, C (2005) Fall-prescribed burn and spring-applied herbicide effects on Canada thistle control and soil seedbank in a northern mixed-grass prairie. Rangeland Ecol Manag 58:413–422 Google Scholar
Turner, MG, Romme, WH, Gardner, RH, Hargrove, WH (1997) Effects of fire size and pattern on early succession in Yellowstone National Park. Ecol Monogr 67:411–433 Google Scholar
Wheeler, K, Nauright, J (2006) A global perspective on the environmental impact of golf. Sport Soc 9:427–443 Google Scholar
Willson, GD, Stubbendieck, J (2000) A provisional model for smooth brome management in degraded tallgrass prairie. Ecol Restor 18:34–38 Google Scholar
Wright, HA, Bailey, AW (1982) Fire ecology: United States and Southern Canada. New York Wiley. 528 pGoogle Scholar