Invasive plant management in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve: 2015 summary report

Frank PA. 2016. Invasive plant management in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve: 2015 summary report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/WRST/NRR—2016/1126. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado

This report summarizes work conducted by the Exotic Plant Management Team (EPMT) in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST) during the 2015 field season. This summer marked the eleventh consecutive year WRST staff have inventoried and controlled invasive plants in the park, preserve and adjoining gateway communities. The 2015 WRST EPMT consisted of one National Park Service (NPS) Biological Science Technician stationed at Park Headquarters in Copper Center. Field work was focused on the following objectives: Monitor and control known infestations; survey for and document new infestations; and prevent the spread of invasive species through NPS activities. EPMT staff devoted close to 400 field hours toward managing invasive species found in and around the park. A total of 193.95 acres were surveyed by EPMT staff during the 2015 field season, of which a total of 9.98 acres were found to be infested. Of the 9.98 infested acres, a total of 3.55 acres were treated by means of manual and chemical control resulting in 249 bags of plant material with a combined weight of 5,261 pounds. In total, 26 invasive species were documented by the WRST EPMT. Two new species, Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus) and meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratense), were documented for the first time on park lands in 2015. Throughout the season, seed from 30 native species was collected with a combined weight of 12.75 pounds. The collection efforts included 10 new species which were added to the parks seed bank for the first time. Seeds collected this season will be used for future restoration projects in the Kennecott National Historic Landmark.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Frank, Peter
Date of Issue
2016-01
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
AKEPMT , CAKN , NRSS , WRST
Keywords
Alaska, Alaska EPMT, alsike clover, Chitina, common chickweed, common dandelion, common lambsquarters, common pepperweed, common plantain, common tansy, common timothy, Copper Basin, Copper Center, EDRR, EPMT, European stickseed, Exotic, exotic plant management, field pennycress, flixweed, Flora, Invasive, McCarthy, meadow foxtail, Nabesna, narrowleaf hawksbeard, National Park, oxeye daisy, pineapple weed, Plants, Preserve, prostrate knotweed, quackgrass, red clover, scentless false mayweed, shepherd's purse, Siberian wildrye, smooth brome, Vascular Plants, Vegetation, Vegetation Management, white clover, white sweetclover, Wrangell-St. Elias, WRST, yellow sweetclover, yellow toadflax
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Invasive Species | Invasive/Exotic plants

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