Problematic plant monitoring in Homestead National Monument of America: 2006–2017
Young CC. 2020. Problematic plant monitoring in Homestead National Monument of America: 2006–2017. Natural Resource Report. NPS/HTLN/NRR—2020/2091. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Managers are challenged with the impact of problematic plants, including exotic, invasive, and pest plant species. Information on the abundance, distribution, and location of these plants is essential for developing risk-based approaches to managing these species. Based on surveys conducted in 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017, Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network staff and contractors identified a cumulative total of 20 potentially problematic plant species in Homestead National Monument of America (NMA). Of the 13 species found in 2017, we characterized 4 as very low frequency, 4 as low frequency, 2 as medium frequency, and 3 as high frequency. Only a single species, smooth brome, exceeded a 10-acre threshold. Three of the four most abundant species were invasive grasses: Kentucky bluegrass, reed canarygrass, and smooth brome. Reed canarygrass, which occurs predominantly in the woodlands has colonized wet depressions within the prairie. We recommend control of this species in those locations. Garlic mustard continues to be an early invader that requires annual control to prevent further spread. Oriental bittersweet and Morrow’s honeysuckle are additional strong candidates for successful eradication from Homestead NMA.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Young, Craig
- Date of Issue
- 2020-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- HOME , HTLN , NRSS
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Invasive Species | Invasive/Exotic plants