Newsletter Vol 18 Issue 1, 2010 – California Invasive Plant Council

Vol. 18, No. 1

Spring 2010

Cal-IPC News
Protecting California’s Natural Areas from Wildland Weeds
Quarterly Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council

2010 Cal-IPC Symposium in Ventura
Weeds and Wildlife: Impacts & Interactions
Cal-IPC members aren’t the only ones
stalking yellow starthistle. Yellow starthistle
infestations displace native plants and animals, threatening natural ecosysems. It also
reduces land value and limits recreational
access.
Photo: Brian Murphy

Inside:
Is arundo really a water hog?……………………… 4
A customized weed worker toolbelt …………….. 6
Join us in Ventura!…………………………………….. 8
Updates on advocacy………………………………..10

From the Director’s Desk

New faces at Cal-IPC
Cal-IPC
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 843-3902
fax (510) 217-3500
www.cal-ipc.org
info@cal-ipc.org
A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Protecting California’s natural areas
from wildland weeds through
research, restoration, and education.
STAFF
Doug Johnson, Executive Director
Heather Brady, Outreach Program Manager
Elizabeth Brusati, Science Program Manager
Jennifer Chien, Business Manager
Bertha McKinley, Program Assistant
Dana Morawitz, Mapping Program Manager
Jen Stern, Training Program Manager
DIRECTORS (last year of term noted)
Jason Giessow, President (2010)
Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area
John Knapp, Vice-President (2010)
Native Range, Inc.
Doug Gibson, Treasurer (2010)
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
Julie Horenstein, Secretary (2010)
California Department of Fish & Game
Edith Allen (2010)
University of California-Riverside
Peter Beesley (2011)
Pacific Gas and Electric
Jason Casanova (2010)
Los Angeles/San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council
Valerie Eviner (2011)
University of California-Davis
Henry Gonzales (2010)
Ventura County Department of Agriculture
Brent Johnson (2011)
Pinnacles National Monument
Marc Lea (2010)
San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture
Jean Phillipe Marié (2011)
UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Reserve
Cheryl McCormick (2010)
American Cetacean Society
Shea O’Keefe (2011)
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Peter Schuyler (2011)
Ecological Consultant
Katherine Suding (2011)
University of California-Berkeley
Affiliations for identification purposes only.

Cal-IPC News

Spring 2010 – Volume 18, Number 1
Editors: Doug Johnson, Elizabeth Brusati, Heather Brady
Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California Invasive
Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with permission from
the editor. Submissions are welcome. Mention of commercial
products does not imply endoresement by Cal-IPC. We reserve
the right to edit all work.

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

hanks to ARRA stimulus funding, Cal-IPC has hired three new staff members.
These staff will be heading up initiatives that build on existing programs and
promise significant progress in key areas.
Jen Stern works with Heather
Brady to manage our training program. Goals include development of
a certification program, integration
of invasive plant BMPs into training for road and utility workers, job
creation, and job training for those
with experience in related fields
like forestry and landscaping. In
her previous position, Jen managed
restoration projects for the Santa
Cruz County Resource Conservation
District. Jen has a Master’s degree in
Watershed Science & Policy from
CSU Monterey Bay.
Dana Morawitz manages
our statewide mapping program, working in coordination
with Elizabeth Brusati’s risk assessment efforts. The program’s
goal is to create seamless distribution and habitat suitability
maps to support detection and
response programs. We will
be coordinating with regional
efforts like the Bay Area Early
Detection Network (another
recipient of ARRA funding).
Dana earned a Master’s degree
in Geography from the University of Washington, and has provided GIS support for
local government, consulting firms, and nonprofit
organizations.
Jennifer Chien is our Business Manager, ensuring sound financial practices and record keeping.
The increased size of our organization, coupled
with the complexity of invoicing and reporting on
the various funding sources, make this position
essential to smooth functioning of our programs.
Jennifer brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit management for a range of organizations.
We are thrilled to have Jen, Dana and Jennifer
on board at Cal-IPC!

Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews
Cal-IPC Updates
New Staff
Please welcome our new staff
members! See page 2.
Call for nominations
The Cal-IPC Board of Directors is
accepting nominations until July 1 for
new board members. Know someone
that has a lot to offer? Or maybe you
want to nominate yourself? Elections
will be held in late summer with new
board members announced at the
Symposium in October. Board terms
The California Department of Food
and Agriculture has proposed to add
31 species to the noxious weed list
in Section 4500 of the state Food
and Agriculture Code for plants that
cause harmful impacts to agriculture:
Alternanthera sessilis (sessile joyweed),
Atriplex amnicola (swamp saltbush),
Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum), Cabomba caroliniana (Carolina fanwort),
Carduus crispus (curly plumeless thistle),
Ceratopteris thalictroides (watersprite),
Cirsium japonicum (Japanese thistle),
Diodia virginiana (Virginia buttonweed), Drymaria cordata (whitesnow, tropical chickweed), Egeria
najas (anacharis), Euphorbia graminea
(grassleaf spurge), Euphorbia terracina
(carnation spurge), Fatoua villosa (hairy
crabweed), Hygrophila polysperma (Indian swampweed), Hypericum canariense
(Canary Island St. Johnswort), Lagarosiphon major (oxygen weed, African
elodea), Limnobium spongia (American
spongeplant, American frog’s-bit), Limnophila sessiliflora (Asian marshweed),
Ludwigia peruviana (Peruvian primrose-willow), Myosoton aquatica (giant
chickweed), Ononis alopecuroides (foxtail
restharrow), Potentilla recta (sulphur
cinquefoil), Retama monosperma (bridal
veil broom), Rorippa sylvestris (creeping
yellowcress), Salsola collina (spineless
Russian thistle), Senecio linearifolius
(fireweed groundsel), Sesbania punicea

are two years, beginning in January
2011. The board meets four times each
year at locations around the state, and
requires a commitment to fundraising,
working on a program committee,
and attending the Symposium. Please
direct nominations and questions
to Board President Jason Giessow,
jgiessow@cox.net. Learn about current
board members at
www.cal-ipc.org/about/staff.php

(red sesbania, rattlebox), Spartina alterniflora and hybrids (smooth cordgrass
and hybrids), Spartina anglica (common
cordgrass), Spartina patens (saltmeadow
cord grass), and Zostera japonica (dwarf
eelgrass). CA Dept. of Food & Ag.
www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/docs/4500ISR.pdf
A biotech firm, ArborGen LLC, is seeking to plant genetically modified eucalyptus in the southern U.S. as a biofuel
crop. The USDA has given conditional
approval for ArborGen to plant Eucalyptus grandis in seven states, replacing native pine trees. The trees are genetically
modified to prevent pollen production.
Fearing the trees could become invasive,
The Nature Conservancy has asked
USDA to reduce the number of acres in
ArborGen’s permit. (New York Times,
January 29) www.nytimes.com
A company from Sacramento proposes
to plant kiri trees (Paulonia tomentosa)
to sequester carbon. A fast-growing
hardwood tree that is native to China,
kiri is considered invasive in the Midwest, South, and Northeastern U.S. The
proposed project would grow 3 million
trees on irrigated farms in the high desert of northern Nevada. (Yahoo News,
April 6) www.news.yahoo.com
Researchers at Northern Arizona University have found a way to scare off
the bark beetles that are infesting pine

trees throughout the western U.S.:
play sounds that annoy them. When
scientists exposed beetles to digitallyaltered recordings of aggression calls,
the insects stopped chewing, stopped
mating, and some even fled or attacked
each other. Previous trials with heavy
metal music and talk radio failed to produce the same results. Researchers still
need to study how and why the sounds
work. (Northern Arizona University,
February 3) www4.nau.edu/insidenau/
bumps/2010/2_3_10/beetle.htm
In February, Mexico’s legislature passed
a bill that defines an invasive species,
prohibits the importation or release
of invasive species, and mandates the
creation of a list of invasive species that
must be reviewed every three years.
(We could not find a website with more
information on this.)
On March 3, Sen. Harry Reid (NV) introduced S.3063, the Invasive Species
Emergency Response Fund Act: “A bill
to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
provide loans to certain organizations
in certain States to address habitats and
ecosystems and to address and prevent
invasive species.” The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Begich (AK), Bennet
(CO), Bennett (UT), Feinstein (CA),
Merkley (OR), Murkowski (AK), and
Wyden (OR). Additional information
can be found at thomas.loc.gov.
Europe is about to release its first
non-native biological control species to
stop the spread of Japanese knotweed.
The UK government has approved the
release of an insect to attack knotweed,
which is a major problem in the UK,
where some reports say mortgage companies refuse to lend money for properties with Japanese knotweed. According
to the BBC, the estimate to manage
Japanese knotweed in the UK, without
successful biological control, would cost
farmers, gardeners and local councils at
least £13.5 billion ($20.2 billion). (BBC
News, March 9) news.bbc.co.uk

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

Feature

Does arundo use more water than a native willow?
by Tricia Zimmerman and Christiana Conser

rundo donax, commonly known as giant reed or giant cane, is no stranger
to the pages of the Cal-IPC newsletter.
This bamboo-like member of the Grass
family grows in clumps which can reach
8 meters in height (K. Allred in Hickman
1993) and has formed almost impenetrable thickets on lower elevation river
channels throughout California.
Arundo donax received a High rating in the 2006 Cal-IPC Invasive
Plant Inventory due to its severe
impacts, wide distribution, and
moderate level of invasiveness.
Arundo was introduced into
California from the Mediterranean
in the 1820s to control erosion in
drainage canals in Los Angeles, as a
roofing material, and as a source of
reeds for woodwind instruments.
Since then, arundo has spread and
wreaked havoc on riparian ecosystems, canals and levees. Because
arundo leaves are not shed regularly, this extremely flammable,
standing dry mass increases both
the probability of occurrence of
wildfire and the intensity of these
wildfires (Bell 1997). Equally
important, arundo displaces native
willows and cottonwoods, provides poorer shading and less leaf
litter, and leads to reduced riparian
arthropod abundance and diversity
compared to the native trees it displaces (Herrera and Dudley 2003).

for groundwater recharge and ultimately
drinking water supplies (Iverson 1994).
However there is no actual data proving
the (suspected) comparatively high rate of
evapotranspiration of arundo.
In a preliminary assessment of the
impact of invading alien plants on surface

composition from natives to invasives
including Tamarix ramosissima and
arundo may result in a substantial increase
in transpiration rates from riparian areas
(LeMaitre et al. 2007). Lastly, the same
author noted that large areas along the
floodplain of the Olifants River in South
Africa had been invaded by arundo, “a
species which probably has very
high levels of water-use, but its
impacts have not been quantified
yet” (LeMaitre et al. 2009).
In 1998 and 1999, as part of
a Master’s thesis project for San
Francisco State University’s Department of Ecology and Systematics, I measured comparative rates
of evapotranspiration of arundo
and native red willow, Salix laevigata, in a riparian corridor and in
a greenhouse, using a steady state
LiCor 6200 porometer on fully
expanded mid-canopy leaves of
both species.
The goal of this project was
two-fold: 1) gather a set of data
which would allow land managers
to accurately estimate arundo transpiration over large areas of pure
arundo stands, and 2) quantify the
difference in the water consumed
by arundo versus that of the native
willow it replaces. This research
project assumed, as preliminary
results suggested, that arundo transpires more water per square meter
of land covered than willow.

While many accusations have
Giant reed creates erosion along the Russian River in
been leveled at arundo over the
Sonoma County. Photo: Karen Gaffney
Transpiration is essentially a
years, the one that most intrigued
passive loss of water that occurs
me was the suggestion that arundo
when plants open their pores, or stomata,
water
resources
in
South
Africa,
arundo
could have a huge impact on our water
to let out oxygen and take in carbon dioxwas assigned a biomass class based on its
resources. It has been suggested that
ide as part of the process of photosynthearundo evaporates water at approximately growth form and likely water use relasis. Transpiration is a form of evaporation
tive to the pines and eucalypts it replaced
the same rate as rice, or about a third as
that is driven by the difference between
(LeMaitre et al. 2000). Similarly, in an
much again as the native willows and
the moisture-saturated conditions of the
article on landscape-scale hydrology of an
cottonwoods it displaces. The water
leaf and that of the atmosphere outside
arid environment in South Africa, it was
theoretically lost to evapotranspiration is
the leaf (Anderson 1982).
hypothesized
that
the
change
of
species
water that would otherwise be available

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

20
5

13-Aug-99

Trans (mmol m-2 s-1)

S.
laevigata
S.exigua
A.
donax
A.donax

Time of Day

Figure 1. Comparative rates of transpiration of arundo and willow in the field during the hottest hours of the day on days in
August 1999. As we were working with only one LiCor and alternating measurements from arundo to willow and back again,
measurements were grouped into two-hour blocks in order to compare data from the different species.

How much water the plant loses to
transpiration depends on many parameters. These include environmental conditions such as ambient air temperature,
humidity, photosynthetically active radiation or PAR (the amount of light hitting
the leaf ), and specific leaf conditions such
as the leaf temperature, stomatal conductance, leaf light saturation and plant water
potential.
Evapotranspiration is defined as the
amount of water lost to the process of
photosynthesis and is measured in millimoles of water per meter squared per
second. A mole of water has a weight in
grams exactly equal to the water’s molecular or atomic weight, or the sum of
two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of
oxygen. A millimole is one thousandth of
a mole.
In addition to taking instantaneous
measurements of transpiration, the LiCor
porometer measures rates of photosynthesis as well as ambient conditions such
as temperature, temperature within the
LiCor cuvette, relative humidity and PAR.
It also takes leaf measurements including
leaf temperature and the stomatal conductance of the leaves.

Methods
I collected field data for this experiment with the landowners’ permission, in
a riparian corridor of mixed arundo and
willow growing side by side at the edge of
Larkmead Vineyard on the Napa River in
St Helena, CA. I was helped by Christiana
Conser, then a graduate student at San
Francisco State University. The greenhouse data was collected at the former
Gill Tract of UC Berkeley in Albany with
the help of Professor Tom Dudley, then
of UC Berkeley and now at UC Santa
Barbara. Data, soil and leaf samples, and
results were compiled and analyzed in the
research lab of Carla d’Antonio, then of
UC Berkeley and now also at UC Santa
Barbara.
In the field, measurements were taken
on arundo and willow growing side by
side in only one type of substrate: the
naturally occurring silt. LiCor measurements were taken from 10 a.m. to about
3 p.m., on the alternating species through
the growing season, in the field and in
the greenhouse, from March through mid
August 1999.

I obtained willow cuttings and arundo
rhizomes from the field site and grew
them into small plants in 5 gallon containers in the greenhouse in two different types of substrate: sand and silt. To
control for similar nutrient inputs, the
silty substrate was collected from the field
site and transported to the greenhouse,
whereas the sand came from bags purchased from a nursery. Arundo and willow
received equal, low amounts of fertilizer
on a regular basis. Water was controlled
by a drip irrigation system, which delivered the same amount of water to each
plant. Soil moisture in the field and in the
greenhouse was measured by taking soil
cores, placing them in Ziploc containers,
and doing a gravimetric analysis at the lab.

Results
I compared rates of transpiration of
arundo and willow in the field, grouped
by ambient air temperatures on different
days. At comparable temperature ranges,
the willow actually transpired at a greater
rate than arundo. These results were correlated by data from the greenhouse, which
showed that, with increasing air tempera…continued page 12

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

The Weed Worker’s Toolbelt
by Ken Moore, Wildlands Restoration Team

‘m not fond of having to go back to the
truck for that one tool I didn’t bring.
So over the years I’ve come up with a way
to incorporate the smaller items I need in
the field into an easily carried system that
provides quick access to everything without compromising my mobility, and still
leaves both hands free. With this system, I
don’t forget anything—It’s all right there!
Shown here are the items that currently rotate on and off the belt depending on
what the species, the site, and the season
dictate. This is a constantly evolving system and changes as I get new ideas.
I have modified some of the pouches
and holders to work better with the tools
I’m using them for. I’ve also honed a
keen edge on the cutting tools to make
them more efficient.
This adaptable setup works for dispatching most weedy species I need to
deal with. If your weeds are different than
mine, I’m hoping this will give you some
ideas for making one to suit your needs!

THE BELT – Any sturdy 2” wide belt
will work, but this nylon Peace Officer’s
Duty Belt with Velcro length adjustment
and a Fastex buckle is my favorite. The
nylon version is lighter, just as durable as
the leather one, washable and costs less.

VELCRO STRIPS – These velcro
strips (“keepers”) are inserted where needed to keep things from sliding around.
Although you can purchase them, I just
make them from bulk velcro.

CAMERA – The camera is not in this
picture, but it goes here, in a pouch
on the front of the belt. I use a Canon
SD780, which is the only quality camera
I’ve found that is small and thin enough
to be easily included in the toolbelt without hindering mobility. You get quality
images, 3X zoom, ease of use, and it’s not
much bigger than a credit card. Be careful
though, small cameras are expensive and
easy to misplace when you’re working.

LOPPERS – Anvil loppers
are small and light enough
to always have with you,
and thanks to a clever gear
reduction system, it will cut
stems over an inch thick.
Fiskars makes four sizes; all
are functional, long lasting,
and inexpensive. A cordless
drill holster makes an ideal
holder, allowing the handles
to face behind you where
they are not in you way.

– – OR – CARPENTER’S
HAMMER HOLDER This is an option that can be
mounted on the belt in place
of the cordless drill holster
listed above. It’s perfect for
securely holding larger tools
and providing quick access.
Here are just two tools I currently carry in the carpenter’s
hammer holder:

SWEDISH BRUSH
AXE – Used for hacking out

The Swedish Brush Axe is used for
clearing brush and is much safer than a
machete. Photo: Ken Moore

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

and clearing dense brush, this is more versatile, easier to use and much less dangerous than a machete. Machetes work well
in tropical forests where a one handed
swing is all you need to clear vegetation,
but woody plants require more powerful
swings. The longer handle on this tool
allows you to grip with both hands and
reduces the possibility of injury.

ACCESSORY POUCH – This
pouch goes on the back of the belt
where it doesn’t inhibit bending over,
and holds a variety of items not as frequently needed, such as a:

FLASHLIGHT – For light that lasts
in a tiny package, LED’s! I always carry
a small one, but I’ll take a larger one if I
need serious light.

Essential Tools Kit

HAND PRUNERS

This is the heart of the weed worker
toolbelt. It holds everything I need to
control woody plants up to 20 feet in
height, and clips on my harness when
I’m working in ropes. It includes:

These anvil pruners take twisting
abuse and cut old wood much better than
bypass pruners. The compound ratchet
action gives you greater cutting capacity
with less hand strain.

HERBICIDE BOTTLE

FOLDING SAW

Oval bottles this size are harder to
find than round ones, but they fit in
the pouch better. Flip-top lotion-type
nozzles are OK for light use, but for serious work you’ll want a trigger nozzle,
which improves speed and efficiency.

The triple-bevel tooth design on the
blade is an immense improvement in
hand saw cutting efficiency. Good saws
will have impulse-hardened teeth which
last a long time. I use a 6” folding saw;
there are longer ones, but I’ve found this

size to be an ideal balance between
cutting capacity, blade breakage and
convenience.

THE POUCH
Made by Bucket Boss, the Rear
Guard Tool Sheath is the best container
I’ve found to house my essential tools.
It is designed with one additional seam
on the front that I take out using a
seam ripper so my pruners fit in that
space. I also cut off the lanyard that
hangs off the front so it won’t catch on
brush.

MONOCULAR – Even the smallest binoculars are too large to wear on
a toolbelt. But a smaller reasonably
priced, monocular can help you identify a distant plant in seconds, saving
you lots of time and hiking. It can even
double as a loupe by looking through
the other end. You might consider investing in higher quality optics though
as switching from bino- to monovision reduces your visual acuity by
20%; try the Nikon High Grade 7×15
monocular. It’s the same size—$200—
and worth it!
TOOL RESOURCES – Quality
tools are a worth while investment,
although they may initially cost more
they will also last longer. I purchase
tools from a variety of sources including common suppliers such as Ben
Meadows and Forestry Suppliers, and
lesser known suppliers like Lee Valley
Tools (Canadian), PalmFlex (gloves),
and Galls (peace officer’s duty belt).

PONCHO PACKET – This tiny
packet will keep you dry and warm in an
emergency, and might even save your life.

BASIC FIRST AID KIT – This mini

splints, finger tips band-aids, sterile dressing, packets of disinfectants, tweezers with
an attached magnifying glass, meat tenderizer and antihistamines for insect bites.

kit is just to patch things until we get back WEBBING – Secure one end to someto the truck, where the serious first aid
kit is. Contents rotate but usually include
self-adherent wrap (Coban), draw-out
salve (containing ichthammol), finger

thing solid and wrap the rest around one
hand, and you’ve got a way to keep yourself stable on semi-steep slopes. By letting
out one loop at a time you can control

the speed of your decent. Also handy for
dragging brush.

ARM GUARDS – Kevlar guards save
my arms in dense brush and give me
peace of mind in snake infested areas.

ANYTHING ELSE you need that
fits: flagging, notepad, GPS unit, cell
phone, ziplock bags, snacks, etc. And
you can still wear a backpack as well!

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

2010 Cal-IPC Symposium
Sun and sand, eucalyptus and arundo, birds and
butterflies… Join us on the central coast for Cal-IPC’s
2010 Symposium in Ventura, CA. This year’s Symposium
will feature our usual exciting line-up of talks, discussion
groups, and field trips on a wide variety of topics related to
invasive plants. In addition, we will have several invited sessions on Friday organized with the Western Section of The
Wildlife Society to address the theme of Weeds and Wildlife.
Contributed &
Invited Speakers

Awards Banquet

Discussion Groups

Field Trips

Raffle & Auction

Field Course

Posters & Exhibitors

Wildife feels the effects of weeds. A bobcat peers
through yellow starthistle. Photo: Brian Murphy

Weeds and Wildlife:
October 14 – 16, 2010
Featured Sessions:
Trends in Mapping for
Early Detection
Learning from Other
Invasive Species

Channel Islands Research
and Management
Balancing Invasive Plant
and Wildlife Management

Field Course: Wednesday, October 13
Strategic Approaches for Managing Weeds
Developed as the hub to draw on all of Cal-IPC’s Wildland
Weed Field Courses, Strategic Approaches provides you with the
context for all of your weed management skills. Topics will include
developing goals and objectives, prioritizing target species, creating
treatment plans, permitting requirements, planning for monitoring, and integrating adaptive management. Throughout the day,
we will provide applicable examples to enhance your learning.
Register with the Symposium and receive a discount! Cal-IPC
field courses provide attendees with reference information and
literature, lunch, and a great opportunity to network with expert
instructors and as well as attendees. Sign up early—space is limited!

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

Photo: Bob Case

Grazing, Weeds,
and Wildlife

Ventura… from the rolling hills of the
Los Padres National Forest to the sweeping
views of the Pacific Ocean protected by the
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary,
Ventura is one of California’s oldest communities. Ventura was founded with the
creation of the San Buenaventura Mission
in 1782 and is home to some of the most
spectacular beaches in the world. This year’s
Symposium venue is the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, located right on the beach next
to a world-famous surfing spot, only steps
from Ventura’s Historic Pier, and just two
blocks from downtown Ventura.
2009 Student contest winners are congratulated by Doug Johnson.

Impacts and Interactions
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, Ventura
Field Trips to Santa Cruz Island,
Santa Barbara restoration sites,
and more. . .
Take a Saturday field trip to learn about local
projects. We will visit Santa Cruz Island to hear
about 30 years of research and management of both
invasive plants and wildlife by The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. Or, go north
to Santa Barbara and visit restoration sites and a
monarch butterfly preserve in a eucalyptus grove.

Keynote speaker: Scott Morrison, Director of

Conservation Science for the California Chapter of The
Nature Conservancy. Scott specializes in the ecology of the
urban-wildland interface and focuses on the creation and
management of nature reserves in the heavily populated
landscape of Southern California.

At left, the Santa Cruz Island Fox is heralded as
one of the fastest and most successful endangered
species recovery program in U.S. history due partially to the removal of non-native feral sheep and
pigs.

. . . See next page
More at www.cal-ipc.org
Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

More on the Symposium. . .
Registration, Transportation, Lodging
Registration will open in June. Register online for faster processing and choose from several payment options. Includes all
meals Th., breakfast Fri., and 2011 Cal-IPC membership.
Rates: Regular: $285 ($310 after Sept. 21, $325 on-site)
Student: $100 ($125 after Sept. 21, $150 on-site)
Symposium Volunteer: $185 (before Sept. 21 only)
Restoration Volunteer NEW: $185 (before Sept. 21)
Field Course: $145 with Symposium, $165 without
Getting There: Ventura is located one hour north of Los
Angeles and 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara. The Crowne
Plaza hotel is just off Highway 101 at 450 East Harbor Blvd.,
Ventura. The Ventura Amtrak platform is a short walk away.
Lodging: The conference room rate is $84 single or double.
All rooms have balconies and an ocean view. Attendees receive
high-speed internet and free parking in the hotel parking
garage. Reserve your room through our website link by Sept. 21
to receive the discounted rate.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsoring the Symposium is a great way for your company,
agency or organization to reach California’s natural resource
managers and weed workers while supporting the event. Four
levels of sponsorship offer benefits including free registration,
exhibit space, and recognition in Symposium materials. Info at
www.cal-ipc.org.

Call for Papers & Posters: due June
25
Submit your abstracts on invasive plant biology, management, or outreach programs by Friday, June 25. We especially
encourage presentations that address this year’s theme of
“Weeds and Wildlife”. Speakers have a 20-minute time slot.
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to enter the
Student Paper and the Student Poster Contest. Full details
and instructions for abstract submission are available at www.
cal-ipc.org/symposia/presenters.php.

Student Contest

Students are invited to enter our third annual Student Paper
and Poster Contest. First place in each category receives $250.
First, second, and third places will be recognized at the Symposium and in Cal-IPC News. Info at www.cal-ipc.org.

Award Nominations: due July 9

The Symposium is an opportunity to honor individuals and
organizations who have made exceptional contributions to
invasive plant research or management. We welcome nominations for: the Jake Sigg Award for Vision and Service,
the Golden Weed Wrench Award for Land Manager of the
Year, the Ryan Jones Catalyst Award, the Invasive Plants
Policy Award, and the Organization of the Year Award. Send
nominations to Cal-IPC Executive Director Doug Johnson,
dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org. See past honorees at www.cal-ipc.
org/symposia/awards.php.

Photo Contest: due September 1
Show off your photographic talents in the annual Cal-IPC
Photo Contest! Photos will be displayed at the Symposium and attendees will choose Best in Show. Entries can
include specimen photos of individual plants, landscape
photos, or action photos of weed workers. We especially
encourage photos that show the impacts of weeds. Info at
www.cal-ipc.org.

Auction and Raffle

Symposium attendees take a break from visiting exhibitors’ booths.
Photo: Bob Case

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

The Symposium is not just about learning the newest research results and management techniques; it’s also about
having fun with fellow weed workers! The Thursday night
happy hour includes a raffle with a variety of great prizes:
wine, books, art, and weed killing tools. The banquet later
in the evening features a live auction of a few special items.
Come mingle with like-minded folks from around the
state and recharge your batteries. Contact raffle@cal-ipc.
org if you have something to contribute.

Working to improve advocacy and coordination
Day at the Capitol VII
On March 10, natural resource
managers came to Sacramento
for the 7th Annual Invasive Weeds
Awareness Day at the Capitol. We
visited the offices of 120 legislators to urge their support for Weed
Management Area (WMA) funding
and the efforts of the CISAC and
ISCC (see below).

BAEDN Partner Meeting
The Bay Area Early Detection
Network (BAEDN, www.baedn.
org) held its 2010 partners meeting in Oakland on March 4. The
meeting introduced over 150 land
managers in the nine Bay Area
counties—Alameda, Contra Costa,
Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San
Mateo, Solano, Santa Clara, and
Sonoma—to the new BAEDN/Calflora online system.

Day at the Capitol participants prepare for legislator visits. Photo: Heather Brady
John Malpas of Calflora demonstrated the online tool designed to
to determine which are most likely to
CISAC Delivers Species List
capture new observations of weeds in the
become major problems. A working group
On April 21, the California Invasive
Bay Area. He demonstrated how a user
at the meeting started to develop a list of
Species Advisory Committee (CISAC,
can query the database for a location or a
regional priority weed species. Another
www.iscc.ca.gov/cisac.html) delivered its
plant and several methods for uploading
working group focused on finding the
first product to the new Invasive Species
data.
best way to incorporate existing weed
Council of California (ISCC). The list of
occurrence data into a rapid response
BAEDN is working to develop a
over 1,500 invasive species that threaten
program; BAEDN has funding to support
method of screening suspected weeds
the state was requested by the six state
WMAs in managing high
agencies that comprise the ISCC as part
priority weed populations. A
of its efforts to get a strategic foundation
third working group discussed
in place to strengthen the state’s ability to
mapping data gaps, potenrespond to invasives.
tial data sources, facilitation
The list includes organisms of all taxa,
of data collection for early
detection species, and Calflora from plants and vertebrates to invertebrates
and diseases. It relies on existing lists of
database capabilities. The
organisms in the state (such as the Cal-IPC
fourth working group conInventory) as well as of potentially damagsidered detection protocols
and coordinated outreach and ing organisms not yet in the state. CISAC
has drafted scorecards that rate damage for
training strategies.
200 of the most important species. DamBAEDN’s goal is to serve
age includes not only ecological impact
as a model for regional early
(what the Cal-IPC Inventory is based on),
detection networks statewide.
but also impact to agriculture, infrastrucStay tuned for more inforBAEDN participants contributed information about
ture, cultural resources, and public health.
invasive plant locations using the online tool created by mation about developing a
The list and scorecards can be reviewed at
network in your area!
Calflora as well as paper maps. Photo: Bob Case
ice.ucdavis.edu/invasives.

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

…Arundo water use, from page 5
ture, the willow transpired at a greater
rate than arundo, both in sandy and silty
substrates (Fig. 1).

WUE is usually defined as the ratio of
dry matter produced to water transpired.
Instantaneous WUE, as measured by the
LiCor, refers to the amount of carbon
dioxide taken in by the plant compared
to the amount of water vapor lost by
the plant to the surrounding air. WUE
is therefore defined as the amount of
water lost per unit of carbon taken up, or
photosynthesis divided by transpiration.
Units are photo/trans, so mmol m-2 s-1/
mmol m-2 s-1.
In general, arundo displayed higher
rates of WUE than willow (Fig. 2) and
these differences in WUE were more
distinct before noon. By mid August both
arundo and willow exhibited low rates
of WUE compared to their WUE earlier
in the summer. This can be attributed to
higher temperatures, lower humidity and
the tendency of both species to become
stressed at the end of the growing season
and close their stomata, thus limiting
both photosynthesis and transpiration.
The greenhouse data correlated
arundo’s greater WUE over that of willow,
and at any given temperature demonstrated a roughly 26% higher WUE. In
the greenhouse, arundo’s greater WUE
compared to that of willow was especially
noticeable when grown in silt rather than
in sand. This makes sense, considering the
decreased availability of water within a
sandy substrate rather than in a silty one.

Conclusions
Although I was hoping to be able to
point to arundo as a greedy water straw
spreading across the landscape, depriving

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

WUE

Arundo

y = -0.2106x + 8.9724
R² = 0.8419

8
4
2
0
15
10

y = -0.1874x + 7.6743
R² = 0.8059

8
WUE

Field data suggested that while willow
was sweating away in order to photosynthesize and fix molecules of carbon so that
it could grow more leaves and branches,
Arundo was sweating less while also photosynthesizing and fixing carbon. Since
the LiCor was measuring rates of photosynthesis in addition to those of transpiration, we incorporated this data to produce
comparative rates of Water Use Efficiency,
or WUE, for the two species.

Salix

6
4
2
0
15

Temperature (C)
Figure 2. Water use efficiency (WUE) of arundo and Salix laevigata (willow)
measured in the field. At a given temperature, arundo generally displays higher
water use efficiency.
people, their businesses and the riparian
ecosystem alike of preciously needed water, I found two things instead: 1) arundo
transpires less per square meter of ground
covered than the native willow it replaces
and 2) arundo’s physiology is such that
it is more efficient at using and retaining
water in the process of photosynthesis
than willow. Arundo’s greater WUE may
represent a species-specific response to the
environment that may enhance its competitive ability over native plants.
The first result begs the question: why
bother removing arundo if re-vegetation
with native willows would result in a net
“no gain” of water recovery or conservation?
Researchers at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center recently used satellite-based
energy balance images to map riparian
evapotranspiration along the Platte River
in Nebraska. Their study measured rates
of evapotranspiration of invasive salt cedar

(tamarisk), Russian olive, Canada and
musk thistle, and reed canary grass. The
results indicated that these invasives transpired approximately the same amount of
water as native willows, cottonwood trees
and some grasses. As author Gary Stone
points out, there is a host of reasons for
removing exotics from a riparian project,
aside from the goal of water recovery:
flood control; domestic, agricultural, industrial, environmental, and recreational
uses; preventing native habitat loss; stopping the spread of invasives; and restoring
native vegetation (Stone 2010).
In the case of arundo, I would bring
attention to the threat of an extreme fire
hazard as arundo more than doubles the
available fuel for wildfire (Scott 1994).
Sonoma State University professor Hall
Cushman and Russian River ecologist
and champion Karen Gaffney recently
documented the significantly lower richness of native perennial plant species on
…continued page 14

Thank You for Supporting our Work!
Recent Donors

New Members

Your tax-deductible donations are
extremely valuable in supporting our
programs. Thank you!

As a Cal-IPC Member, you join a
powerful network of land managers,
researchers, volunteers, and concerned
citizens. Welcome!

Patron ($500-$999)
Julia Kelety (San Diego)

Champion ($250-$499)
Brent Johnson (Paicines),
Peter Schuyler (Santa Barbara)

Contributor ($100-$249)
Peter Beesley (Grass Valley), Michael
Ehrenzweig (Berkeley), Valerie Eviner
(Davis), Lynne Frame (Mill Valley),
Georgia Rode and Erica Holland
(Orinda), Barbara Meislin (Tiburon),
Charles Moore (Sunnyvale)

Friend (up to $99)
Claudia Allen, Doug Allshouse (Daly
City), David and Louise Beesley
(Nevada City), Lee Brockback (San
Diego), Alan Castner (Emeryville),
Claire Englander (Oakland), Julie
Etra (Reno), Carlyn Halde (San
Francisco), James Brentano and
David Hardy (San Francisco),
Jennifer Heit (Woodside), Steven
Hoskinson (Barstow), Fred
Kramer (San Diego), Joan Marlow
(Cupertino), Fraiser Muirhead
(Tiburon), Cynthia Powell (Oakland),
Steve Schulz (Buelton), Lynn Webb
(Willits), Marti Witter (Thousand
Oaks)

Bake sale fundraiser
benefits Cal-IPC
Erica Holland and Georgia
Roden, 7th graders from Orinda,
recently devoted their “Take
Action Project” to California’s
invasive species. After completing research on the subject, they
hosted a bake sale and donated
the proceeds to Cal-IPC!
THANKS GIRLS!

Judith Anderson (Angeles Chapter
Foundation, Montrose), James Bazinet
(L.A. County Department of Public
Works, Alhambra), David and Louise
Beesley (Nevada City), Clare Billett
(City of San Diego), Janine Bird (Santa
Cruz), Bill Blanken (Hanford), Lee
Brockbank (San Diego), Rachel Brush
(Redding), Emily Bynes (Conservation
Corps North Bay, San Rafael), Kasey
Cinciarelli (Carlsbad), Jennifer
Cogswell (San Diego), Jason Cordero
(Cabrillo National Monument, San
Diego), Bené da Silva (County
of Marin Flood Control & Water
Conservation District, San Rafael),
James Brentano (San Francisco),
Margy Day (San Diego), Jessica
Dowell (San Francisco), Leo Dumont
(Santa Clara Valley Water District, San
Jose), Jolie Egert (Go Wild Consulting,
Fairfax), Michael Ehrenzweig
(Berkeley), Barbara Eisenstein (South
Pasadena), Deborah Enos (Watershed
Conservation Authority, Azusa),
Jason Ericson (San Francisco), Lynne
Frame (Mill Valley), Sarah French
(UC Riverside), Clare Golec (Arcata),
Fidel Gonzalez (Santa Clara Valley
Water District, San Jose), David Hardy
(San Francisco), Jennifer Hogan
(CA Department of Water Resources,
Sacramento), Erica Holland (Orinda),
Melanie Howe (San Diego), Bob
Huttar (Irvine), Glen Islas (City of
Culver City), Derrick Johnson (City of
San Diego), Julia Kelety (San Diego),
Robin Kinmont (TEC Inc., Solano
Beach), Marilee Kuhlmann (The
Green Gardens Group, Los Angeles),
Marty Lane (Cabrillo National
Monument, San Diego), Hannah
Lee (Marin County Flood Control &

Water Conservation District), Jennifer
Maddox (Golden Gate Audubon,
Berkeley), Doni Mae (Shingle Springs),
Chris McDonald (University of
California, San Bernardino), Lonnie
Munson (L.A. County Dept. of Public
Works Flood Maintenance Division,
Irwindale), Dana Nolan (SWRCB,
Sacramento), Isaac Oliva (Irvine
Ranch Conservancy), Ingrid Parker
(UC Santa Cruz), Benjamin Pister
(Cabrillo National Monument, San
Diego), Cynthia Powell (Oakland),
Sherilyn Powell-Wolff (The Green
Gardens Group, Los Angeles), Chris
Read (Crystal Springs Uplands School,
Burlingame), Joseph Rigney (Toyon
Consultants, Santa Cruz), Georgia
Roden (Orinda), Frederick Roecker
(San Jose), Rob Romanek (Water
Conservation Authority, Azusa), Carla
Scheidlinger (AMEC, San Diego),
Richard Shieh (L.A. County Dept.
of Public Works, Alhambra), Quinn
Sorenson (Irvine Ranch Conservancy),
Robert Suzuki (Walnut Creek Open
Space Foundation), Ian Turner (Tahoe
Resource Conservation District, South
Lake Tahoe), Anne Van Galder (Fresno
Master Gardeners), Lily Verdone (Palos
Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy,
Lakeside), David Wilson (Irvine Ranch
Conservancy, Aliso Viejo), Truman
Young (UC Davis)

New Organizational Members
Organizational Members advance
Cal-IPC’s mission to protect California’s
wildlands from invasive plants.
Thank you for your support!
Gold Ridge Resource Conservation
District
Pacific Restoration Group
Pesticide Research Institute
Sonoma Ecology Center

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

Readings &
Resources
Know of a resource that should be shared
here? Send it to edbrusati@cal-ipc.org.
Aquatic gardening tips
California Master Gardeners have updated their information on how to have a
water garden without spreading invasive
plants. “Aquatic Gardens, Not Aquatic
Pests: How to Practice Responsible Water
Gardening” includes three mini-posters,
five pages of text, and links to helpful
resources (pdf, 8 pp.). Go to www.ucanr.
org and click on Publications, then Free
Publications to find the report.
New management journal
Management of Biological Invasions is a
new open access, peer-reviewed, online
journal focusing on real experiences on
the management of biological invasions.
It admits worldwide contributions on
the single or multilevel management of
bioinvasions (species, community, habitat
and processes), in an effort to contribute
to a better diffusion of technical ideas, approaches and results globally. sites.google.
com/site/managementbiologicalinvasions/
home

Assessing the risk of mussel invasion
The Lake County Fish and Wildlife Committee has produced a risk assessment
examining quagga and zebra mussels. The
risk assessment proposal addresses the
current threat posed by both the quagga
mussel (Dreissena bugensis) and zebra mussel (D. polymorpha). The report attempts
to prioritize the various risk factors associated with each Lake County waterbody
with public access, and provides organizational and management guidance to direct
preventative measures against mussel
introduction. www.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/WaterResources/Mussels/Mussel+risk+assessment.
pdf?method=1
Forest and range assessment
CAL FIRE’s Draft 2010 Forest and
Rangeland Assessment is currently available for review and public comment. The
draft chapters and a link to the comment
form can be found on the FRAP website:
frap.fire.ca.gov/assessment2010.html
Cleaning manual
The US Bureau of Reclamation has
published a manual that provides recommendations for inspection and cleaning
of vehicles and equipment as a prevention
tool to limit the spread of invasive species.
www.usbr.gov/pps/EquipmentInspectionandCleaningManual_Sept09.pdf

…Arundo water use, from page 12
stream banks and floodplains invaded by
arundo (Cushman and Hall 2010). Given
the many and well-documented deleterious effects of allowing arundo to spread,
its removal seems well-justified.
For more information, contact Tricia Zimmerman at desmata@gmail.com.

References
Anderson, J. E. 1982. Factors controlling transpiration and photosynthesis in Tamarix chinensis.
Lour. Ecology 63: 48-56.
Bell, G.P. 1997. Ecology and management of
Arundo donax and approaches to riparian
habitat restoration in southern California.
Pages 103–113 in Brock J, ed. Plant Invasions:
Studies from North America and Europe. Leiden
(The Netherlands): Backhuys.

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

Cushman, J. H. and K. A. Gaffney. 2010.
Community-level consequences of invasion:
impacts of exotic clonal plants on riparian vegetation. Biological Invasions. Published online:
10 January 2010.
Hickman, J.C. (Ed.). 1993. The Jepson Manual:
Higher Plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Iverson, M. E. 1994. Effects of Arundo donax on
Water Resources. In: Jackson NE, Frandsen P.
and Duthoit S. (eds), Arundo donax Workshop Proceedings, pp 19-25. California Exotic
Pest Plant Council, Riverside.
LeMaitre, D.C., D.B. Versfeld and R.A. Chapman. 2000. The impact of invading alien
plants on surface water resources in South
Africa: A preliminary assessment. Water SA.
26(3):397-408.
LeMaitre, D. C., S. J. Milton, C. Jarmain, C.
A. Colvin, I. Saayman, and J. HJ Vlok. 2007.
Linking ecosystem services and water re-

Biocontrol presentations
Proceedings and Presentations from the
Interagency Biological Control Meeting, held in Billings, MT, in November
2009, are now available. The Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) organizes the
annual meeting to improve coordination
and collaboration between researchers
and managers regarding new information
available in biological control research.
The site includes an overview, agenda,
presentation slides, and publication links.
www.weedcenter.org/Interagency_Biocontrol_Meeting/Presentations.html
Biodiversity video
The Convention of Biological Diversity produced an eight-minute YouTube
video to publicize the International Year
of Biodiversity. It includes a few shots
of invasive species. www.youtube.com/
watch?v=V1VYmpTikgw
Invasive of the week
Check out the Invasive Species of the
Week posted by the IUCN’s Invasive
Species Specialist Group. Each week
ISSG will post photos and a factsheet
featuring a new species that is an invader
somewhere in the world. See www.issg.org/
invasive_species_of_the_week.htm or click
on the Species of the Week photo at www.
invasivespeciesinfo.gov/news/main.shtml.

sources: landscape-scale hydrology of the Little
Karoo. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 5(5):261-270.
LeMaitre, D., C. Colvin and A. Maherry. 2009.
Water resources in the Klein Karoo: the challenge of sustainable development in a waterscarce area. South African Journal of Science
105:46-47.
Scott G.D. 1994. Fire threat from Arundo donax.
In: Jackson NE, Frandsen P and Duthoit S
(eds), Arundo donax Workshop Proceedings,
pp 17–18. California Exotic Pest Plant Council, Riverside.
Stone, G. 2010. Satellite based energy balance
for mapping riparian evapotranspiration.
Electronic newsletter of the Center for Invasive
Plant Management. Montana State University,
Bozeman, Montana, USA. Available:
www.weedcenter.org/newsletter/docs/1002_
mappingET.pdf

The WILDLAND WEED CALENDAR
May – June
Effective Weed Control: Tools for Public
Parks & Landscapes (A partnership between
Cal-IPC and the Los Angeles & San Gabriel
Rivers Watershed Council)
May 13
Los Angeles
www.cal-ipc.org
SERCAL Annual Conference: “A View of
Restoration from the Range of Light”
May 19-22
Mammoth Mountain
www.sercal.org
CNGA – Identifying the Native and
Naturalized Grasses of CA
May 22-23
Point Reyes Station
www.cnga.org
Weeds Across Borders 2010
June 1-4
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
www.weedcenter.org
CNGA North Coast Grass Symposium &
Grassland ID Workshop
June 3-4 & 5-6
Arcata (limited enrollment, register early)
www.cnga.org

Cal-IPC’s Integrated Control Methods
Field Courses
June 8 – 9
Lower Lake, Lake County
www.cal-ipc.org

July – August
Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual
Meeting
July 11-14
Bonita Springs, FL
www.apms.org

September – October
Biological Control for Nature Conference
October 3-7
Northampton, MA
biocontrolfornature.ucr.edu
Cal-IPC 2010 Symposium
October 13-16
Ventura
www.cal-ipc.org/symposia

November & beyond

European Weed Research Society Symp
July 12-15
Keszthely, Hungary
www.ewrs.org

2011 Western Society of Weed Science Mtg
March 7-10, 2011
Spokane, WA
www.wsweedscience.org

Ecological Society of America Annual Mtg
August 1-6
Pittsburgh, PA
www.esa.org/pittsburgh

Ecological Society of America
August 7-12, 2011
Austin, TX

International Workshop on Invasive Plants
in Mediterranean Regions of the World
August 2-6
Trabzon, Turkey

Society for Ecological Restoration Int.
Congress on Ecological Restoration
August 21-25, 2011
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
www.ser2011.org

17th Intl. Conf. on Aquatic Invasive Species
August 29-September 2
San Diego
www.icais.org

Quotable
“…Conspiracy theories are sprouting like kudzu.”
~Richard Corliss, Time

(Reviewing the movie Edge of Darkness)

“They [invasive species] are the very model of disruptive innovation,
sharing certain characteristics that can be used by executives…”

~ Henry King, Viewpoint, Bloomberg.com

(Describing how invasive species provide useful lessons for business innovators.)

Cal-IPC News Spring 2010

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California
Invasive Plant
Council
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