Treesearch

Providing individuals with effective information, programs, and educational materials about "exotics" or non-indigenous species is generally not a very effective way to get people to act to control, eliminate, and restore damage from exotic species to native ecosystems. Information tends to inform the motivated and educated. Educational research and marketing research agree that information is not enough to motivate most people to action. The key ingredients to engaging people to act are (1) to develop a sensitivity (deep feelings for) to the environment and to the specific problem; (2) to...

Ecological monitoring provides critical information for management decisions by measuring changes in managed and unmanaged populations, communities and ecological systems. It integrates ecology, goal and objective setting, sampling design, sampling methods, and statistical analysis. It is a topic that I, with a team of Nature Conservancy ecologists, teach in a six day workshop as part of the USFS Continuing Education Program. It is attended by land managers from public agencies and The Nature Conservancy. Here I will provide an overview of the most important monitoring issues, modified to...

Many of the basic components of integrated pest management have been known for centuries. Farmers have burned fields in the early spring to reduce insects and disease organisms in their overwintering state; gardeners have removed weeds mechanically by plow and hoe; timing of planting and harvest can be planned to escape the most damaging life stages of certain pests. IPM is simply the integration of a variety of control techniques with knowledge of both the host and pest ecology, and the importance of monitoring and long-term consequences. The objective is to minimize both pest damage and...

To lead, teach, rear, bring up, instruct, train, show, inform, guide, direct, inspire, and foster expansion of knowledge-that is education. Environmental education has been defined as the interdisciplinary process of developing a citizenry that is knowledgeable about the total environment, including both its natural and built aspects, that has the capacity and the commitment to engage in inquiry, problem-solving, decision-making, and action that will assure environmental quality. Goals of environmental education include awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and participation. This...

Ecosystem restoration is a systems approach because it relates to all of the thousands of interrelated and interacting systems within the ecosystem. Ecosystem restoration also changes your role in the forest from observer to participant. Some of the goals of ecosystem restoration are to improve the health, vigor, and diversity of the ecosystem--and these goals can and must be quantitatively measured. The concepts and processes of ecosystem restoration will be illustrated by a specific example with an emphasis on the application and methods of prescribed bum, which can be very useful in the...

Invasive exotic plants usurp forest productivity, hinder forest-use activities, and limit diversity on millions of acres of forest land in the Southeast Infestations of these plants and their range are constantly expanding, This paper examines the various aspects of the problem. Outlined are the biology, origin, range, uses, and herbicide control for 14 of the most prevalent exotic trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses. Losses on forest lands will continue to increase until importation of new exotic species is controlled, Integrated Weed Management Programs are organized, and effective control...

Mile-a-minute, Polygonum perfoliatum L., is an introduced weed from eastern Asia that is rapidly colonizing non-crop areas in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Since its introduction into the United States, in south-central Pennsylvania, in the 1930s, the mile-a-minute weed has spread to other regions of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In recent years, interest in a biological method to control problem plants in natural areas in the United States has grown. All federal agencies must comply with standards to reduce the use and dependence on chemical control of weeds. But, biological methodologies are not readily available, nor have they been well-endorsed or financially supported. Despite an excellent safety record, skepticism concerning the safety and effectiveness of exotic insect introductions for weed control remains high among the general public, administrators, and even scientists. The successful control of Hypericum...

Existing publications on Palaearctic insect invaders to North America forests are devoted exclusively to Europe-U.S. comparisons. This is understandable from both geographical and historical points of view. But as the history of mankind continues, new economical relations are established which, unfortunately, make new possibilities for the introductions of pests. The recent discovery in New York of a cerambycid beetle Anoplophora glabripennis native to Asia and the well known "Asian Gypsy Moth Case" are the reminders that the forests of Northern and Northeastern Asia are an important...

The year was 1954, four young 4-H members were traveling to a livestock judging workout. Ben Barrett, the county agent, stopped the car and escorted the young men to a weed patch located on the adjacent railroad right-of-way. "Take a good look-this is leafy spurge. If you ever see it in your area, let me know. It is almost impossible to control."