Wilson, Linda M. 2006. Key to Identification of Invasive and Native Hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.) in the Pacific Northwest. B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range, Forest Practices Branch, Kamloops, B.C.
ISC (invasive species council of BC) orange hawkweed info page:
“T.I.P.S.” (targeted invasive plant solutions) page for the hawkweed for ease of identification and understanding of treatment method, as well as general biology:
“Communities Pulling Together” organized weed pull information from the ISC (invasive species council of BC):
Brian Heise, icthyology professor, is currently attending the public information forum held by the invasive species council of BC. While looking into the forum, I came across an online advertisement on the ISC (invasive species council of BC) web site. It featured, in part, a picture of a hawkweed. There are both native and non-native species of hawkweed in BC. Of 14 sp native to western North America, 8 are present in BC, and of 14 non-native to western North America, 13 are present in BC.
Our concern as conservation biologists in controlling invasive hawkweed comes from the ability of invasive hawkweed to replace native vegetation, reducing forage and threatening biodiversity in BC. According to a report on hawkweed done by the invasive plant council of BC and a key to invasive hawkweed sp done by Linda M. Wilson for the Ministry of Forests and Range in BC, hawkweed can be described as follows.
Invasive hawkweed poses a problem for several reasons. Hawkweed is aptly named because it has many r-selected or weedy characteristics, especially the non-native species. It is perennial, has high speed seed production and germinability, long distance seed dispersal, and a wide range of reproduction methods both sexual and asexual including seed dispersal, vegetative stolons, rhizomes, and adventitious root buds.
The habitat that invasive hawkweed invades are open areas both naturally and manually disturbed, like recently logged fields, abandoned farmland, road sides and large meridian separations, beneath power lines, or in mountain meadows. Preferred soil conditions include well drained, coarse soil with low organic matter. Elevation ranges from 725 m to 1700 m, sticking to lower elevation at latitudes within said range in BC. These conditions sound like they describe the Kamloops area, however non-native Hawkweed in general has not proven to be particularly invasive in south central BC and northern Washington.
However, one sp of invasive hawkweed has received special attention. The orange hawkweed is the most easily identified invasive sp in BC. It is a common ornamental flower and is thought to be brought here, at least in part because of that. It is also the only invasive hawkweed sp considered regionally noxious under the Weed Control Act in BC. This sp of hawkweed is considered regionally noxious to several places including the Thompson-Nicola district, making the orange hawkweed of particular concern to us in Kamloops.
A possible conservation class project that we might be interested in could involve us trying to find some orange hawkweed sites that we could travel to, carry out an organized weed pull and possibly look into a kind of pesticide treatment. The Invasive Plant Council of BC based out of Williams Lake offers a $250 support fund to organized weed pulls called “Communities Pulling Together”. Some of the requirements include a group of at least 10 volunteers and some liability insurance. This might be an avenue worth pursuing. The pesticide treatment may be too complicated for our means, but is an idea nonetheless.
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This sounds like it could be a good conservation idea. When would be a good time to do this, because we still have lots of snow?
ReplyDeleteThis did cross my mind. I suppose if we did do a weed pull of any kind it would be an end of semester thing. any prep could happen during the length of the semester obviously. The orange hawkweed is a perrenial so it does live through winter. although harder to identify, it may be possible to still pull it in spring.
DeleteAt least it's a bright colour so we could identify it more easily! I really like the idea of a weed pull. It's simple, yet helpful.
DeleteA weed pull would be fun! Great post Mitch.
ReplyDeleteLets save the planet, one weed at a time!
ReplyDeleteNice idea
ReplyDeleteInteresting... I came across this species a lot last summer while sampling up in the Chilcotin Grasslands. Didn't realize it was causing so much concern, though!
ReplyDeleteThe Southern Interior Weed Management Committee(SIWMC) is our local branch of the Invasive Species Council(on Mcgill Rd). They have gps locations of all the known sightings of hawkweed. Hand pulling is still one of the best weed control methods, so this would be a great idea. Jo-Ann Fox at the SIWMC would be someone to contact for this.
ReplyDeletethis information makes this project sound even more realistic and attainable
DeleteInteresting topic. It could definitely be a project worth investigating.
ReplyDeletegood idea, i didn't realize this hwakweed was invasive
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent idea! Especially with the funding from the Plant Council of BC. Unfortunately the time of year isn't the greatest for weed pulls, but maybe we can organize an annual weed pull event and include the community.
ReplyDeleteWe could always put this together with another plant project. For example, we could pull the weeks and plant the trees! Or build the little gardens outside of the Science building. Maybe we could just organize a group who would be willing to take a day during the summer to do it. I'd be in.
ReplyDeleteI like Alyssa's idea. It would be fun to involve the community in a project like this. Especially in the spring and summer when it's warmer.
ReplyDelete