The purpose of this regular section of The Prairie Promoter is to keep proper management methods fresh in your mind. These short articles will sometimes reference past or future articles that contain details on the selected topic. Others will just be some food for thought. I encourage others to provide ideas for articles. You can send those ideas to me at jrogala@theprairieenthusiasts.org.

Prioritizing the sometimes-long list of invasive species to combat  

Oftentimes serving on a committee seems like a burden, albeit necessary. However, those meetings provide an opportunity for committee members to engage in interesting discussions. A recent Land Management Committee meeting found its members talking about strategies for dealing with a long list of invasive species in a management plan. Seldom do we have the resources to control all the invasive species present, so how do we prioritize our management actions?

Let me offer an example of a process that might be used. There are several factors leading to my decision to control a species. The first factor I consider is whether the species has shown up because of a disturbance. Many species take advantage of the lack of competition but can’t compete in the long-term as other more conservative plants establish. Some examples are Queen Anne’s Lace, Mullein, and Canada Thistle. I realize it is difficult to just ignore these and wait them out, but leaving each species can be justified. Both Queen Anne’s Lace and Mullein are biennials and could be controlled by pulling. However, remember why they showed up in the first place, and consider how the additional soil disturbance might perpetuate the problem. Canada Thistle is a deeply rooted perennial that one might suspect could outcompete establishing prairie plants but that is not the case, as it will succumb to solid competition from native plants given enough time. 

In contrast to species that respond to disturbance, there are those that can invade remnant sod. These pesky species require attention because once established they can spread and have an impact on prairie species. Some of these heavy hitters include Crown Vetch, Leafy Spurge, and Spotted Knapweed (I won’t list more because it can be depressing!). These usually require herbicide use, although there are some biocontrol methods that can at least keep populations controlled to some degree. 

I’ve just scratched the surface of this topic here. Look for an upcoming article by Dan Carter in which he will delve into the factors behind why to prioritize control of some invasive species over others.

What timescale do you plan at?

Keeping with the theme of topics discussed at Land Management Committee meetings, one of the committee’s primary responsibilities is to approve land management plans. These are required for all lands owned by The Prairie Enthusiasts, land with easements and areas with management agreements. These are long-term plans, although we are now planning to update them in a 10-year interval. We have also formally added some goals for a 10-year period in our management plans, a period that might require a substantial amount of work for new sites. Although these plans provide valuable context for conducting management, actions are usually planned at much shorter timescales. I like to develop 1-year plans that focus work for the upcoming year. These plans can be much more detailed and therefore provide the basis for scheduling specific work throughout the year. I’d encourage anyone managing lands to consider having plans at several scales, preferably written plans rather than ones just floating around in our heads.

This article appeared in the Fall 2024 edition of The Prairie Promoter, a publication of news, art and writing from The Prairie Enthusiasts community. Explore the full collection and learn how to submit your work here.