Invasive species, Volunteerism, and Habitat

Restoration

(or, how we rocked the hemlock)

Introduction - terms

Biodiversity Native plantCo-evolution HabitatMonoculture Restoration Preservation EcosystemControl treatmentGPS (Global Positioning System)Statistical Significance

Invasive plants

• Introduced by people.

• Did not co-evolve with landscape.

• Many native plants in US suffered similar fates as Native Americans.

• HIPPO– H = Habitat Loss and Fragmentation– I = Invasive Plants– P = Pollution– P = Population (human overpopulation)– O = Overconsumption

• Estimated to cost the US over $137 billion a year.

Invasive Plants (contd.)

Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)

• Introduced from Europe as a garden plant.

• Highly toxic!

• Apiaciae (carrot) family, formerly Umbelliferae.

Species biology

• Can grow 3-10 feet in one year.

• Allelopathy

• Density – 595 plants in ½ M²

• Grows in shady, moist areas.

Produces Produces between 5,000 between 5,000 and 38,000 and 38,000 seeds per plant.seeds per plant.

Santa Clara County

• Naturally high biodiversity.

• Increasing urbanization.

• Great possibilities for volunteerism.

Study premise

• Hand-pull and re-seed with native plants with similar species biology.

– Blue Wild Rye – Native California bunchgrass, perennial.

– Yarrow- mid-summer seed, grows near hemlock.

– Hayfield tarweed – late summer seed, forms dense stands.

Volunteers

• 61 million people a year in US.• Measham and Barnett, 2007

1. Helping a cause2. Social interaction 3. Improving skills

4. Learning about the environment 5. General desire to care for the

environment 6. Desire to care for a particular place

Curriculum development

• Used games, acronyms, and audience participation.

• Balanced social time with working.

• Focused on biocultural diversity and teams.

Biocultural diversity

• Bio – life + Culture + Diverse = Difference

• Preservation of indigenous and diverse cultures = preservation of biological diversity.

• Just as an ecosystem is strengthened by its biological diversity, a community or team is strong when different people know and can do different things.

Study site

• Acterra Stewardship Program at Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto.

• 622 acres supports 334 species.• Large, educated volunteer base –1000 a

year.

Research design

• 49 ½ M² quadrats.

• Pull, pull and re-plant, control.

• Monitored for 15 months.

Results

0.51.01.52.02.53.03.5

TREATMENT

Control Pull Reseed

Treatment Variable

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Pla

nt C

ount

Control Pull Reseed

Treatment Variable

0

100

200

300

400

Pla

nt C

ount

January, 2007Pre-treatment

March, 200815 months after treatment

4 months after treatment

• 1 = control• 2 = pull• 3 = pull

and re-seed

1 2 3

TREATMENT

0

10

20

30

CM

__

_0

5_

07

One year after treatment

1 2 3

TREATMENT

0

100

200

300

CM

__

_1

2_

07 • 1 = control

• 2 = pull• 3 = pull

and re-seed

15 months after treatment

1 2 3

TREATMENT

0

100

200

300

400

CM

__

_0

3_

08

• 1 = control• 2 = pull• 3 = pull

and re-seed

Recommendations

• Install live plants instead of sowing seeds

• Larger plot size• Different plant selection (more

shade-loving, rhizomonous)• Measure / quantify results from

volunteer education• Track volunteer time for economic

analysis.

Questions, Comments, Quiz

Taxonomy

• Species name vs. common name?• King Phillip could only find good

spaghetti.

1. Kingdom 2. Phyllum 3. Class 4. Order5. Family 6. Genus7. Species

Taxonomic classification

• Kingdom – Animalia• Phylum – Chordata• Class – Mammalia• Order – Carnivora• Family – Felidae• Genus – Felis• Species – Felis catus The Littlest Leopard –

Felis catus showing her intelligence.

Dichotomous key

• Two-part questions, which allow you to progress through a species’ characteristics to figure out what it is.

• Used to classify plants, animals, rocks, etc.

• Example: – Does the animal have legs?– If yes, does the animal have fur?– If no, does the animal live in water?