Biology, Ecology and Management of Marsh Plume Thistle in BC

Biology, Ecology and Management
of Marsh Plume Thistle in BC
David Ralph
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Invasive Plant Management Program
IPCBC AGM Forum
“Stop the Spread”
Richmond B.C.
January, 20, 2009

Marsh Plume Thistle
(Cirsium palustre)
Biology
• Asteraceae Family, Cirsium
genus,
• 10 Cirsium sp. in BC,
• 3 are non-native Douglas et al, 1998
• Fibrous rooted biennial,
• 1 st year, rosette, leaves
covered with tangled or matted
woolly hairs (tomentose)

Biology con’t
• 2 nd year, bolting, erect
slender stem, grows
0.3 – 2.5 m (1-8 ft.)
Stem is ribbed with spiny wings

Biology con’t
• Leaves are deeply segmented, hairy on the
undersides, and have prominent woody
veins.
• Flowers, numerous, compact
blossoms at end of branches
near top of plant

Biology con’t
• Propagates only by wind borne seed
via a parachute-like plume of hairs
(pappus). Can disperse long distances
• C. palustre is able to form a persistent
seed-bank in the soil (Pons 1984, Grime 1979).
• Falinska (1997) calculated that only
5-10% of seeds in the seed bank
developed into seedlings regardless of the successional stage
of the surrounding vegetation.
• C. palustre achenes buried in pots had a 40% survival rate after
one year. Van Leeuwen and van Breemen (1988)
• Literature contained no estimates of how long seed remains
viable in the seedbank.
BCMoFR

Origin/Distribution
• Native to Europe, (Scandinavia to western Mediterranean)
• Collected in New Hampshire 1902 Holt, 1902
• Newfoundland 1919 Fernald 1933
• Michigan since 1935 and Wisconsin since 1962 Johnson et al, 1962
• First herbarium sample in BC from outskirts of Prince Rupert
in 1954,
• 1992 Goat River, Hwy 16 east of Prince George,
• 1997 Alliford Bay south Moresby Island Royal BC Museum

Distribution of C. palustre in NA
USDA NRCS Plants Database
Distribution of C. palustre in BC
Douglas, et al 1998

1981 1999
Marsh Plume
thistle
spread over
time in BC
Prepared Dec 2009
BCMFR IAPP
2008

Ecology
• The preferred habitats for Marsh Plume Thistle in North
America are reported to be moist woodlands and riparian areas.
In the Robson Valley, the vast majority of sites are in the
Interior cedar hemlock (ICH) biogeoclimatic zone. (Fraser, 2000)
• Douglas et al (1998) report C. palustre as infrequent throughout
British Columbia south of 55oN.

Habitats
• In BC, moist meadows and forest openings in lowland zone Douglas et al 1998
• Habitat types similar to Europe, moist woodland Moore and Franklin 1974 , and
damp clearings and thickets Scoggan 1978
Soils
• In BC, field observations in the Prince George
and Robson Valley FS Districts, recorded that
C. palustre was thought to be able to establish
in all but frequently flooded or permanently pond
areas. It was found growing in: Sanborn, email, 1998
– fine textured soils
– coarse gravelly soils
– bare mineral soils (roadcuts, scalped skidtrails)
– thick intact forest floors greater than 10 cm

Associated Species
• “In BC, found to be growing on sites in the ICH
zone with the following associated vegetation”
Sanborn, P, email, 1999
- found growing with sparse, low-growing
herb cover (Cornus),
- tall perennial herbs (Epilobium),
- sod forming grasses and sedges
(undisturbed Festuca rubra and Carex),
- broadcast-burned and raw
plantations
- non-forested wetlands on
raised microsites

Management:
• Prevention: through Education
Stop its’ Establishment – Know what it is, and where
Stop the Spread - know its mechanism of spread, know its
habitat and know its’ spread vectors
• Manual Control - pulling, cutting will stop seed production
• Cultural Control – competitive species resist invasion
• Chemical Biological – judicious use of herbicides
• Biological Control – developing/obtaining bio-agents that
will establish, flourish and impact weed populations

Manual and Cultural Control
- Cutting and pulling/digging will stop/reduce
or slow seed production
- Competitive vegetation complex can reduce
invasion, but can it resist Marsh Plume
thistle invasion?
- Competitive species where disturbed soil exists or
is created. It’s never a bad idea to re-vegetate

Herbicide Control of Marsh Plume Thistle
Tordon 22K 4.5L
Tordon 22K 2.25L
Gr azo n 3.7L
Gr azo n 7L
Tr an slin e .83L
B+2,4-D2.1L +1.0kg
Ban vel 4.6L
Ban vel 2.1L
M+2,4-D.5L +1.5kg
M+2,4-D.38L +1.1kg
M+2,4-D .29L +.85kg
Milesto n e .5L
Milesto n e .38L
Milesto n e .28L
Milesto n e .25L
ch eck
Marsh Plume Thistle control 29 months after late June 2006
treatment of aminopyralid alone and aminopyralid + 2,4-D
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Marsh Plume Thistle control 29 months after late June 2006 treatment

Aminopyralid 60g a.i.
(0.25 L/prod) /ha
Prior to Treatment

Current Containment areas
in BC
For Marsh Plume thistle
Containment areas are established
boundaries to identify where an
invasive species is established in
its’ highest density infestations.
Typically, little if any management
takes place within these
containment areas and high
priority areas for management are
usually outside the containment
area where populations size and
density is low

Biological Control
- Use of natural predators to control IP populations
- For C. palustre there is currently no effective bioagents
- Ministry of Forests and Range, Forest Practices
Branch is currently carrying out research on 2 trials
seed feeding weevil Rhinocyllus conicus
Photos; S.Turner
MoFR

Biological Control con\t
- one trial investigating effectiveness of R. conicus feeding on
the seeds of marsh thistle (started in 2006 with AAFC)
- one investigating population thresholds started in 2008.
• R. conicus first released on Nodding thistle (Carduus nutans) in
July 1984, Bridesville and in China Creek Rd, Princeton in 1988
• Primary agent – marsh plume thistle, Canada thistle
• Secondary agent – plumeless, bull and Scotch thistles
• Tertiary agent – nodding thistle

Biological Control con\t
“There does appear some varying acceptability to the different
habitats we put them in (a particularly cold, higher elevation
drainage has not shown establishment). However, even though
we have had some sites show establishment over a couple
years, the numbers are regularly decreasing” Susan Turner, email, 2009
• Terellia ruficauda, an adventive fly, which feeds on all thistle
seeds, has also been found on marsh plume thistle and has
been designated a secondary agent for C. palustre
• Trichosirocalus horridus, root crown feeding weevil, is a primary
agent for C. palustre

History of Marsh Thistle Invasion
Marsh Thistle
1971

History
Marsh Thistle
1981

History
Marsh Thistle
1997

Present
Marsh Thistle
2001

Future?
Marsh Thistle
Projected 2016

References:
• Cirsium palustre (Marsh Thistle), Literature Search and Habitat
Potential Risk Analysis. Fraser, N., March 2000
• Beware this alien weed, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, BCMoFR,
Prince George Forest Region, Provincial Noxious Weed Control
Program, Extension publication, August 2000
• Marsh Plume Thistle Abundance and Potential in the Robson Valley
T.S.A. Mahoney, D., et al, March 31, 2004
• B. Drinkwater, BC Ministry of Forests and Range. Personal
communication
• S. Turner, BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Email communication
• Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Douglas, G., et al 1998
• BC Ministry of forests and Range, Forest Practises Branch, Biocontrol
Development Program website
• Dwayne Brooke, (retired) BCMoF, Powerpoint presentation
• Royal BC Museum Herbarium records

Thank you
for the
Opportunity to
Present to You Today