Buffalo Bayou Park Vegetation Management Plan (PDF)

Chapter 5Significant Management ZonesINVASIVE SPECIES CONTROLDense stands of giant ragweed and vines are well established along the fringe which needs to bemaintained throughout the spring and summer by bush hogging. Sensitivity should be taken to insure anynative vegetation doesn’t get lost which may require site specific hand weeding. Chinese tallow andchinaberry have established periodically throughout the forest interior, as well as along forest perimeter.Once a year trees and saplings should be cut and treated with herbicide to insure complete removal.Procedures for invasive species control are described in section 6.4.REMOVING PLANTSTree removal should be limited to hazard trees. If a falling tree does not pose a threat to human safety,girdling or trimming to provide snag habitat is preferred to complete removal.PRUNING TREESTree pruning should be limited to low hanging perimeter limbs that prohibit ease of maintenance to thevines and invasive species along the forest fringe. If a trail exists, hazardous tree limbs should beremoved and placed along side the trail to provide a distinct boundary in conjunction with routinemonitoring for new hazards. Large limbs removed during pruning should never be placed directly on treeroot crowns. Standard pruning maintenance is detailed in section 6.2.PLANTING FOREST VEGETATIONAs in any forest, when a tree dies, falls or is removed, pioneer species move in and begin succession. Inan area with little natural habitat such as the West Sector, these locations present an opportunity to plantboth understory and desired saplings to out-compete less desirable species likely to grow, thus increasingdiversity and improving the health of the system from the interior. With any new installation of trees mulchthe base according to mulching procedures in section 6.2.TWO YEAR CAREPerimeter removal of invasive species and low hanging limbs through an establish maintenance programwill enable forests to be viewed, increase safety and reduce homeless shelters. Planting herbaceousspecies and trees should be monitored on a quarterly basis to ensure the development of natives andwatering, in some cases, may be necessary. If so, a bi-weekly, two year watering schedule should bedeveloped at the time of planting.October 2004 25 Buffalo Bayou Park Vegetation Management PlanBuffalo Bayou Partnership