A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests James ...

35Skid-Steer LoadersPaul David Blakely of the Coalition to Control Kudzu without Chemicals, a nonprofitvolunteer organization in Spartanburg, SC, has developed attachments and techniquesthat equip skid-steer loaders for kudzu removal (http://kokudzu.com/SkidSteer-Loader.html). Tracks attached to the tires of the loader help traction and access todifficult terrain. Additional and wider spaced pronged forks added to the skid loaderare inserted beneath the mat of vines, lifted up, and tilted back to pull vines and evenkudzu root crowns for removal. Forward motion of the machine can roll the mass ofvines into a pile. Other attachments and techniques have been developed by Blakelyand the coalition for a range of conditions and treatment objectives. Skid loadersare easily transported, highly maneuverable, and capable of lift and tilt, which givesthis machine, if equipped with appropriate attachments, potential for other invasiveplant removal tasks in dense infestations.Four-Wheel Drive TractorsFor decades, right-of-way and forestry managers have used specially equipped fourwheeldrive tractors to apply an array of vegetation management treatments. Theadvantages of a tractor (over heavier machinery) include good traction for pullingimplements in steep terrain and moderately wet soils, versatility of power takeoff(rear power shaft) to drive implements, convenient transportability, and low operationcosts. A tractor must have a substantial cab guard to prevent penetration of straytree limbs into the operator’s cab area and keep the operator safe in the event ofrollover and other accidents.Depending on its size and configuration, a tractor can have a wide range of implements.A tractor can pull mowers and push mulcher attachments that reduce theheight of herbaceous and woody invasive plants, prevent seed production, open upaccess for herbicide applicators, and otherwise prepare sites for further treatment.Tractors can pull plows and harrows that prepare soil, and seeders, seed drills, andfertilizer spreaders that can establish and promote growth of desirable plants. Itcan pull planting machinery for reforestation to plant pine and hardwood seedlings,and possibly native grass plugs. Tractors are often used to mount or pull herbicidesprayers. With this versatility the four-wheel-drive tractor is gaining favor as one ofthe most valuable pieces of machinery for integrated treatments aimed at restoration.Skidloader with tracks andwider spaced pronged forks.Skidloader uprooting kudzuvines for removal.John Lyddon Newt HardieNewt HardieInvasive shrub being pulled bya small tractor.Four-wheel-drive tractor with aboomless sprayer.