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

42Rehabilitation, Restoration, and ReclamationThe promotion and establishment of desirable vegetation during the latter phasesof control and eradication treatments is one of the most important phases of anintegrated invasive plant management program. The severity of infestation, sitedegradation, and desired future outcome determine whether a rehabilitation,restoration, or more stringent reclamation effort is required.Rehabilitation is used when soil, stream, and wetland damage is minimal andnative plants are present or will enter from surrounding areas for reestablishment.Native tree species that grow fast, e.g., genetically improved loblolly pine seedlings,can be planted to suppress invasive plant regrowth. Restoration is a muchmore involved process of using soil and streambank stabilization methods withplanting and seeding of desirable species to create a planned stable landscape.Reclamation is used on surface-mined lands, large road construction projects,and other severely altered sites to reshape landform, replace surface soils, andplant or seed rapidly growing plants often using mulches and fertilizers. Invasiveplants have been most often planted on reclamation sites and now warrant controlefforts. Native or noninvasive plants are recommended substitutes now availablefor reclamation operations.Loblolly pine plantation in sixth growingseason established in a 10-yearoldcogongrass infestation after aherbicide suppression treatment.The goal of all three approaches is the establishment and/or release of fastgrowingnative plants that can outcompete and outlast any surviving nonnativeplants while stabilizing and protecting the soil and water features. At times, nonnativeplants must be used to suppress invasives, then controlled, to facilitatenative plant establishment.If the soil seed bank remains intact, native plant communities will naturally reinitiatesuccession during eradication of nonnative plants. Light-seeded nativespecies are usually present in the seed bank while heavier seeded plants will gradually bedeposited on a site by birds and other animals. Select herbicides and other treatments suchas mowing and prescribed burning can play roles in continued suppression of invasiveswhile promoting native or noninvasive plants.Containerized native plants forrestoration plantings.Herbicide Use in Restoration of Native GrassesMatt Nespeca, Executive Director of the Conservation Land Company in Charleston,SC, notes that, in the restoration of native grasses, herbicides can increase survival andgrowth of desirable native grasses and forbs, while reducing cover of invasive plants. Itis important to know what plants a herbicide can control on a site, but it is even moreimportant to understand what plants a herbicide will not control. On a restoration site, theidea of herbicide application selectivity (or the susceptibility or tolerance of a plant to aherbicide application) can be attained through herbicide spectrum, herbicide placement,or herbicide timing. Over the past several years, these methods have been used on nativegrass restoration projects throughout South Carolina, including Mepkin Abbey, McAlhaneyPreserve, and Rock Hill Black Jack Heritage Preserve.Seeding and mulchingto establish desirablespecies.Ben JacksonIn some native grass restoration projects, a manager can rely on herbicide spectrum to provide selectivity. Whenbahiagrass is outcompeting an established stand of native big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and little bluestem[Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash], a manager can use a broadcast herbicide treatment of Escort XPHerbicide (metsulfuron) to reduce the bahiagrass competition and release the native grasses. If the same establishedstand of big bluestem and little bluestem is infested by Johnsongrass, Plateau Herbicide (imazapic) provides selectivecontrol of Johnsongrass but is safe for the native grasses. A more obvious method of utilizing a herbicide spectrum innative grass restoration is with broadleaf-specific products, such as Garlon 4 Ultra (triclopyr), which control broadleafspecies while releasing grasses.