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Comparing Effectiveness and Impacts of Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Control Treatments and Herbivory on Plant Communities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jeffrey S. Ward ,
Scott C. Williams  and
Thomas E. Worthley
Jeffrey S. Ward*
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Horticulture, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511
Scott C. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Horticulture, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511
Thomas E. Worthley
Affiliation:
Department of Extension, University of Connecticut, Haddam, CT 06438
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Two factors that can degrade native plant community composition and structure, and hinder restoration efforts, are invasive species and chronic overbrowsing by ungulates such as white-tailed deer. Beginning in 2007, the effectiveness, costs, and impacts of Japanese barberry control treatments and herbivory on nonnative and native plant communities was examined at eight study areas over 4 to 5 yr. Prescribed burning and mechanical mowing by wood shredder or brush saw were utilized as initial treatments to reduce the aboveground portion of established barberry and were equally effective. Without a follow-up treatment, barberry had recovered to 56 to 81% of pretreatment levels 50 to 62 mo after initial treatment. Follow-up treatments in mid-summer to kill new sprouts included directed heating and foliar herbicide applications. Relative to untreated controls, follow-up treatments lowered barberry cover 50 to 62 mo after initial treatment by at least 72%. Although all follow-up treatments were equally effective, the labor cost of directed heating was four times higher than for herbicide applications. Follow-up treatment type (directed heating vs. herbicide) had minimal impact on species other than barberry. White-tailed deer herbivory had a larger impact on other species than did barberry control treatments. Native grass and fern cover was higher outside of exclosures. Areas inside exclosures had higher cover of Oriental bittersweet and multiflora rose, but not Japanese barberry. Thus, recovery of native communities will require more than simply removing the dominant invasive species where deer densities are high. Excellent reduction of Japanese barberry cover can be achieved using either directed heating or herbicides as follow-up treatments in a two-step process, but other invasive plants may become a problem when barberry is removed if deer populations are low.

Keywords

Glyphosatetriclopyr2,4-DJapanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii DC. BEBTHOriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. CELORmultiflora rose, Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr. ROSMUBerberis thunbergiiherbicideherbivoryinvasive speciesmowingpropane torchRosa multiflorawhite-tailed deer
Type
Research
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 459 - 469
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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