| Invasive Species Project |
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Invasive plant species are one of the biggest threats to the biodiversity of Presque Isle State Park. By their nature, invasive plants move into an area and crowd out rare and valuable native plants and, as in the case of phragmites, turn an area into a monoculture - an area dominated by a single species.
Most invasive plants spread by wind and water, and they characteristically appear wherever the soil is disturbed. Some like phragmites, spread progressively through an underground root system (rhizomes) and can even cross under roads or trails. In 1998, the Presque Isle Partnership and the staff of Presque Isle worked together to establish a control plan for invasives and are now implementing that plan. The combined efforts have resulted in comprehensive field surveys and a step-by-step approach to remediating specific sites. That approach is expected to continue well into the future. The six major invasive species found on Presque Isle are listed below. Others, equally as threatening, are included in the park's control plans. You can help with his effort by making a donation towards funding for invasive species control, or by volunteering to help work in the park. Six major invasive species: Common Name: Canary Reed Grass Scientific Name: Phalaris arundinacea Habitat: Wetlands Size: Stems are 3-5ft high, leaf blades 1/4 - 3/4 inch wide Colors: Flowers are pale green initially then a yellowish-white Identifying Characteristics: The grass spreads by creeping rhizomes, leaves flattened and attracted to stem like corn plants Frequently Seen: Along the neck of the peninsula Control Techniques: Pulling, mowing, herbicides Peak Season: Flowers mature in June Common Name: Japanese Bush Honeysuckle Scientific Name: Lonicera morrowi Habitat: Drier sites, sand dunes, disturbed sites Size: shrubs attain height of 6-12 feet, egg-shaped leaves 1 inch by 1 1/2-2 inches long Colors: White, yellow flowers Identifying Characteristics: Shrub that forms dense thickets, red or yellow berries produced in late summer and eaten by birds who then spread the seeds Frequently seen: Along roadways and parking lots throughout the park Control Techniques: Uprooting, cutting, burning, herbicides Peak Season: Flowering in May and June Common Name: Japanese Knotweed Scientific Name: Polygonum cuspidatum Habitat: Varied habitats, drier sites, especially disturbed sites Size: Fast-growing robust herb that grows 3-6 feet Colors: Flowers that are greenish-white in forking clusters Identifying Characteristics: Bamboo-like hollow stems, grows in thick stands, reproduces extensively by rhizomes Frequently Seen: Scattered pockets of infestation on peninsula neck, administration area and lighthouse area Control Techniques: Cutting followed by herbicides Peak Season: Flowering in late summer Common Name: Common Reed, Phragmites Scientific Name: Phragmites australis Habitat: Wetlands, especially sites with fluctuating water levels Size: Stems 3-12 feet Colors: Conspicuous terminal flowers vary in color from green to red to brown Identifying Characteristics: Extensive spreading by rhizomes Frequently Seen: Older ponds and shoreline of Gull Point and Thomson's Bay Control Techniques: Burning followed by herbicides Peak Season: Rapid growth throughout June and July; flowers mature in August Common Name: Purple Loosestrife Scientific Name: Lythrum salicaria Habitat: Wetlands and protected shoreline areas Size: Plants are 2-4 feet tall, stalkless leaves usually opposite and 3-4 inches long near the base of the plant Colors: Terminal spikes of flowers are a bright magenta Identifying Characteristics: Older plants grow in large clumps, prolific seed production Frequently Seen: Along the bay and on the neck of the peninsula Control Techniques: Hand pulling, herbicides, introducing beetles Peak Season: Flowering in June and July Common Name: Tree of Heaven Scientific Name: Ailanthus altissima Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed forest areas Colors: Yellowish flowers Identifying Characteristics: Flowers occur at tend of branches, resembles sumac, distinctive glands on tip of small lobes near the base of the leaves Frequently Seen: Lighthouse area, shore of Misery Bay Control Techniques: Uprooting when young, cutting followed by herbicides Peak Season: Flowering in June and July |
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