Non-Native and Invasive Species

Field Observations

This week when walking out to the ecosystem the sky surrounded me in various shades of reds, oranges, blues, and purples thus setting the tone for the rainbow of colors I encountered.  I know it might seem like each week I keep going back to the beautiful colors but it truly is a different experience each week I visit.  The first thing I noticed this week was that many of the plant species, grasses, and wildflowers alike have greatly grown in height some of which now tower over me.  The first species I noticed was the Tall Giant Sunflower with its bright yellow flower head standing up among the grasses.  Also the Tall Ironwood continues to make a beautiful bloom while other species such as Wild Bergamot and Butterfly Weed are done for the summer while other species such as goldenrod are continuing to make their appearances.  

Once again this week I could hear the close presence of wild turkeys and driving to class a few times this week or even while walking around the area I have run across two hens with their poults.   So it seems as if some animals are becoming more active such as the white tail deer and her two fawns beginning to move around a lot more with new young while others, such as many plant species, are beginning to fade out for the year.  Also due to the drier environment things like decomposition has begun to slow down, around the loop trail there is a lot of coarse woody debris that at first seemed to be decomposing quite quickly with various fungi on board but lately at least by sight seems to be slowing down.  This could be due to the fact that we are nearing late summer and traditionally less precipitation and warmer temperatures which many species might not be well adapted thus they are making their graceful leaves.  Also the milkweed bugs that I have been observing seem to keep getting larger and larger and they seem like they are adults now or only a short time away from reaching adult maturity and breeding. 

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Species Identification

Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana)

Virgin’s Bower is a climbing vine species with small white flowers, which climbs by twisting the leaf stalks around the supporting vegetation, which here in Wysong is the old staghorn sumac and goldenrod.  The flowers themselves have four white sepals which are about an inch wide, and the male and female flowers are on different plants.  The leaves are compound with three sharply toothed leaves each about two inches long. The stem of the vine can grow up to ten feet tall depending on the structure of the supporting vegetation but flowers from July to September and this was the first week that I had observed it’s blooming (Newcomb, 1977 & Thieret et al. 2001).  

Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) common viny arrangement on supporting vegetation (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

Virgin’s Bower is normally found in moist thickets or the borders of woods and moist places which makes sense given the environment it is found in here in Wysong.  It can be located right along the trail close to the forest edge, which makes sense given the moist old lake soils.  Also with the large variety of shrubs gives it the perfect opportunities for have proper structures to climb up.  This beautiful vine can also be found as a cultivated clematis as this species can trail over many structures including fence posts, shrubs, and so much more making it very desirable to your gardeners and landscapers (Thieret et al. 2001).

Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) common compound leaf arrangement (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

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Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)

Rough Blazing Star is also known as tall blazing star and is a perennial which forms a spike of rounded rayless lavender or white flower heads along a stiff stem.  It can reach upwards of 4 feet in optimum growing conditions but here in Wysong reaches about 2 feet.  It is very noticeable with the bright purple and white flowers providing a stark contrast to surrounding vegetation; it almost looks like bright purple and white fireworks!  The flower head is about ¾’’ wide and the bracts are broadly rounded with translucent edges.  It normally flowers from August through October but this week it made its first appearance flowering in Wysong.  The leaves themselves are rough and lancelet thus the rough blazing star (Newcomb, 1977 & Thieret et al. 2001).   

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) with bright white flower heads (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

This wildflower prefers open plains and thin woods in sandy soil which makes it perfect for this ecosystem due to the residual sandy soil from an earlier historical lake.  Also the rough leafs provide protection from water loss allowing it to adapt to the drier sandy soils.  According to the Wildflower Center (LIAS, 2014) the Liatris genus is a very important group for native pollinators such as bees and butterflies, as well as hummingbirds.  This would make sense given its very bright and showy colors.  Here in Wysong it is also unique as we have two very different colors (purple and white) growing so closely together.  

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) with the bright purple flower head (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

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Wood Sage (Teucrium canadense)

Also known as Germander or American Germander this is a rhizomatous perennial with a terminal spike like cluster of aromatic lavender pink flowers on a downy square stem.  The square stem is very characteristic of the Mint Family Lamiaceae of which Wood Sage is apart. The flowers themselves are ¾ inch long with the stamen protruding upward from the base of the flower with the upper lip absent and the lower lip prominently broad, looking almost like a small orchid.  The leaves are lance or egg shaped and range from 2-4 inches long, are opposite, toothed, and densely hairy on the underside of the leaf.  This flower can get up to 3 feet tall in optimum growing conditions but here in Wysong only grows about 1-2 feet and flowers from June to September (Newcomb, 1977 & Thieret et al. 2001).  

Wood Sage (Teucrium canadense) terminal spike of aromatic lavender pink flowers. (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

Wood Sage prefers thickets, woods, and even shorelines which makes it perfect for the old field habitat here in Wysong with sufficient moisture and shade on certain sides of the loop. The leaf is hairy on the underside of the leaf for many possible reasons one of which could be to reduce predation such as aphids not being able to feed on the bottom of the leaf.  This herbaceous perennial is deciduous and can be planted for ornamental purposes and also is a good pollinator attractor.  An interesting fact is that the common name Germander was from the Greek name for ground oak, chamaidrys (Thieret et al. 2001).

Wood Sage (Teucrium canadense) with opposite and toothed leaves and squarish stem. (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

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Tall Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus)

Also known as Giant Sunflower as the name suggests this is a very tall (3-7’) large and showy plant with a bright yellow flower head.  The tall, rough, purplish stem can bear several flower heads that are 2.5-3.5 inches wide with 9 to 15 rays each.  So although the plant itself is “giant” the flowers themselves in comparison are relatively small.  The leaves can be from 3-8 inches and are lance shaped and shallowly toothed.  They can flower from August to September and are found through most of the United States.  

Tall Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) with it's tall (3-7') stem and showy yellow flower head. (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)  

Tall Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) trying to show the purplish colored stem (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

Tall Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) with the bright yellow flower head (K. Bradley 8/8/2016)

Tall Sunflower prefers woods, thickets, and clearings which seem to be very similar to many of the plants identified this week, preferring moist soil which can be found in most of Wysong with a very high water table and sandy soils.  Also the height of the plant allows it to tower above most competing vegetation and provides a perfect landing site for many pollinators as they can see this flower from a much greater distance than say a flower only 1 foot tall.  According to the Wildflower Center (HEGI, 2014) this is a very important wildlife plant as it can attract many birds.  Also the stem and leaves can cause skin irritations to humans as well as avoid ingestion of the plant as it can be toxic. 

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Response Question

This week the topic to consider is non-native and invasive species found in the ecosystem.  Invasive species and non-natives are very important to know about in an ecosystem because it can drastically affect the management of that area.  Before we can jump into it too much it is very important to understand the differences and some similarities between the two.  So the definition of non-native species that we used for class was a species living outside its native distribution that arrived by human activity (can be deliberate or accidental), normally a plant species is compared to pre or post European settlement introduction.  An invasive species is a species that is non-native and affects the habitats and biodiversity in a “negative” way.  So a non-native species is not necessarily invasive but rather depends on the affect that species has on the ecosystem, flora and fauna around it.  For example non-native species coming in and disrupting the native flora and fauna can be invasive if it can out compete the natives, or on the other hand a non-native plant can also be very beneficial such as providing a new food source. 

Queen Anne's Lace

Here in Wysong there is a great number of species that could be considered non-native, invasive, or both.  For example a non-native species that I have studied is Queen Anne’s Lace, which is found throughout the old field and especially along the trail ways.  In the more disturbed areas (mostly by mowing) where it is found it is thriving but I would not say to the point that it is invasive or out competing the surrounding vegetation.  In the forested area very close by and from the trail you can see strong evidence of Emerald Ash Borer which is an invasive pest and attacks ash trees causing wide spread mortality of which many of the effects are still unknown (The Nature Conservancy, 2016).

Common Mullein

 Common Mullein is also an example of a non-native species that is found in small patches in Wysong but is prolific throughout North America.  I would not consider this invasive on the scale of Wysong due to the fact that it is in a very isolated area and doesn’t appear to be negatively affecting surrounding native plants.  Another non-native species that I have talked about in my blog has been the Japanese beetle which some weeks has been seen extensively in the old field.  Here is an example of a non-native and slightly invasive species depending on the insect densities.  So for example if a large group comes in the area and eats all of the native species it could be labeled invasive, or there could just be a few individuals who come in the area in which case it wouldn’t be invasive, so it is important to think about the scale as well as the disturbance on the ecosystem. 

Another example that is specifically written about in the management plan of this area is eliminating oriental bittersweet, white sweet clover, and autumn olive.  These three species have been identified as invasive through the long term monitoring of the area and thus management has been in place to remove these from the area (W. Minter, personal communication, July 2016).  This is done through active prescribed fire as well as chemical treatments.  So this week when I was out looking for these three species I could not find the oriental bittersweet or autumn olive which is a great indication of successful management efforts. 

Overall when discussing both non-native and invasive species it is important to think about the fact that ecosystems are not static systems, they are constantly changing and adapting through time.  So although some plants are non-native they can still provide important ecosystem benefits and can live in mutual cooperation with native plants while others are more aggressive and can easily outcompete and thus eliminate native plants.  This is a very important topic that with climate change it is beginning to shift many species ranges thus making some areas more susceptible to the ever changing environment and thus invasive and non-native species so stay tuned to next week’s blog!

Creative Contribution

This week I tried to capture the beautiful colors that are on display or have been over the past few weeks.  There is so much beauty and color arrangements in the landscape so I tried to capture it in a series of photos all revolving around one stunning sunrise from this week.  Enjoy!

Colors of Wysong (K. Bradley)

Citations

Wildflower Center (Lady Bird Johnson): The University of Texas at Austin. (2014). Retrieved August 8, 2016 from http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIAS

Wildflower Center (Lady Bird Johnson): The University of Texas at Austin. (2014). Retrieved August 9, 2016 from http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HEGI

Newcomb, Lawrence. (1977). Wildflower Guide. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

The Nature Conesrvancy. (2016). Journey with Nature, Invasive Species. Retrieved August 12, 2016 from http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/united

states/indiana/journeywithnature/invasive-species-3.xml

Thieret, J. W., Niering, W. A., & Olmstead, N. C. (Eds.). (2001). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers Eastern Region. New York, NY: Chanticleer Press.