Fountaingrass in Bear Canyon — Image by kenne
Archive for the ‘Invasive species’ Tag
Fountaingrass, A Serious Invasive Species In The Sabino Canyon Recreational Area 1 comment
Honey Bee On London Rocket Wildflower 2 comments
Honey Bee On London Rocket Wildflower — Image by kenne
The London Rocket is a naturalized weed native to Europe. It is most common in riparian areas, fields, drainage ditches, and in vacant lots. Because of the timing of desert winter rains this year, this weed seems to be everywhere. “The common name ‘London rocket’ comes from its abundance after the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was also noticed on bomb sites after the Blitz.”
— kenne
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Fountain Grass 2 comments
Fountain Grass in the Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
Fountain grass is commonly used desert landscape in Tucson. Yes, it’s attractive, but it produces lots of seeds that spread rapidly from cultivation into nearby disturbed areas, and eventually into natural habitats. It typically forms dense stands, aggressively competes with native species, especially perennial grasses, and seasonal annuals, for space, water, and nutrients. The above photograph was taken in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness area in the Santa Catalina Mountains several miles from where it may have been part of someone’s landscape.
Forest Fires are common in the mountains of southern Arizona, and fountain grass provides lots of fuel and is well adapted to fire therefore is a serious threat to the native species.
— kenne
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National Public Lands Day — Before and After 2 comments
Before Image by kenne
This is a before snapshot of soft feather pappus grass in and area where Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN)would be removing invasive plants. Our focus would be to clear this area where we teach elementary children about nature, October through April.
After Image by kenne
This after image illustrates how effective invasive plants are at crowding out native plants.
Rattlesnake Image by kenne
Removing invasive plants requires a lot of caution, keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes. There is a western diamondback rattlesnake in this image, which is a good example of how well the blend into grass. The snake is coiled center-right in this image.
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National Public Lands Day Is September 24th Leave a comment
Pampas Grass In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
For many, pampas grass is an ornamental landscape plant, for others it’s an environmentally dangerous plant that crowds out indigenous desert plants and can become kneeling for wildfires. Sabino Canyon has a lot of pampas grass, fountain grass, buffel grass and other invasive plants. The battle to remove these invasive plants continues on National Public Lands Day as Sabino Stewards (Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists) and community members will be digging, pulling, and bagging invasive plants near the Sabino Creek area. This activity is one of several activities that will be taking place in the Coronado National Forest September 24th on Public Lands Day. All fees are waived for the day.
— kenne
Once an invasive species arrives, it’s about impossible yo get rid of it.
— Sean Hanna
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Collared Dove In Southern Arizona 2 comments
Collared Dove — Images by kenne
The collared dove is one of the largest doves and a relative newcomer to Arizona, therefore it is considered an invasive species. In the 1970’s a shipment of Eurasian collared doves was sent to an exotic bird dealer in the Bahamas in place of an order of Ringed Neck Turtle Doves (also known as the Barbary Dove). They were then accidentally released and quickly made their way to Florida by the mid 1980’s. They grew in numbers, and then began making their way westward.
Annual bird counts conducted by the Audubon Society place the first recorded sightings in Arizona at 2001. Since that time, their numbers have been steadily increasing and can be found in all areas of the state.
— kenne
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Good Intentions 1 comment
Beautiful Intruder: Sweet Resinbush (Euryops subcarnosus) — Images by kenne
During a recent nature walk, I was eager to photograph this beautiful plant before learning that it is an “unwanted” intruder in Sabino Canyon and we would soon be pulling it up.
The plant, sweet resinbush, was brought here from South Africa in the 1930’s with the good intentions of providing forage for livestock and aid in slowing soil erosion. But, like a lot of good intentions, it proved to be more harmful than good — encroaching into healthy grasslands and choking out native vegetation.
kenne
Good intentions never change anything. They only become a deeper and deeper rut.
— Joyce Meyer
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Down By The Creekside 2 comments
Creekside — Image by kenne
Monitoring grass
Where the dead covers new growth
Down by the creekside
— kenne
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Fountaingrass, A Curse Or Blessing 7 comments
Colorful Fountaingrass (HD) — Image by kenne
For some it’s a curse
Competes with native species
Provides fuel to fire.
An exotic grass
A popular landscape choice
Attractive image.
As a naturalist
It’s just an exotic pest
That must be destroyed.
— kenne
Related articles
- Fountaingrass A Serious Invasive Species In The Sonoran Desert (kenneturner.com)
- Capturing The Moment–Fountaingrass Along The Wash (kenneturner.com)
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Fountaingrass, A Serious Invasive Species In The Sonoran Desert 3 comments
Fountaingrass in Bear Canyon — Image by kenne
FOUNTAINGRASS
Plants
killing plants,
fountaingrass.
— kenne
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Buffelgrass Is More Dangerous To the Saguaro Cactus Than Freezing Temperatures! 2 comments
Capturing The Moment — Fountaingrass Along The Wash 1 comment
Fountaingrass Near The Tanque Verde Wash In Tucson — Images by kenne
An attractive plant that was introduced to southern Arizona in the middle of the last century. Fountaingrass is native to North Africa and the Middle East. An invasive plant, it has been widely cultivated as an ornamental.
kenne
Fountain Grass
Invasive beauty
Generating love and hate
Not a remedy.
kenne
Related articles
- Invasive Grasses, Sonoran Desert, Weed Wackers (lmeubank.wordpress.com)
- Tanque Verde Wash Sentry (kenneturner.com)
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Capturing The Moment — Wiping Out Buffelgrass, One Person At A Time 1 comment
Buffelgrass has taken over most of the left slop of this area in the Esperero Canyon. Even so, Markus has dedicated himself to removing buffelgrass one plant at a time.
Esperero Trail runs from Sabino Canyon, through Rattlesnake and Bird Canyons before entering Esperero Canyon and a series of switchbacks up to a ridge, appropriately called “Cardiac Gap.” This is the second time in a little over a month that we have hiked this trial to the gap. This time, as in January, the weather was beautiful, with an abundance of “Tucson blue” sky, but this time the wildflowers were making an early spring appearance, especially at the higher elevations along the trail.
Even with all the natural beauty of the Santa Catalina Mountains, on this day it was being co-opted by invasive plants species, one of which is buffelgrass. Although much too common to southern Arizona and most of Sonora, it is native to most of Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia and nearby islands, and tropical Asia. A big competitor for water, it weakens and kills larger desert plants, while making it difficult for new native plant growth. Additionally, buffelgrass provides “gas on the fire” for wildfires, which would destroy most desert plants like the Saguaro cactus, but not buffelgrass — buffelgrass would be the first to grow back.
Although there are several southern Arizona organized efforts to rid the areas of this invasive plant, i.e., Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordinating Center (SABCC) and the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers, many individuals put in long hours along on the difficult canyon slops of the picturesque Catalina Mountains. My hat’s off to Markus and the many others with his passion and drive.
kenne
Markus removing buffelgrass in the Esperero Canyon, February 24, 2012 — Images by kenne
Source: “Buffelgrass is a wildfire waiting to happen.” http://www.buffelgrass.org/
Related articles
- Esperero Trail Hike To Cardiac Gap (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
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Capturing The Moment — Crystal Springs Trail 4 comments
After the 2003 Aspen Fire much of the burned area was seeded with a mix of native plant species designed to prevent non-native invasive plants from becoming established in areas affected by the fire. The result over the years since is a very thick ground cover that at times make it difficult to follow the trail. (See photo below.) I did some research trying to name the above flower, but will now have to depend on some of my naturalists friends to help name the wildflower. As you can see, it was getting some light through the thick foliage
One of the many trails through the area seeded is the Crystal Springs Trail, which we hiked yesterday. The trail is on the north side of Mount Lemmon, often referred to by Summerheaven residents as the “backside”. There are two ways to reach the trail, one from an intersection of the Butterfly Trail, the other from the Control road, which was named that since it was the only access to Summerhaven before the Santa Catalina Highway was built. We hiked the trail down to a small springs, which like a lot of the area was difficult to find because of all the overgrowth where still some of the giant walnut trees remain.
kenne
Images by kenne
Related articles
- Hiking Up Turkey Run In Summerhaven on Mt. Lemmon (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- Capturing the Moment – Barnum Rock (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- Capturing The Moment – Greater Short-Horned Lizard (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- Summerhaven – Taking It To The Streets (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
- Summerhaven Music Series – Bad News Blues Band (kenneturner.wordpress.com)
Becoming is Superior to Being 
When the Tucson area experiences sub-freezing temperatures, as it did a week ago, many express a concern for our stately Saguaro cacti. This icon of the Sonoran Desert can be damaged by long hours below freezing, depending on the health of each cactus, but the biggest treat to the saguaro is fire. The above images show many saguaro cactus surrounded by an invasive species, Buffelgrass. The upper right of the top photos has no buffelgrass, which represents a more normal view of the canyon vegetation.
Buffelgrass grows densely and crowds out native plants of similar size. Competition for water can weaken and kill larger desert plants. Dense roots and ground shading prevent germination of seeds. Buffelgrass can kill most native plants by these means alone. However, buffelgrass provides an intense fuel for wildfires and resprouts vigorously after fires, where most native desert plants are killed — including the saguaros.
Removing buffelgrass from steep slopes such as those being inspected by Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist, Mark Hengersbaugh is a very difficult task, which often involves the individual removal of each plant.
The image below is from a posting about a year ago I did on buffelgrass. Many volunteers are at work removing this invasive plant, but many more are needed. (Click here for link to earlier posting.)
kenne
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