Liz Duff Education Coordinator III Mass Audubon’s Salt Marsh Science Project Patrolling and controlling Pepperweed: Successes and challenges in the Great Marsh Region

What is Pepperweed? Lepidium latifolium Invasive species Flowers form June to September Inhibits biodiversity by “taking over” native plant areas.

The Threats of Pepperweed Grows into dense, monoculture stands Small root fragments can re-sprout Salt tolerant Invades range and pasture lands Leslie J. Mehrhoff

Lepidium latifolium Native to Asia and North Africa Introduced to California in 1930’s via sugar beet seed shipment Spreads rapidly by rhizomes and seeds

2008 Began seeing pepperweed sites we monitored in Scientists at UMASS Boston mapped sites in the region. March 2005 We did an initial roadside survey in Ipswich in Map

Where to look: Pepperweed seeds are transported by the tide, but the plant itself cannot tolerate a lot of flooding. Start looking for it along road-sides that are near the edge of flooding tides. When you find some along the road, look in the surrounding area, particularly where the upland meets the marsh. Photos by Liz Duff Waist-high dead stalks, alternate branching pattern. (Not Woody)

Great Marsh Pepperweed Control History In 2002 NBPT students in MA SMS helped pull pepperweed on the PRNWR In fall of 2004 members of the NBPT GOMI team selected pepperweed as their stewardship project. They began educating others about this invasive. In 2006 The PRNWR, MAS GOMI began recruiting volunteers to pull pepperweed in NBPT at High School Assemblies. Newburyport Gulf of Maine Institute Team Members 69 Volunteers in 2006!

Successful Teamwork! Permitting, Herbiciding, Grant writing: Sarah Janson Boat Mapping: Peter Phippen & John Halloran Liz Duff NBPT GOMI Volunteers Locating, Educating and Eradicating : NBPT GOMI & Liz Duff Mentoring NBPT GOMI: John Halloran Mapping, Planning, Coordinating: Liz Duff Funding: Fish and Wildlife Service, GE Susan Adamowicz Mass Bays CZM

Successful Outreach NBPT GOMI team educates others and attracted additional volunteers. – Ipswich High School – Essex Elementary – Sparhawk High School – Triton Regional Middle School

Roadside signs raise awareness. Ipswich Property owners are granting permission easily.

Methods of Removal: Hand Pulling Recruited volunteers for work days Focused on removing as much root as possible Rendered “nonviable” – Dried pepperweed in sun for at least 7 days – Sent to an incinerater (making sure none excaped.) Newburyport Gulf of Maine Institute Team Members

Pepperweed Control cont. Spraying

Pre-Post Photos JNR Ipswich 6/11/2010 Pre-pull JNR Ipswich, Post 10/29/2010- No pepperweed! Pre and Post shots taken at many sites. We are making Progress!

Strong Volunteer Support

Control Methods: Pulling and Herbicide Mechanical treatment is labor intensive and we utilized a number of local volunteers and school groups. Lessons learned: This is a fun community service activity. Lots of schools are volunteering. Some local citizens are willing to “adopt a site”. Chemical treatment requires trained applicators and is weather dependent. Herbicide application, however, is very effective very quickly. Adopt-a-site volunteer Aldyth Innis Volunteers from the Clark School in Danvers Bob with backpack sprayer at Parker River NWR

Pepperweed Control Continues to Grow- With Additional Partners Involved. 130 sites sprayed, 101 sites pulled,18sites pull and spray, 10 sites CLEAR!

Treatment 264 sites treated in This is 2x sites treated in 2009! Increased capacity through increased volunteers – both pulling and spraying. Further increases in Treatment multiple years is necessary. Large areas of the Great Marsh free of pepperweed!

Small Window of Opportunity for Treatment MayJuneJulyAugust Week # Pepperweed growing xxxxxxxxxx Greenheadsxxxxxx Flowers developing xxxxxxxxxx Seeds developing xxxxxx Seeds dropping xx Pepperweed Pulling/weed whacking xxxxxxx Pulling Recheck xxxx Herbicide Use: Non Rainy Days needed. xxxxx Extended Herbicide use xx Must treat on dry days

Where is it? Invades riparian areas, marshes, pastures, agricultural fields, and roadsides Only two sites found in NH. None yet in Maine.

Regional View 11 stands treated in 2010 Many sites pulled over past 4 years. Reduction in coverage noted! Sprayed in % of sites treated in 2010 Pulled in Highway sites treated in 2010 New Hampshire Great Marsh Along Mass Highways Salem Sound Boston Harbor

Mass Highways Mapping and treatment 2010

Methods of Mapping: On Foot Franz Inglefinger, Trustees of Reservations, mapping road crossings (2006) Boy Scouts Essex, MA (2007) Carry GPS units or paper maps to mark sites. Starting from roadside points we walked the upland edge and recorded presence of data on data sheets. Challenges: Method is thorough, but slow!

Where is pepperweed now? Is it threatening agricultural land?

Successful Mapping By Boat: Easiest after plants have blossomed/gone to seed. Bring Binoculars. Covered a lot of territory. Fun! Near complete mapping of Great Marsh in Large areas of the Great Marsh free of pepperweed! Only one site found on Cape Ann (Hodgkins Cove) Merrimack River clear in East Haverhill, Merrimac, Groveland, West Newbury. Few spots found in Amesbury. North Salisbury still clear.

–Some areas are not visible/accessible by boat. Need to go back on foot or kayak to check these areas. –Some infested areas were not spotted. –Some areas were false positives: need to double check “maybes” on foot. –Tide dependant. Challenges of Mapping By Boat Look not only on the upland edge but also along creek-banks. We found pepperweed along Salisbury creek-banks (low salinity) and in Ipswich in areas where there is a tidal restriction.

Phragmites may block pepperweed and slow its spread. Phragmites control may open the door to pepperweed spread. Phragmites Pepperweed Need to observed interaction of these species and coordinate treatment. Challenges

Assume spread rate of 200m/year in most salt marshes 1 mile/year along fast moving waterways 200m/Year Rate 1 Mile/Year Rate (4 miles in 4 yrs) Pepperweed Spread Challenges

Concern: Citizens may inadvertently spread pepperweed to new areas. Town Farm Road 5/19/2008 Pulling Pepperweed on Town Farm Road in Ipswich Citizens collecting salt marsh hay for mulch in pepperweed infested area.

Plan Prevent the spread of pepperweed to clear marsh. Reduce pepperweed in top priority sites. Map pepperweed more thoroughly and in neighboring regions. Pull pepperweed at sites where landowners do not want herbicide used

Organize mapping and treatment by creating subregions, and prioritizing by subregion.

Thanks to our Funders… Partners for Wildlife Land Management Research & Demonstration, USFWS General Electric

Thanks to agencies, organizations and individuals who battled pepperweed in 2010 Mass Audubon Liz Duff & Lou Wagner, Corey Lynch, Kaileigh Thompson, Laura Hallowell NH Coastal Program Kevin Lucey & Morgan Eastman Salem Sound Coastwatch & Barbara Warren Mass Highways & Tara Mitchell Eight Towns and the Bay & Peter Phippen Ipswich High School Sparhawk High School Triton Regional High School FWS & Sarah Janson General Electric & Volunteer Staff Lanette Leka Dept. of Conservation & Recreation & Heather Warchalowski Gulf of Maine Institute, NBPT Team & John Halloran Boston Harbor Islands, NPS, Marc Albert & Island Ambassadors Beth O’Conner & Ipswich volunteers Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetland Management District & Emily Sullivan Mike Basso Sandra Hamilton Sherri Malto Erin Loughlin Acknowledgements