Removing the Invasive Tree Ailanthus Altissima and Restoring Natural Cover

Patrick L. Burch; Shepard M. Zedaker

doi:10.48044/jauf.2003.003

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Figure 1.
Box plot of stem count (number of stems per acre) as affected by treatments. Untreated is hand-cut only.

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Table 1.

Chemical treatments used to compare herbicide effectiveness with manual cutting for control of Ailanthus in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

Treatment code	Carrier system	Herbicide^{^*}	Herbicide rate (% v/v)
1	HY-Grade EC	Garlon 4	20
2	HY-Grade EC	Garlon 4	20
2	HY-Grade EC	Stalker	1
3	HY-Grade EC	Garlon 4	15
3	HY-Grade EC	Stalker	3
4	HY-Grade EC	Garlon 4	20
4	HY-Grade EC	Stalker	3
5	Aqumix RTU	Garlon 4	20
5	Aqumix RTU	Tordon K	5
6	Eco-Pak RTU	Garlon 4	20
6	Eco-Pak RTU	Tordon K	5
7	Arborchem RTU	Garlon 4	20
7	Arborchem RTU	Tordon K	5
8	HY-Grade EC	Stalker	9
9	Manual cutting 7-15 cm above ground

↵^*Garlon 4 (triclopyr @ 480 gae/L); Stalker (imazapyr @ 240 gae/L); Tordon K (picloram @ 240 gae/L).

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Table 2.

Treatment effects on Ailanthus 6 weeks after treatment and the percentage of control and mortality measured 1 year after treatment.

Treatment	Defoliation %	Control %	Mortality %
Garlon 4 20% in HY-Grade EC	100^{^*}	99.8 a	100 a
Garlon 4 20% +1% Stalker in HY-Grade EC	96.7 A	98.1 a	98.3 a
Garlon 4 15% + 3% Stalker in HY-Grade EC	77.7 B	74.1 b	79.6 b
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in Aqumix RTU	100 A	100 a	100 a
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in Eco-Pak RTU	94.5 A	100 a	100 a
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in Arborchem RTU	98.8 A	98.0 a	98.7 a
Stalker 9% in HY-Grade EC	78.0 B	99.9 a	100 a
Stalker 9% in HY-Grade EC
Manual cutting 7–15 cm above ground	100	-150 c	21.3 c
p-value	.0001	.0001	.0001

↵^*Means followed by the same case/style letter not significantly different at a = 0.05.

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Table 3.

Pre-treatment dominant herbaceous species over all four blocks by treatment for Ailanthus control plots on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

Treatment	Overall three most dominant species	Average % cover^{^*}
Garlon 4 20% in HY-Grade EC	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	58
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	40
	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	40
Garlon 4 20% + 1% Stalker in	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	67
HY-Grade EC	Osmorhiza longistylis (sweet cicely)	40
	Arctium minus (burdock)	32
Garlon 4 15% + 3% Stalker in	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	57
HY-Grade EC	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	40
	Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf)	20
Garlon 4 20% + 3% Stalker in	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	57
HY-Grade EC	Arctium minus (burdock)	30
	Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)	15
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	75
in CWC basal mix RTU	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	27
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	20
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	60
in Exacto RTU	Bromus sterillis (bromegrass)	50
	Arctium minus (burdock)	20
Garlon 4 20% +5% Tordon K	Alliaria peiolata (garlic mustard)	62
in Arborchem RTU	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	20
	Arctium minus (burdock)	20
Stalker 9% in HY-Grade EC	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	67
	Gillenia trifoliata (bowman’s root)	20
	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	20
Manual cutting 3 in. above	Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)	67
ground	Osmorhiza longistyllis (sweet cicely)	30
	Arctium minus (burdock)	20

↵^*Average cover may be greater than 100% because coverage was averaged over four blocks by species.

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Table 4.

Post-treatment dominant herbaceous species over all four blocks by treatment for Ailanthus control plots on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

Treatment	Overall three most dominant species	Average % cover^{^z}
Garlon 4 20% in HY-Grade EC	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	60
	Mixed grasses^{^y}	30
	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	20
Garlon 4 20% + 1% Stalker in	Mixed grasses	40
Hy-Grade EC	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	30
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	25
Garlon 4 15% + 3% Stalker in	Arctium minus (burdock)	40
Hy-Grade EC	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	31
	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	20
Garlon 4 20% + 3% Stalker in	Mixed grasses	40
HY-Grade EC	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	30
	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	30
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in HY-Grade EC	Mixed grasses	40
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	30
	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	30
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in CWC basal nix RTU	Mixed grasses	40
	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	40
	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	30
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in Exacto RTU	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye Weed)	50
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	40
	Mixed grasses	30
Garlon 4 20% + 5% Tordon K in Arborchem RTU	Mixed grasses	50
	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	40
	Sanguinara canadensis (bloodroot)	30
Stalker 9% in Hy-Grade EC	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	37
	Verbascum thapsus (mullein)	30
	Arctium minus (burdock)	30
Manual cutting 3 in. above ground	Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)	30
	Eupatorium spp. (Joe Pye weed)	10
	Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s pipe)	5

↵^zAverage cover may be greater than 100% because coverage was averaged over four blocks by species.
↵^yMixed grasses consisted of Danthonia, Poa, Agrostis, Dactylis, Festuca, and Panicum spp.