Brush and Tree Removal – Pleasant Valley Conservancy

PDF (13 MB) of Power Point presentation on buckthorn eradication (given at IPAW meeting in Milwaukee in Dec. 2011)

History

When restoration work began at what is now Pleasant Valley Conservancy, the area was heavily infested with undesirable woody vegetation, both brush and trees. The original savanna oaks and hickories were still there, with their open-grown character visible, but surrounded and crowded with "bad" woody plants. The invaders were all fire-sensitive and had encroached during the 50 or so years since the last burns.

Early attempts to knock back the invasive woody plants by fire were unsuccessful, as there was insufficient fuel on the ground. In retrospect, fire should not have been used at that stage anyway, since all it would do was top-kill the woody plants, but not eradicate them. They would resprout from dormant buds and a bigger mess would be created. We were thus "lucky" that fire did not work.

Herbicides for weed control

Herbicides play a central role in restoration ecology, but they must be used carefully and with full knowledge of their potential activities. Each herbicide sold comes with a label that provides essential information about the chemical, its activity, and precautions that must be taken when using it. It is mandatory that before using any herbicide its label must be read and understood.

Uses of herbicides for specific weeds and woody plants are given below and on other pages of this web site. This link provides a summary of the main herbicides used at Pleasant Valley Conservancy.

The correct approach to removal of woody invasives:

Cutting woody plants: sprouters and nonsprouters

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Brush and Tree Removal - Pleasant Valley Conservancy