Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of survey methods for an invasive plant at the subwatershed level

  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Invasive plant survey methods that are practical and economical are needed to describe established colonies and detect nascent invaders. We compared results from random and roadside surveys of Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande across a 5730-ha subwatershed. The random survey included 150 1-ha plots; the roadside survey examined 0.1-mile increments (10-m deep) along paved roads (totaling 1104 0.16-ha plots). In the random survey, agriculture was the dominant land use (49% of sampled area), and most A. petiolata patches were in wooded, shaded riparian, and waste areas (34%, 34%, and 29% of patches, respectively). In the roadside survey, right-of-way land use was dominant (38% of sampled area), and most A. petiolata patches were in right-of-way, wooded, and shaded riparian areas (53%, 22%, and 19% of patches, respectively). According to generalized linear model analysis, survey methods did not differ in the overall probability of finding A. petiolata (P=0.17 and 0.11 for random and roadside surveys, respectively). Shaded riparian, wooded, and mixed-species right-of-way land uses were the dominant habitat for A. petiolata in both surveys, but only the random survey indicated waste areas as significant habitat. Alliaria petiolata occurred mostly as small patches in roadsides, but as large patches in random plots, suggesting faster spread in the roadside. Results indicated that disturbed lands along roadsides were important for invasion and spread of A. petiolata; therefore, the roadside survey was a useful, practical method for detecting nascent invasions and management planning. The random sampling lacked a land use bias, and provided data that could be generalized across the subwatershed; however, this method required at least four times more person hours to complete than the roadside survey for a similar amount of area. Although roadside sampling did not provide a completely reliable assessment of target plant populations within the landscape, it may provide an adequate approximation, depending on the specific goals of the survey. Concurrent surveys would provide the most complete information.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • A Agresti (2002) Categorical data analysis Wiley-Interscience New York 710

    Google Scholar 

  • RC Anderson SS Dhillion TE Kelly (1996) ArticleTitleAspects of the ecology of an invasive plant, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), in central Illinois Restoration Ecology 4 181–191

    Google Scholar 

  • DJ Beerling (1995) General aspects of plant invasions: an overview P Pysek K Prach M Rejmanek M Wade (Eds) Plant Invasions: General Aspects and Special Problems. Academic Publishing Amsterdam, The Netherlands 237–247

    Google Scholar 

  • B Blossey (1999) ArticleTitleBefore, during and after: the need for long-term monitoring in invasive plant species management Biological Invasions 1 301–311 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1010084724526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DL Byers JA Quinn (1987) ArticleTitleThe effect of a habitat variation in Alliaria petiolata on life history characteristics American Journal of Botany 74 647

    Google Scholar 

  • PB Cavers MI Heagy RF Kokron (1979) ArticleTitleThe biology of Canadian weeds: 35. Allaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande Canadian Journal of Plant Science 59 217–229

    Google Scholar 

  • WG Cochran (1977) Sampling Techniques EditionNumber3 Wiley New York 428

    Google Scholar 

  • RW Cruden AM McClain GP Shrivastava (1996) ArticleTitlePollination biology and breeding system of Alliaria petiolata (Brassicaceae) Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 123 273–280

    Google Scholar 

  • MA Davis JP Grime K Thompson (2000) ArticleTitleFluctuating resources in plant communities: a general theory of invasibility Journal of Ecology 88 528–534 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00473.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Drayton RB Primack (1999) ArticleTitleExperimental extinction of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) populations: implications for weed science and conservation biology Biological Invasions 1 159–167 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1010017510471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) (1994) Cell-based Modeling with Grid. ESRI, Redlands, CA, 481 pp

  • Frey MN (2002) Ecology and management of Alliaria petiolata. MS Thesis. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH pp 82

  • RTT Forman RD Deblinger (2000) ArticleTitleThe ecological road-effect zone of a Massachusetts (USA) suburban highway Conservation Biology 14 36–46 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99088.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Hartzler D Buhler (2000) ArticleTitleOccurrence of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in cropland and adjacent areas Crop Protection 19 363–366 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0261-2194(00)00024-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L-AC Hayek MA Buzas (1997) Surveying Natural Populations Columbia University Press New York 563

    Google Scholar 

  • J Jacobs (1974) ArticleTitleQuantitative measurement of food selection. A modification of the forage ratio and Ivlev’s electivity index Oecologia 14 413–417 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00384581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MA Kalkhan TJ Stohlgren (2000) ArticleTitleUsing multi-scale sampling and spatial cross-correlation to investigate patterns of plant species richness Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 64 591–605 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1006329707198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DL Larson PJ Anderson W Newton (2001) ArticleTitleAlien plant invasion in mixed-grass prairie: effects of vegetation type and anthropogenic disturbance Ecological Applications 11 128–141

    Google Scholar 

  • AE Lugo H Gucinski (2000) ArticleTitleFunction, effects and management of forest roads. Forest Ecological Management 133 249–262 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00237-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RN Mack D Simberloff WM Lonsdale H Evans M Clout FA Bazzaz (2000) ArticleTitleBiotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences and control Ecological Applications 10 689–710

    Google Scholar 

  • BC McCarthy (1997) Response of a forest understory community to experimental removal of an invasive nonindigenous plant (Alliaria petiolata, Brassicaceae) JO Luken JW Thieret (Eds) Assessment and Management of Plant Invasions Springer-Verlag New York 117–130

    Google Scholar 

  • BC McCarthy SL Hanson (1998) ArticleTitleAn assessment of the allelopathic potential of the invasive weed Alliaria petiolata (Brassicaceae) Castanea 63 68–73

    Google Scholar 

  • JF Meekins BC McCarthy (1999) ArticleTitleCompetitive ability of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard, Brassicaceae), an invasive, nonindigenous forest herb International Journal of Plant Science 160 732–752 Occurrence Handle10.1086/314156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JF Meekins BC McCarthy (2000) ArticleTitleResponses of the biennial forest herb, Alliaria petiolata, to variation in population density, nutrient addition and light availability Journal of Ecology 88 447–463 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00461.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JF Meekins BC McCarthy (2001) ArticleTitleEffect of environmental variation on the invasive success of a nonindigenous forest herb Ecological Applications 11 1336–1348

    Google Scholar 

  • JF Meekins HE Ballard BC McCarthy (2001) ArticleTitleGenetic variation and molecular biogeography of a North American invasive plant species (Alliaria petiolata, Brassicaceae) International Journal of Plant Sciences 162 161–169 Occurrence Handle10.1086/317903

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moseley EL (1899) Sandusky flora. Ohio State Academy of Science, OH, Special Papers No. 1, p 92

  • Nuzzo VA (1993) Distribution and spread of the invasive biennial A. petiolata (garlic mustard) in North America. In: McKnight BN (ed) Biological Pollution: The Control and Impact of Invasive Exotic Species, pp 137–146. Proceedings of a symposium held at the University Place Conference Center, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis on October 25 & 26, 1991. Indiana Academy of Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA

  • LA Parendes JA Jones (2000) ArticleTitleRole of light availability and dispersal in exotic plant invasion along roads and streams in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon Conservation Biology 14 64–75 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99089.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JN Rai VC Saxena JP Tweari (1972) ArticleTitleNew leaf and stem spot diseases of Indian wild cricifers Indian Phytopathology 25 253–356

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (1999) SAS/STAT User’s Guide, Version 8. SAS Institute, Cary, NC pp 3884

  • Scott DR (2000) Aspects of the ecology of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata(Bieb.) Cavara & Grande) in Ohio. PhD Thesis, Ohio State University, OH, pp 175

  • NA Scott S Saggar PD McIntosh (2001) ArticleTitleBiogeochemical impact of Hieracium invasion in New Zealand’s grazed tussock grasslands: sustainability implications Ecological Applications 11 1311–1322

    Google Scholar 

  • S Sharma (1996) Applied Multivariate Techniques Wiley New York 493

    Google Scholar 

  • TJ Stohlgren KA Bull Y Otsuki (1998a) ArticleTitleComparison of rangeland vegetation sampling techniques in the Central Grasslands Journal of Range Management 51 164–172

    Google Scholar 

  • TJ Stohlgren KA Bull Y Otsuki CA Villa M Lee (1998b) ArticleTitleRiparian zones as havens for exotic plant species in the central grasslands Plant Ecology 138 113–125 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1009764909413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SC Trombulak CA Frissell (2000) ArticleTitleReview of ecological effects of roads on terrestrial and aquatic communities Conservation Biology 14 18–30 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99084.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burges NA, Valentine GH, Walters SM and Webb DA (1964) Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1:12–23

  • SF Vaught MA Berhow (1999) ArticleTitleAllelochemicals isolated from tissues of the invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Journal of Chemical Ecology 25 2495–2504 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1020874124645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TM Webster J Cardina (1997) ArticleTitleAccuracy of a global positioning system (GPS) for weed mapping Weed Technology 11 782–786

    Google Scholar 

  • SE Yost S Antenen G Hartvigsen (1991) ArticleTitleThe vegetation of the Wave Hill Natural Area, Bronx, New York Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 118 312–325

    Google Scholar 

  • LJ Young JH Young (1998) Statistical Ecology: A Population Perspective Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston, MA 565

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University/OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

    William D. Shuster, Catherine P. Herms, Douglas J. Doohan & John Cardina

  2. Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University/OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

    Mark N. Frey

Authors
  1. William D. Shuster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Catherine P. Herms
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark N. Frey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Douglas J. Doohan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. John Cardina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Cardina.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shuster, W.D., Herms, C.P., Frey, M.N. et al. Comparison of survey methods for an invasive plant at the subwatershed level. Biol Invasions 7, 393–403 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-004-3904-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-004-3904-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation