Skip to main content

Controlling perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in a brackish tidal marsh

Wetlands Ecology and Management volume 24, pages 411–418 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) is an aggressively invasive species that spreads by vegetative growth and seeds. Common methods for removal such as hand-pulling and mowing are impractical in brackish marsh environments. We evaluated the effects of two herbicide treatments (imazapyr and imazapyr + glyphosate) against a non-herbicide control (flower head removal) on invasive pepperweed and native vegetation in three habitats (bay edge, channel edge, and levee) in brackish marshes. Both herbicide treatments produced significantly better control of pepperweed than the control, but imazapyr alone took 2 years of treatment to produce levels of control that were similar to one year of the imazpyr + glyphosate treatment. Both herbicide treatments also reduced native cover, but the effects were more severe in plots treated with imazapyr + glyphosate than in plots treated with imazapyr alone. Effects on pepperweed were similar across the three habitats, but impacts on native vegetation were less severe in bay edge environments. Managers should consider the tradeoffs when choosing a treatment plan for pepperweed: the quick reduction of pepperweed achieved by the combination of imazapyr and glyphosate may come at the expense of creating opportunities for reinvasion by causing bare ground and/or patches of litter that are slowly recolonized by native species.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Bahm MA, Barnes TG, Jensen KC (2014) Evaluation of herbicides for control of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). Nat Areas J 34(4):459–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2014) lme4: Linear mixed-effects models using Eigen and S4. R package version 1.1-6. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lme4

  • Blank RR (2002) Amidohyrolase activity, soil N status, and the invasive cruicifer Lepidium latifolium. Plant Soil 239:155–163

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blank RR, Qualls RG, Young JA (2002) Lepidium latifolium: plant nutrient competition-soil interactions. Biol Fertil Soils 35:458–464

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blank RR, Young JA (2004) Influence of three weed species on soil nutrient dynamics. Soil Sci 169(5):385–397

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyer KE, Burdick AP (2010) Control of Lepidium latifolium (perennial pepperweed) and recovery of native plants in tidal marshes of the San Francisco Estuary. Wetl Ecol Manag 18:731–743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler PL, Keever M, Grewell BJ, Partridge DJ (2007) Rare plants in the Golden Gate Estuary (California): the relationship between scale and understanding. Aust J Bot 55:206–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox J, Weisberg S (2011) An {R} companion to applied regression, second edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage. http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/jfox/Books/Companion

  • Francis A, Warwick SI (2007) The biology of invasive alien plants in Canada 8. Lepidium latifolium L. Can J Plant Sci 87:639–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goals Project (1999) Baylands ecosystem habitat goals. A report of habitat recommendations prepared by the San Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, San Francisco. Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Oakland

  • Grossinger R, Alexander J, Cohen AN, Collins JN (1998) Introduced tidal marsh plants in the San Francisco Estuary. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogle I, Spenst R, Leininger S, Block G (2007) San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Lepidium latifolium Control Plan. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Petaluma. http://www.fws.gov/invasives/staffTrainingModule/pdfs/planning/SPBNWR_Control_Plan_061807.pdf

  • Patten K (2002) Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) control with imazapyr. Weed Technol 16(4):826–832

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patten K (2003) Persistence and non-target impacts of imazapyr associated with smooth cordgrass control in an estuary. J Aquat Plant Manag 41:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Paveglio FL, Kilbride KM, Grue CE, Simenstad CA, Fresh KL (1996) Use of Rodeo and X-77 spreader to control smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in a southwestern Washington estuary: 1. environmental fate. Environ Toxicol Chem 15(6):961–968

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennings SC, Callaway RM (2000) The advantages of clonal integration under different ecological conditions: a community-wide test. Ecology 81(3):709–716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pless P (2005) Use of imazapyr herbicide to control invasive cordgrass (Spartina spp.) in the San Francisco Estuary: water quality, biological resources, and human health and safety. Leson & Associates, Berkely

    Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2014) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. http://www.R-project.org

  • Renz MJ, Blank RR (2004) Influence of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) biology and plant–soil relationships on management and restoration. Weed Technol 18(sp 1):1359–1363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renz MJ, Steinmaus SJ, Gilmer DS, DiTomaso JM (2012) Spread dynamics of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in two seasonal wetland areas. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 5:57–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renz MJ, DiTomaso JM (2004) Mechanism for the enhanced effect of mowing followed by glyphosate application to resprouts of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium). Weed Sci 52(1):14–23

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds LK, Boyer KE (2010) Perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium): properties of invaded tidal marshes. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 3:130–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins WW, Bellue MK, Ball MS (1941) Weeds of California. California Department of Agriculture, Sacramento

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts PD, Pullin AS (2008) The effectiveness of management interactions for the control of Spartina species: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aquat Conserv 18:592–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellers BA, Diaz R, Overholt WA, Langeland KA, Gray CJ (2008) Control of West Indian marsh grass with glyphate and imazapyr. J Aquat Plant Manag 46:189–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Spautz H, Nur N (2004) Impacts of non-native perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) on abundance, distribution, and reproductive success of San Francisco Bay tidal marsh birds. Pt Reyes Bird Obs report to US FWS. Sausalito

  • Spenst RO (2006) The biology and ecology of Lepidium latifolium L. in the San Francisco Estuary and their implications for eradication of this invasive weed. Dissertation thesis, University of California, Davis, Davis

  • Trumbo J (1994) Perennial pepperweed: a threat to wildland areas. Calif Exot Pest Plant Counc Newslett 2(3):4–5

    Google Scholar 

  • USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program (2014) Germplasm resources information network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl?Lepidium+latifolium. Accessed 11 July 2014

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2013) Recovery plan for tidal marsh ecosystems of Northern and Central California. Sacramento, pp xviii+605. http://www.pacific.fws.gov/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html

  • Vanderhoof M, Holzman BA, Rogers C (2009) Predicting the distribution of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium), San Francisco Bay, California. Invasive Plant Sci Manag 2(3):260–269. doi:10.1614/IPSM-09-005.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vasey MC, Parker VT, Callaway JC, Herbert ER, Schile LM (2012) Tidal wetland vegetation in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. San Franc Estuary Watershed Sci 10(2):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitcraft CR, Grewell BJ (2012) Evaluation of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) management in a seasonal wetland in the San Francisco Estuary prior to restoration of tidal hydrology. Wetlands Ecol Manag 20:35–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young JA, Palmquist DE, Blank RR (1998) The ecology and control of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium L.). Weed Technol 12:402–405

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This experiment was part of a set of studies on perennial pepperweed control at San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Funding for these studies was provided by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Invasives Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, and the Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District. We also wish to thank our partners, Point Blue (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory)’s Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed Program, Sonoma Land Trust, Friends of San Pablo Bay NWR, Renee Spenst (Ducks Unlimited), Ingrid Hogle (Invasive Spartina Project), and Shelterbelt Builders.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Plant Sciences Mailstop 1, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    V. D. Tobias & E. A. Laca

  2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Pacific Southwest Region Inventory and Monitoring Program, 735B Center Blvd., Fairfax, CA, 93930, USA

    G. Block

Authors
  1. V. D. Tobias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Block
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. A. Laca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. D. Tobias.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tobias, V.D., Block, G. & Laca, E.A. Controlling perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in a brackish tidal marsh. Wetlands Ecol Manage 24, 411–418 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9464-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9464-9

Keywords

  • Invasive species
  • Wetland
  • Management
  • Brackish marsh
  • Imazapyr
  • Glyphosate