Which ecosystems in alberta are threatened by purple loosestrife

Purple loosestrife has spread rapidly across North America and is present in nearly every Canadian province and almost every U. This plant has the ability to produce as many as two million seeds in a growing season, creating dense stands of purple loosestrife that outcompete native plants for habitat. These populations result in changes to ecosystem functions, including reduced nesting sites, shelter, and food for birds, as well as an overall decline in biodiversity.

The plant mass grows on average to be cm tall and averages flowering stems. Purple loosestrife has evolved to tolerate the shorter growing season and colder weather of the central and northern parts of the provinces. Plants in northern regions are smaller and flower earlier than those in southern regions. These size and life cycle differences should be taken into account when identifying the plant and choosing a management option specific to your region Purple Loosestrife BMP.

Size and shape: Plants average flowering stems, although a single rootstock can produce erect stems. The plant mass grows on average to be cm tall, although some plants may grow over 2 m tall and form crowns of up to 1. Stems: Annual stems arise from a perennating rootstock underground organ which stores energy and nutrients in order to help the plant survive over winter and produce a new plant in spring.

Stems are woody, stiff, and square-shaped, with sides. The form of the stems is somewhat branched, smooth or finely hairy, with evenly-spaced nodes and short, slender branches. New, actively-growing shoots are green, while older stems are reddish to brown or purplish in colour. Leaves: Leaves are simple, narrow and lance-shaped or triangular, with smooth edges and fine hairs. Leaf arrangement is opposite two per node or sometimes whorled three or more per node along an angular stem.

Upper leaves and leaflets in the inflorescence are usually alternate one per node and smaller than the lower ones. Leaves are stalkless attached directly to the stem , broad near the base and tapering towards the tip.

Leaf size, typically cm long, will change to maximize light availability — leaf area increases and fine hairs decrease with lower light levels. Leaves are green in summer but can turn bright red in autumn. Flowers: Very showy, deep pink to purple occasionally light pink, rarely white flowers are arranged in a dense terminal spike-like flower cluster. Each flower is made up of petals, each mm long, surrounding a small, yellow centre. The petals appear wrinkly upon close inspection.

Flowering time is climate-dependent, but in Ontario, purple loosestrife typically flowers as early as June and sometimes continuing into October mid-June to mid-September is typical. Populations contain three floral morphs that differ in style length and anther height, a condition known as tristyly. Flowers are pollinated by insects, mostly bumblebees and honeybees, which promotes cross-pollination between floral morphs. Roots: The strong, persistent taproot becomes woody with age and stores nutrients which provide the plant with reserves of energy for spring or stressful periods.

During flood events, it can survive by producing aerenchyma — a tissue that allows roots to exchange gases while submerged in water. The uppermost portion of the root crown produces white to purple buds, some of which sprout in the spring, while others remain dormant and can become activated upon damage. Seeds: Larger plants produce upwards of 2. Each pod can contain more than one hundred light, tiny, flat, thin-walled, light brown to reddish seeds, which are shed beginning in the fall and continue throughout the winter.

Purple loosestrife was introduced to North America in the s for beekeeping, as an ornamental plant, and in discarded soil used as ballast on ships. By the late s, purple loosestrife had spread throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, reaching as far north and west as Manitoba.

In the s, it became an aggressive invasive in the floodplain pastures of the St. Lawrence River and has steadily expanded its distribution since then, posing a serious threat to native emergent vegetation in shallow-water marshes throughout Ontario. To date, this invasive plant is found in every Canadian province and every American state except Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Purple loosestrife can spread naturally via wind, water, birds, and wildlife and through human activities, such as in seed mixtures, contaminated soil and equipment, clothing, and footwear. Seeds may adhere to boots, outdoor equipment, vehicles, boats and even turtles.

Native marsh vegetation has naturally re-established in its place—proving that with the right tools available, wetland habitats can be reclaimed from aggressive invaders like purple loosestrife.

The Endowed Chair is the first of its kind in Canada. DUC research scientist plays key role in demonstrating value of wetlands to provide natural climate solutions. Roll up your sleeve and think about a colony of eiders, now happily breeding in the remote Canadian Arctic after achieving herd immunity. Stories View All Stories. Purple loosestrife dug out of Corner Brook Marsh in Newfoundland.

Staff and volunteers removed invasive purple loosestrife from Corner Brook Marsh. Calling in bugs for back-up When a plant from one continent is introduced to another, it usually comes without its natural enemies—other species that keep its population under control in its native habitat. Beetles on purple loosestrife plants on Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. The ecology and management of purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria L. MS Thesis. Ecological relationships among purple loosestrife, cattail and wildlife at the Montezuma National Wildlife refuge.

New York Fish and Game Journal, 31 1 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia's Virtual herbarium. Sydney, Australia: Royal Botanic Gardens. Shamsi SRA, An interpretation of the distribution of Epilobium hirsutum and Lythrum salicaria in relation to their physiological ecology.

Pakistan Journal of Botany, 6 2 Some effects of density and fertilizer on the growth and competition of Epilobium hirsutum and Lythrum salicaria. Pakistan Journal of Botany 8 2 Comparative eco-physiology of Epilobium hirsutum L.

Effects of temperature and inter-specific competition and concluding discussion. Journal of Ecology, 65 1 Comparative eco-physiology of Epilobium hissutum L. Mineral nutrition. The effect of a water gradient on the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal status of Lythrum salicaria L. Mycorrhiza, 6 2 ; 30 ref.

Morphological and anatomical responses of Lythrum salicaria L. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2 Stuckey RL, Distributional history of Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife in North American Bartonia, Spread, impact, and control of purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria in North American wetlands. Toivonen H, BSck S, Changes in aquatic vegetation of a small eutrophicated and lowered lake Southern Finland. Lythrum salicaria Lythraceae , new record for the Argentinean flora.

Lythrum salicaria Lythraceae , nueva cita para la flora de Argentina. Darwiniana, nueva serie, 3 2 Relationship between the abundance of Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife and plant species richness along the Bar River, Canada. Wetlands, 19 1 Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activities and composition of Lythrum salicaria L.

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 3 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Mountains thistle Cirsium vinaceum. In: Sacramento Mountains thistle Cirsium vinaceum. Houghton's Goldenrod Solidago houghtonii. In: Houghton's Goldenrod Solidago houghtonii. Fish and Wildlife Service species assessment and listing priority assignment form: Cirsium wrightii. In: U. Online Database.

Lebensgeschichte der Blutenpflanzen Mitteleuropas. Band III, Abteilung 5. Seed bank dynamics of Lythrum salicaria L. Aquatic Botany, 38 Reduction of purple loosestrife [Lythrum salicaria] establishment in Minnesota wetlands. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 21 1 ; 27 ref.

Integrated management of purple loosestrife. IPM Practitioner, 24 10 In: Flora of China Web, [ed. Australia, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, CABI, Undated a. CABI, Undated b. Variations in weed flora and the degree of its transformation in ecological and extensive conventional cereal crops in selected habitats of the Beskid Wyspowy Mountains. Acta Agrobotanica. First report of leaf spot caused by Zasmidium lythri on Lythrum salicaria in Korea.

Plant Disease. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. Response to enemies in the invasive plant Lythrum salicaria is genetically determined. Annals of Botany.

Stuckey R L, Distributional history of Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife in North America. Spread, impact and control of purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria in North American wetlands.

Darwiniana, nueva serie. Biological spectrum of weed flora and vegetation of raspberry plantings in Serbia. Acta Horticulturae. One or more of the features that are needed to show you the maps functionality are not available in the web browser that you are using. Toggle navigation. Datasheet Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife. Don't need the entire report?

Generate a print friendly version containing only the sections you need. Generate report. Expand all sections Collapse all sections. Title Habit Caption L. Title Seedlings Caption L. Title Annual shoot Caption New annual shoot emerging from perenial rootstock in spring. Title Growth tip Caption Growth tip of L. Title Root mass Caption Roots of L. Title Natural enemy Caption Galerucella pusilla feeding on L.

Plants established on small island with water depth cm after water level drawdown, South Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Title Ornamental habit Caption L. Summary of Invasiveness Top of page L. Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature Top of page L. Description Top of page L. Distribution Top of page In its native range, L. Distribution Table Top of page The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. Habitat Top of page Where native in Europe, L.

Soil Tolerances Top of page Soil drainage impeded seasonally waterlogged Soil reaction acid alkaline neutral Soil texture heavy light medium. Notes on Natural Enemies Top of page Batra et al. Impact Top of page Where L. Economic Impact Top of page Where L. Impact on Biodiversity Negative impact of L. Hagar and Vinebrooke, Farnsworth and Ellis quantified multiple stand characteristics of L. With increasing density and total biomass of L. Anderson and Treberg and Husband found no significant relationships between species richness and percentage cover of L.

Once established, individual L. Also, a recent study attempted to assess the effects of invasion on amphibian populations and although results were not significant, Brown et al. Social Impact Top of page Wetlands with tall, dense stands dominated by invading L. Uses Top of page The profuse and attractive floral displays of L. Prevention and Control Top of page Due to the variable regulations around de registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control.

Control Cultural control Use of flooding and competition from other plant species has been attempted with very limited success.

However, flooding to a depth of up to 50 cm for two years had little effect on the stature and reproductive characteristics of L. High water level may additionally present stresses for native plant communities. Also, plant competition was only partly successful and results differed greatly depending on the plant species used. Echinochloa frumentacea Japanese millet and Polygonum lapathifolium nodding smartweed grew well and out-competed L.

Typha x glauca is another potential species on permanently flooded sites water level always greater than 40 cm possibly combined with damage by carp Rawinski and Malecki, Growth form, habitat type and phenology of L. Mechanical control Mechanical control, such as mowing, ploughing or hand-pulling give only limited success Malecki and Rawinski, Small populations may be successfully controlled by hand pulling, but this method should be avoided after flowering so as not to scatter seeds and plants should be bagged at the site to avoid fragments being dropped along the exit route.

Burning is the preferred method for disposal of cut or pulled plants. The date of cutting has an important role in reducing the number of shoots but does not result in permanent control. Chemical control Use of herbicides, mostly spot applications of glyphosate, appears to be the most efficient means of control of L. Studies on the seed bank dynamics of L. Single treatments had only a temporary effect due to resprouting from the roots and new plants becoming recruited from the seed bank Welling and Becker,