In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Description:Leafy spurge is an erect, branching, perennial herb 2 to 3.5 feet tall, with smooth stems and showy yellow flower bracts. Stems frequently occur in clusters from a vertical root that can extend many feet underground. The leaves are small, oval to lance-shaped, somewhat frosted and slightly wavy along the margin.
Leafy spurge is an ecological threat. It displaces native vegetation in prairie habitats and fields through shading and by usurping available water and nutrients and through plant toxins that prevent the growth of other plants underneath it. Leafy spurge is an aggressive invader and, once present, can completely overtake large areas of open land.
Life History:Leafy spurge reproduces readily by seeds that have a high germination rate and may remain viable in the soil for at least seven years, enhancing its chances of recovery over time. Its seed capsules open explosively, dispersing seed up to 15 feet from the parent plant and may be carried further by water and wildlife. Leafy spurge also spreads vegetatively at a rate of several feet per year. The root system is complex, can reach 15 or more feet into the ground, and may have numerous buds.
Habitat:In the United States, leafy spurge tolerates moist to dry soil conditions but is most aggressive under dry conditions where competition from native plants is reduced. It is capable of invading disturbed sites, including prairies, savannas, pastures, abandoned fields and roadside areas.
Distribution:
Leafy spurge occurs across much of the northern U.S., with the most extensive infestations reported for Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It has been identified as a serious pest on a number of national parks and on preserves of The Nature Conservancy in eleven northern states.
Arundo surveyors in action - Credit: Deanne DiPietro
Team Arundo del Norte is a forum of local, state, and federal organizations dedicated to the control of Arundo donax (giant reed), where it threatens rivers, creeks, and wetlands in Central and Northern California. Their website contains many resources helpful to control and eradication of this weed, including handbooks, brochures, and notes on the species' biology.
Invasive Species
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) [Photo: Joseph DiTomaso]
Each year numerous plant and animal species disperse from their natural range to new locations around the world. Many of these non-native, exotic species have colonized California and become invasive, displacing native plant and animal ecological communities. The consequences of these invasions may be localized or widespread and impacts can range from minor to severe. Invasive species compete with native species, alter ecosystems, and may bring disease not only to native flora and fauna but to humans as well. Many federal, state, tribal, and local governments as well as non-governmental organizations are working to address this issue. Invasive species are a global issue and information must move rapidly between researchers, government agencies, and managers for effective prevention and response.
Through collaboration with several California Node partners, the California Regional Invasive Species Information System (CRISIS) represents an effort to develop an improved information management framework for invasive species data. The goal is to develop methods to share data across the Internet for combination into new information products. Key elements of CRISIS include:
CRISISCat, a catalog of invasive species resources in California
CRISIS Maps, an interactive weed mapping and data access system
For more information on invasive plant and animal species, including species lists, data, activities, laws, and groups working on invasive species in the United States, visit the NBII Invasive Species Node. This node also provides access to state-specific information for California.
California Invasive Plant Council The Cal-IPC's mission is to protect California wildlands from invasive plants through restoration, research and education.
CalWeeds Database The CalWeeds Database is part of an invasive species project inventory for the state.
RIDNIS RIDNIS (Reducing the Introduction and Distribution of Aquatic Invasive Species through Outreach), is an educational program for the San Francisco Bay-Delta system.
Additional Resources
Image credit: Large Zebra Mussel Cluster [Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service]
Invasive Species of the Week (IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group - ISSG)
Click on the button below to open a PDF file of a fact sheet for the 'Invasive Species of the Week'.
The ISSG has launched this 'Invasive Species of the Week' button to raise awareness of the impacts of invasive species on native biodiversity and threatened ecosystems. For information about how to add this button to your own Web site, contact Shyama Pagad (Manager, Species Information Services, IUCN SSC ISSG).
General Invasive Species Information
With enormous environmental, economic, and health costs, invasive species are second only to habitat destruction as a cause of global biodiversity loss.
