 |
| Seedlings of Common Buckthorn rise from the seedbank after an area is cleared of larger plants. Suppressing reinvasion is a major challenge of Buckthorn management. |
Researchers at the University of
Minnesota rank Buckthorn high on their list of problem invaders. They’ve been
studying Common Buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica, and Glossy Buckthorn, Frangula
alnus, for years, and last summer they shared some of their findings.
Their white paper, Managing
Invasive Buckthorn, focuses on two areas of
research: goat browsing to manage Buckthorn growth and native plant cover to
suppress reinvasion. Here are highlights from their work.
Goat Browsing Has Potential –
and Pitfalls
On steep hillsides or other inaccessible
places, goats are an alternative for removing buckthorn. Their browsing and
trampling can reduce Buckhorn abundance and open the canopy, allowing more
light to reach other plants.
Goats are most effective on small Buckthorn
within the animals’ reach. To limit damage to other plants, fall is the best
time to release the animals, but that’s also when they’re most at risk of
acquiring meningeal worms. These brain parasites can infest snails and slugs
that the goats also consume while browsing. Co-grazing ducks and geese with goats can lessen the risk, as waterfowl
can eat infested snails and reduce their numbers but not get sick.
Goats don’t eat just Buckthorn;
they’ll eat other plants, too, including desirable ones. Some plants may
rebound the following year, but they’ll be competing with Buckthorn that also resurges
under the newly opened canopy. As explained in the next section, that’s why establishing
cover is important after Buckthorn is removed, whether by goats or other means.
A good way to suppress Buckthorn’s return, the researchers found, is to increase competition.
 |
Part of this Buckthorn thicket was cleared with a forestry mower. Just a few years later, it has regrown to become as dense as the unmowed portion. |
Native Cover Suppresses
Reinvasion and Rebuilds Communities
Buckthorn management doesn’t end
when the plants are cleared from an area. Reinvasion and a return to dominance
are common, because Buckthorn can regrow from the seed bank or from cut stumps
that weren’t treated with herbicide.
Fortunately, the researchers
discovered a way to suppress reinvasion. They experimented with dense plantings or
seedings of trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs and found that if light
availability under plant cover drops below 3-4%, Buckthorn regrowth is limited. In closed forests with less light, planted trees and shrubs
worked best to establish that cover. In more open areas, such as oak woods,
both planted stock and seeded grasses and wildflowers were effective. The
scientists are now experimenting with less dense planting and seeding.
Even after plant cover is introduced, it is important to monitor a site for germinating or sprouting Buckthorn. As the native planting matures and casts more
shade, removing Buckthorn should become easier as fewer plants survive. It’s a
years-long effort, but with the right combination of techniques, Buckthorn
should recede as the native plant community returns.
More Resources
For help identifying Buckthorn in
winter, see this
updated post from January 2021 or download this free,
two-page guide. Additional Buckthorn information
is available from the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota
Department of Agriculture.
Reference
Bernhardt, C., et al. 2022. Managing Invasive Buckthorn.
University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource
Sciences and the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center. CFANS-Buckthorn-White-Paper-June-2022.pdf
(umn.edu)
