"Invasive nonnative plants threaten native species with habitat loss, displacement, and severe population declines, thus seriously reducing biodiversity. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands is a tremendous source for land managers and others who are interested in protecting the rich natural heritage of California and surrounding states."--John C. Sawhill, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy
This identification guide provides technical descriptions and photos for Ohio’s 21 invasive and noxious weed species. These descriptions include information on habitat, life cycle, key plant characteristics, and a summary of problematic features. Photos included in this guide present the weed species at different stages of maturity for optimal identification aid. This book also provides information on Ohio’s noxious seed law, extension guides to weed control, and a quick guide to weed regulations in Ohio law.
This encyclopedic yet easy-to-use 2-volume set covers 262 individual entries, including a full description of 451 species and another 361 plants compared as similar species, representing 63 plant families. 13 shortcut identification tables for groups that share similar, unusual, or relatively uncommon characteristics. 2 grass identification keys - a key to all characteristics including inflorescences and reproductive parts and a key to vegetative characteristics only. 67 tables comparing important characteristics of difficult-to-distinguish weedy species. Color photos of over 700 weeds including seeds, seedlings, flowers, and mature plants. Appendix of non-native plants rarely or occasionally naturalized in California. Glossary of botanical terms. Bibliography of some of the most pertinent publications. Index to common names, scientific names, and synonyms. Each entry describes the plant category, family name, common name, and synonyms along with a summary of the important aspects of the plant’s life cycle, size, growth form, impact, method of introduction, and toxicity. You'll also find a description of the seedling, mature plant, roots and underground structures, flowers, fruits and seeds, spikelets and florets, spore-bearing structures, and post senescence characteristics for each entry. Also includes a description of the habitat where each is typically found and distribution in California, other states, and worldwide, along with maximum elevation at which the species is found. Rounding out each entry is a description of the methods of reproduction, seed dispersal, germination requirements and conditions, seed survival and longevity, early establishment characteristics and requirements, cultural practices and management options that have proven effective or ineffective in controlling infestations, and a notation of the species' inclusion on federal or state noxious weed lists.
American Horticultural Society Book Award Winner: “An essential reference for all who wish to understand the science of the all-powerful weed.” —Better Homes and Gardens “What is a weed,” opined Emerson, “but a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered?” While that may be a worthy notion in theory, these plants of undiscovered virtue cause endless hours of toil for backyard gardeners. Wherever they take root, weeds compete for resources, and most often win. They also wreak havoc on industry—from agriculture to golf courses to civic landscape projects, vast amounts of money are spent to eradicate these virile and versatile invaders. With so much at stake, reliable information on weeds and their characteristics is crucial. Richard Dickinson and France Royer shed light on this complex world with Weeds of North America. Organized by plant family, this encyclopedic volume features over five hundred species in two-page spreads with images and text identification keys. Species are arranged within family alphabetically by scientific name, and entries include vital information on seed viability and germination requirements. No matter what your philosophy on weeds, this guide provides much-needed background on these intrusive organisms. In the battle with weeds, knowledge truly is power, and Weeds of North America is perfect for gardeners, botanists, nature lovers, or anyone working in the business of weed ecology and control. “Royer’s photographs are almost perversely alluring. . . . How can you not be ensnared by a book populated by prostrate pigweed, tansy ragwort and dog-strangling vine?” —New York Times Book Review
Here, at last, is a lavishly illustrated manual for ready identification of 299 common and economically important weeds in the region south to Virginia, north to Maine and southern Canada, and west to Wisconsin. Based on vegetative rather than floral characteristics, this practical guide gives anyone who works with plants the ability to identify weeds before they flower. - A dichotomous key to all the species described in the book is designed to narrow the choices to a few possible species. Identification can then be confirmed by reading the descriptions of the species and comparing a specimen with the drawings and photographs.- A fold-out grass identification table provides diagnostic information for weedy grasses in an easy-to-use tabular key.- Specimens with unusual vegetative characteristics, such as thorns, square stems, whorled leaves, or milky sap, can be rapidly identified using the shortcut identification table. The first comprehensive weed identification manual available for the Northeast, this book will facilitate appropriate weed management strategy in any horticultural or agronomic cropping system and will also serve home gardeners and landscape managers, as well as pest management specialists and allergists.
Sustainable agriculture is a key concept for scientists, researchers, and agricultural engineers alike. This book focuses on the FAM- project (FAM Munich Research Network on Agroecosystems) of the 1990s as a means to assessing, forecasting, and evaluating changes in the agroecosystems that are necessary for agricultural sustainability. The management of two separate management systems: an organic and an integrated farming system are described to provide an interdisciplinary approach Changes of matter fluxes in soils, changes of trace gas fluxes from soils, precision farming in a small scale heterogen landscape, influence of management changes on flora and fauna, as well as the development of agroecosystem models, the assessment of soil variability and the changes in nutrient status are important aspects of this book.* Contains detailed results and insight of a long-time project on agricultural sustainability* Provides an interdisciplinary approach for comprehensive understanding by scientists and researchers of soil, plants, agriculture, and environment * Includes an international perspective
In addition to the theory and principles of weed management, this book provides information about twenty-nine of the most serious weeds in the West, including weed identification, origin, history and distribution, invasion potentials, biology and ecology, and specific management options. Full-color photographs and distribution maps help illustrate the plants and the invasive threat they pose. An invaluable resource for land managers, resource specialists, and students of natural resource management, Biology and Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds provides practical, science-based information needed for sustainable weed management and land restoration.
This is a reference book on the classification, distribution, ecology and control of poisonous and aggressively invasive plant species on rangeland. The plants covered include leafy spurge, snakeweeds, thistles and knapweeds, woody species such as juniper, rabbitbrush, oakbrush, mesquite and saltcedar, and other noxious weeds such as dyers woad, cheatgrass and tansy ragwort.
“No matter the size or shape of your growing area, this will guide you through creating a butterfly-friendly space.” —Mother Earth News Welcome the world’s most exquisite visitors to your garden! Gardening for Butterflies, by the experts at the Xerces Society, introduces you to a variety of butterflies who need our help, and shows you how to design a habitat where they will thrive. This optimistic call to arms is packed with everything you need to create a beautiful, pollinator-friendly garden. You will learn why butterflies matter, why they are in danger, and what simple steps we can take to make a difference. You'll also learn how to choose the right plants and how to create a garden that flutters and flourishes with life.