Study will try to determine if horse manure spreads invasive weeds (NPS- Road nugget research)

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 11/21/05 | AP

[tiki]

This is probably to keep horses out of the wilderness where vehicles are already banned.

[MarineBrat]

Are Goatheads what we called Puncture Vines in the thirties???

Yes, and I believe that the term Puncture Vine is more correct.  Here's some data from www.goatheads.com

 

Puncturevine

Tribulus  terrestris
Caltrop family   - ZygophyRaceae 

OTHER COMMON NAMES: Ground bur-nut, caltrop,  goat head, bull's head, Texas Sandbur, Mexican Sandbur. NATIVE RANGE: Eurasia and Africa. ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES: The seed pods of the plant probably contaminated the wool of sheep imported from the  Mediterranean region into the Midwestern United States. Puncturevine was first reported in California in 1903. 

BIOLOGY  Life duration/habit:
The plant is a prostrate,    herbaceous  annual. 
Reproduction: Seeds. 
Roots:  The root system of puncturevine consists of a simple taproot  branching into a network of fine rootlets. 
Stems and leaves:  The plant produces prostrate stems that radiate from the root crown to form a mat. The stems often  grow  to 2 in (6.6 ft) long,  are green to reddish or brownish in color,  and are very hairy.  The leaves are pinnately compound, opposite, and hairy. 
Flowers: Flowering occurs from  June to September. The small yellow  flowers are produced leaf axils.

It is most commonly found  in dry, sandy areas such as waste lots or on areas that rain is artificially implemented such as irrigation ditches.    Puncturevine spreads by seeds which are protected by the tack-like fruiting structures. 

FRUITS AND SEEDS: The spiny fruits are made up of five burs that break apart at maturity. Each bur has two stout  spines and contains two to four seeds. 

INFESTATIONS:Worst infested states:   Puncturevine is widespread;    the worst  infestations are in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada,  Oregon, and  Texas. 
Habitat: This plant is found most often in crop lands, pastures, along transportation rights-of-way, and  in urban  areas. 
Impacts: The spiny burs can cause injury to the mouths and digestive tracts of livestock, are a nuisance to people, and diminish the value of alfalfa hay and wool. 

STATUS: Puncturevine is a problem weed because the seeds have strong spines which are strong  enough to puncture auto tires! It is also a problem in agriculture because of aggressive nature of this  weed.

COMMENTS: The plant has been controlled  with  biological control agents in areas without  cold winters.
 

 

[tiki]

They will and then they'll poop them out in my farm fields.

Seriously, the birds do spread weeds and so does the government. The government is always paying for some sort of program that ends up disastrous to us farmers. I can name 2 horrible weeds off the top my head that came from government experimentation and now cost us thousands every year.

[tubebender]

Puncturevine was first reported in California in 1903.

Well my folks didn't bring it to Fresno county. They didn't flee Texas until 1921...

[Carry_Okie]

It's probably true.

Horses don't chew their food as completely as do sheep or cows.

[Carry_Okie]

Seeds getting spread through animal manure IS nature. They should just deal with the fact.

If you've got a field handy we'll plant it with leafy spurge and see how you like it.

[Carry_Okie]

There one purpose to this study, to ban horses from federal lands.

Actually, In Zion National Park, they want a cert that the horse has been eating certified weed-free hay for three days before entering. Compared to the cost of dealing with the consequences, it's cheap prevention.

[microgood]

Actually, In Zion National Park, they want a cert that the horse has been eating certified weed-free hay for three days before entering. Compared to the cost of dealing with the consequences, it's cheap prevention.

What is strange about this whole thing is that I was watching Cspan one day(congressional hearings about noxious weeds in Idaho Mountains) and they were talking about how alot of this originally started. In Idaho, there was no problem in that horses ate the same grass in their pastures as existed in the Mountains. Things like hay and alfalfa were only fed in the winter as the horses had plenty of pastures to graze in during the summer.

But the feds decided they did not want horses eating their luscious mountain grass so they mandated hunters and cowboys bring their own alfalfa and hay with them. This is what originally got the noxious weeds into the mountains and is what they have been recovering from ever since.

[PeterPrinciple]

There one purpose to this study, to ban horses from federal lands. Remember, for all government studies, the outcome is determined before the study begins.

Such wisdom when you least expect it.

[Carry_Okie]

But the feds decided they did not want horses eating their luscious mountain grass so they mandated hunters and cowboys bring their own alfalfa and hay with them. This is what originally got the noxious weeds into the mountains and is what they have been recovering from ever since.

How typical. Around here, government is the single biggest propagator of weeds with their road mowing equipment.

[ridesthemiles]

By the way, if the government wants something to do, tell them to check a fence line and see if birds are sitting on it. Then they should check back to see if something grew where the bird took a dump. Just don't pay them to do so.""

All the trees in my pasture in Northern California which were full of thistles underneath were the most popular trees for the birds. Birds love thistles.

[Covenantor]

So there're two guys sitting in the faculty dining room and shooting the crap about goveernment grants. One of them,Sibdas Ghosh, says, "Say you know I'll bet that I could get a grant for, oh, let's just pick a round number, say $100,000, and let's make the purpose of the grant to study horsesh* and weeds. I bet the government nobs wouldn't even bother checking it out too much. Oh and let's make it from the Department of Mathematics.....Pass me some more of that weed.....(inhales) yah wouldn't that be a goof"

[ridesthemiles]

Star Thistle one of them?????

[ridesthemiles]

But the feds decided they did not want horses eating their luscious mountain grass so they mandated hunters and cowboys bring their own alfalfa and hay with them. This is what originally got the noxious weeds into the mountains and is what they have been recovering from ever since.
How typical. Around here, government is the single biggest propagator of weeds with their road mowing equipment.""

I say the biggest offender is the railroads.
Next is the wind.
Next is the migrating birds.
Then the migrating animals.
Horses don't even belong in the top ten.
This is the environazi's trying to ban horses from public land.

Not like any of us horseowners pay taxes to support that land, or anything, doncha know????

[Carry_Okie]

I say the biggest offender is the railroads.

We disagree there. Mowers and ditch cleaning equipment move massive amounts of seed. Government mandated erosion control measures are a close second.

Horses don't even belong in the top ten.

I'd buy that. Still, if it was my park, I'd emplace similar rules requiring clean animals. It's cheaper than controlling the weeds later.

Not like any of us horseowners pay taxes to support that land, or anything, doncha know????

I'm with you there. I don't want an armed government monopoly in the land entertainment business.

[TC Rider]

Tonto (the Native American) warned him!

Now we know what 'kemo sabe' means.

[tiki]

I don't know what star thistle is but the image I get from the name is what we call spurred anoda or cotton weed. The ones I was thinking about are Kochia and Johnson grass. Both were imported to this area by the government through the Ag universities for cattle pasture. Kochia grows about 8 ft tall and has a main stem as big as a small tree, it looks like a cross between a pigweed and a tumbleweed.

[Westlander]

I agree. Purple loosestrife was welcomed by the state to beautify the highways in Michigan. Here's a link.
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/profiles/purplstrf.shtml

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

**Horses don't chew their food as completely as do sheep or cows.***

I bought some cow manure and hay for my garden. The next year my main crop was Amarath, aka Pigweed. That was years ago and I am still infested with it.

[Carry_Okie]

I bought some cow manure and hay for my garden. The next year my main crop was Amarath, aka Pigweed.

Chenopodia species make a huge amount of very tiny seed. It's easy to see why it would get through a ruminant. Cows and sheep are still better at it than horses.