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Transcript
WEEDeck – the deck of weed cards By GEOFF SAINTY and LESLIE McCULLOUGH WEEDeck cards provide a handy field guide to weeds across Australia. Photos by Sainty and Associates. W EEDeck was an idea developed by the Australian Weeds Committee and Sainty and Associates. The aim is to provide a handy field guide to weeds across Australia. As weeds show no regard for State boundaries, it was considered useful to produce a set of weed cards that would help minimise the need for each State to produce their own separate sets of brochures on weeds. WEEDeck complements brochures and other more detailed tools that can be used to inform farmers, graziers and land managers about weeds. Each card in the deck provides photographs that display the distin- Each card features identification and management information for a particular weed. Australian Farm Journal BUSH, May 2004 guishing characters needed for identification of that weed, along with detailed descriptions and notes about the importance of the weed. Six categories of weeds have been selected — grass, herb, shrub, tree, vine, waterplant — and each category has its own distinctive colour in the WEEDeck for easy reference in the field. The decks also include notes on how to collect and press weed specimens, how to manage weeds, and a pictorial glossary. The cards are plastic coated and pocket sized. They are held together by a screw clip so that each WEEDeck can hold about 80 cards. This enables the user to easily fan the cards out and flip through the deck to identify a weed, and to add or delete cards from their deck. WEEDeck also includes ALERT weeds – those weeds that are not in Australia and that we want to keep out. Weeds that have limited distribution and have the potential to be contained or even eradicated, rather than to become widespread, may also fall into the ALERT category. An example of this is Limnocharis that is restricted to Cairns, or Parodi Spike Rush restricted to one locality near Griffith in New South Wales. Each WEEDeck card has been sponsored. A number of the cards have been sponsored by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, with funding from the Natural Heritage Trust. WEEDecks can also be customized for organizations and include only those weeds that may occur in a particular region. Free cards are being provided to each Landcare group and Regional Natural Resource Management body. WEEDeck is being updated and expanded. Ultimately WEEDeck will cover more than 200 of the most significant weeds in Australia. To date 160 cards have been produced. To find out more about WEEDeck and how it can help your local needs, visit website www.weeds.org.au. To order cards, visit website www.sainty.com.au. Contact: Sainty and Associates, phone: (02) 9332 2661, email: [email protected]. 15 LATIN CONNECTION Cabomba: investigating the Latin connection By SHON SCHOOLER C ABOMBA (Cabomba caroliniana), or water fanwort, is a fast-growing submerged aquatic weed. It has the potential to spread throughout the aquatic habitats of Australia, and is a declared Weed of National Significance. It grows well in slow-moving water bodies, particularly where nutrient concentrations are high. Cabomba prefers areas of permanent standing water less than three metres deep and is often found along the margins of lakes and reservoirs. However, it can also grow in deeper water. Cabomba is primarily found in rivers and dams of coastal Queensland and NSW. However, isolated populations occur from Darwin to Victoria. It is easily spread across drains on water craft, boat trailers and perhaps by waterfowl. It is illegal to propagate, move, or sell this noxious plant. Cabomba grows well in slow moving water bodies, such as these infestations at Lake MacDonald, Queensland (top), and Bangalow, NSW (above). In summer flowers appear on the surface of the water, revealing the extent of the weed’s spread. Photos by Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines (above) and NSW Department of Agriculture. Cabomba originates from South America. It was brought into Australia through the aquarium trade. The plant’s tolerance of fragmentation and ease of cultivation make it a desirable aquarium plant. Cabomba was then introduced into lakes and streams, both accidentally through the dumping of aquarium water, and intentionally, by cultivating the plant for later collection and sale. The weed is easily recogCabomba was introduced to Australia through nised by its finely dissected the aquarium trade. Photo by Queensland underwater leaves that are Department of Natural Resources and Mines. 16 feathery or fan-like in appearance. The small flowers (two centimetres in diameter) have six white petals and yellow centres. They often extend above the water’s surface, making weed infestations more visible during the summer months. The submerged leaves of hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) and water milfoil (Myriophyllum spp.) may be confused with cabomba leaves, however neither of these plants produces the showy emergent flowers of cabomba. Although cabomba produces flowers, it does not produce seeds. Reproduction is entirely vegetative, almost Australian Farm Journal BUSH, May 2004 any fragment can grow into a new plant. Impact Cabomba is also a potential danger to swimmers who may become entangled in its long, submerged stems. ▼ Cabomba negatively effects the environment, Management water quality, water management, recreational Currently, there is little activities and public safethat can be done to conty. trol cabomba once it is The weed can smother established. Herbicides native submerged plants, are largely ineffective such as pondweeds (Potaand should not be used mogeton spp.), stoneworts in or around public (Chara spp.), hornwort water supplies. (Ceratophyllum demerSome managers are sum), and water nymph using floating mechani(Najas tenuifolia). cal harvesters to remove It can also reduce gercabomba, but these mination of desirable machines are expensive native emergent (above to buy and operate and the surface) plants. are restricted to areas of Alteration of the flora deep water and wide has led to reduced popuchannels. In addition, lations of platypus and they only remove the water rats in northern tops of the plants and Queensland. the remaining stems In southern Queenssoon grow back to the land, cabomba appears to surface. negatively affect populaIt is likely that the tions of the endangered only method that will be Mary River cod. effective in reducing Cabomba decreases cabomba is biological water quality for human control. This involves consumption by tainting discovering and introand discolouring potable ducing insects from the water supplies. weed’s country of origin It interferes with dam to feed specifically on the machinery, such as target weed and reduce valves, pumps, and aeraits ability to out-compete a fast growing submerged water weed, has been introtors, leading to increased Cabomba, other aquatic plants. duced to Australia from South America. With funding from the costs of maintenance. Funded by the NaturNatural Heritage Trust, Willie Cabrera is identifying and testing The long stems of insects from cabomba’s home range in Argentina to find a sus- al Heritage Trust cabomba impede the tainable biological control solution to its spread. Photo by CSIRO through the Department movement of boats and Entomology. of the Environment and can get tangled in propellers, pad- become less desirable in areas infest- Heritage, and with support from a dles, and fishing lines. ed with cabomba and tourism can number of community groups, the Many recreational activities suffer. CSIRO Division of Entomology began a project last year to discover Cabomba and test biological control agents can be from cabomba’s home range – spread by Argentina and adjacent South Amerwater craft and trailers. ican countries – to find a sustainable Photo by solution to this problem. Queensland For further information about Department invasive weeds, Weeds of National of Natural Resources Significance and cabomba see: and Mines. <www.weeds.org.au>. Contact: Andrew Petroeschevsky, NSW Dept Agriculture, phone (02) 6640 1618, email <andrew.petroeschevsky@agric. nsw.gov.au>; or Shon Schooler, CSIRO Division of Entomology, phone (07) 3214 2853, email <[email protected]>. Australian Farm Journal BUSH, May 2004 17 LATIN CONNECTION Things people can do to help manage weeds such as cabomba • Great care needs to be taken before new plant species are allowed into the country. To help protect Australia’s unique flora and fauna, it is essential that travellers understand the danger posed by the illegal importing of plant material and abide by the quarantine regulations. • The second line of defence is restricting the spread of those plants already in the country. We may not be able to eradicate them, but we can contain the damage they cause. This includes restricting the movement of invasive plants, such as by removing cabomba stems from boat trailers before driving to a new lake. • Understand the ways weeds can be spread. The seeds of many plant species are spread by wind, water, or by animals and humans. Human methods include spread by plant fragments on machinery, and from seeds on boots and clothing. The mud on the bottom of a pair of hiking boots can easily move invasive plant species far into pristine wilderness areas. Even if growth of weeds from seed is prevented, many plants still spread, by underground rhizomes or broken fragments. You don’t need to know what species a weed is, just take precautions so that you don’t spread it around. • Be aware of the general problem of invasive introduced plants. Most harmful weeds are introduced and cultivated with the best of intentions. However, inevitably some of these proliferate. Gardeners need to choose plants carefully and avoid those that are known to cause problems in other areas. Try to recognise the invasive plants in your area and remove them from your yard and garden. • Report weed infestations to local authorities. Weeds are not easily eradicated, but eradication may be possible if the problem is recognised early. 18 Cabomba reproduces vegetatively – almost any fragment can grow into a new plant. Flowering cabomba in Two Mile Creek, Strathpine, Queensland. Photo by CSIRO Entomology. Cabomba flowers and leaves. Photos by Abyss Diving Services. Australian Farm Journal BUSH, May 2004