INVASIVE SPECIES

You may have heard reports of our sustained drought conditions that are continuing to affect the Southwest, and the mountain is not immune to the warming trend.  While we continue to enjoy our sky island retreat, we need to take precautions to ensure its recovery and protect it from further fire threats.  A new threat that has been identified is cheat- grass, Bromus tectorum.  Cheatgrass is a highly flammable grass that has been found on the mountain in the last couple of years and is of concern because it would significantly compromise our ability to keep fires under control in Summerhaven.  In Utah, cheatgrass has extended the fire season.  It creates an extensive seedbed that can survive fire and repopulate quickly before native plants can become re-established. Because of its short life cycle, cheatgrass becomes dry fuel for fires by early summer, making many areas easy targets for hotter, faster-moving fires that burn with greater intensity.  Because this grass is just getting a foothold on the mountain, it should be fairly easy to eradicate if we act now.  Trees for Mt. Lemmon,  with a grant from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Forest Health program (http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/fh/), has conducted surveys of the areas affected and has begun to treat affected areas as of spring of 2007.  

Download report (pdf)

2010 - The first cheatgrass was found and reported by Dennis Cozzetti on May 18th.  In areas where peopel are pulling, it is much reduced.  For those areas where people are not actively pulling and/or spraying, it is worse than ever.  

As of Saturday, June 13th, most of it is still green.  Please spray if you can since that minimizes soil disturbance and limits both erosion and further cheatgrass infestation.  If it is purple, please bag it carefully so as not to spread the seed.  

CHEATGRASS EDUCATION AND ERADICATION

 The Ecological Restoration Institute at NAU has just published a very good overview cheatgrass and the reasons why we are so concerned about it on the mountain.  To view the pdf file of this publication (click here)

Download information sheet on cheatgrass (pdf)


Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass - Bromus tectorum

Characteristics of cheatgrass:

  •  6 – 12” high
  • “Nodding” seed head (bends over)
  • Mostly stems and seeds, few leaves
  • Turns purple when mature

Remember when eradicating:

  • Spray with chemicals only when green.
  • Pull before the seeds dry and disperse.
  • Pull gently; the plants usually come out easily.
  • Immediately put plants in plastic bag and seal before disposal.


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP