Biological control of purple loosestrife in Winhall
This Spring / early summer I had the chance to visit the 707-acre Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area located in Winhall with Christine Manuck from the Wetlands Division of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The reason for our visit was to control an invasive exotic weed known as Purple Loostrife in a project started by state lands forester Aaron Hurst. The weed was found during the inventory process of a long range management plan for the property. This effort is one of many in the state carried out by DEC known as Vermont’s Purple Loostrife Biocontrol Program.
The area involved roughly 3 acres in this wetland complex at the mouth of Mill Brook where it empties into Gale Meadows Pond (see map below). The goal of this activity was to control the spread of Purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria) that displaces native vegetation eliminating valuable wildlife habitat. Vermont DEC offered to start a biocontrol project at this site using Galerucella spp., a beetle that eats loosestrife leaves and has been effective in other places in VT for controlling this weed. An in-house archeological review (based on the Agency of Natural Resources / Historic Preservation Memorandum of Understanding) was completed and the proposed project had been reviewed by the state lands ecologist. No rare, threatened or endangered species were found on the site. In addition, no heavy equipment would be required to complete these tasks. Access to the treatment area was a gravel truck road off of Winhall Hollow Road or by boat from the F&W boat launch area.
The goal of this DEC program is not to eradicate the weed, but to reduce the population and its flowering productivity. In fact, there should always be small amounts of loosestrife present to sustain the beetle population. The end result is a biological relationship that maintains an ecological balance for all organisms dependent on it. It may take up to five years to see results and can reduce loosestrife numbers by 90%.
Sam Schneski, Assistant County Forester, VT Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.
