Running Head: ROADSIDE INVASIVES

Roadside Invasive Plant Species: A Review of Literature

Nathan Santillana
University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

ROADSIDE INVASIVES

All throughout the country lies an unwanted intruder. As the years pass, and more
invasive species spread, countless acres of land are infiltrated and infested by invasive plants.
Invasive plants outcompete and over run native plant species; they alter and destroy landscapes
which once held enormous amounts of native ecology and life. Not only do these invasive plant
species hurt the environment, they also infest and clog the nations roadways and transportation
corridors. There are plenty of preventative and management strategies in play at the moment
which attempt to bring the battle to the invasive plants before there is a chance for them to
penetrate and spread. These strategies are specifically tailored to tackle the aggressiveness and
effectiveness of these species with various degrees of intensity and effectiveness. The purpose of
this literary review is to examine why herbicide treatments are the best weapons against the
invasive plant threats, understand what the general public and daily commuters can do to help in
the fight against invasive species, and to discover what makes some of the most aggressive
invasive plants species so unique and efficient and what strategies are in play to subdue them.

Roadside Invasive Plant Species: A Review of Literature

ROADSIDE INVASIVES

Invasive plant species are so named because of their tremendous ability to quickly
penetrate, proliferate, and suffocate the areas in which they spread. It is no surprise that the
United States transportation corridors have become a vector in which many invasive plants have
found means of rapid spread. Due to constant traffic along the countrys roads, roadside invasive
species have become a focus of concern within the U.S. Department of Transportations Federal
Highway Administration (FHA), and relating government agencies within the states. Because the
threat of roadside invasive plant species has been given such a degree of importance and
urgency, the federal and state governments have developed and implemented strategies that focus
on early detection, management, and prevention of invasive plants. These strategies have been
found to work efficiently against the vegetation abomination that is invasive plant species.
Professionals, such as, state and local transportation agencies are given handbooks and
manuals which outline management practices, preventative measures, and disposal procedures in
areas infested with invasive plant species. Preventative measures include the minimization of
movement concerning invasive plant materials and seeds which may begin new populations in
previously untouched areas, the minimization of soil and vegetation disturbance which may
trigger the colonization of invasive plants in new areas, as well as the implementation of Early
Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR), which aims to eradicate new benign populations before
they become well established and malignant (California Invasive Plant Council, 2012). In any
case, well established colonies are then subject to management practices. Mowing, is an effective
way to destroy accessible populations on roadsides; herbicide treatments are used to kill large
populations of weeds along roadsides and less accessible locations. Disposal procedures
recommended to professional crews range from burying plant material at specific depths to the
controlled burning of mowed or displaced weeds (New Hampshire Department of

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Transportation, 2008). In respects to the different descriptions and presentations of these

management practices and measures, three questions will be addressed within this literary review
which will explore and allow for a further understanding of the implications and effectiveness of
the methods described:
1. What methods of herbicide application are used when engaging populations of
invasive plant species?
2. What preventative measures can be taken by travelers not aware of the ones used
by professionals?
3. Are all invasive plants treated with the same level of precaution?
What methods of herbicide application are used when engaging populations of invasive
plant species?
Herbicide application is an extremely useful way of managing weed populations, but
must be treated with caution. Following any treatment, personnel must rinse all surfaces with
clean water and dry them thoroughly (NOAA Fisheries Services). The use of herbicides
significantly increase the effectiveness of invasive plant management. Herbicides may also be
the most efficient way to control infestations according to the National Park Service in Yosemite
National Park which stated, Manual and mechanical treatments alone have not been able to
contain some of our most aggressive invasive plants. The manual application of herbicides can
be separated into three categories: Foliar Spray, Cut Stump and Frill, and Wiper (NPS.gov). The
Foliar Spray method is applied by a backpack sprayer. The foliar spray is a mixture of non-ionic
surfactant: a surface-active agent which enhances the activity of a herbicide (Texas Department
of Transportation, 2016), water, herbicide, and an indicator dye which reduces over spray. This
method is by far the most common and least labor intensive. The Cut Stump and Frill method is
a labor intensive form of invasive plant management. Freshly-cut stumps of any particular tree,

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shrub, or vine is then frilled by inflicting multiple cuts into the stump, followed by an immediate
application of herbicide either by spray, brush or sponge. Figure 1 below displays the Cut Stump
method:
This method is particularly selective and allows for the efficient killing of the lone species. The
Wiper method is the least used and is done by applying herbicide directly to the leaves of an
invasive species with a brush or a sponge. This method is also very labor intensive and
inefficient as compared with the Foliar Spray method which is quicker and more effective
Figure 1. Cut Stump Method. The trunks of
invasive plants are cut as level as possible and
then sprayed with herbicide implementing a dye
additive to prevent overspray.

(NPS.gov).
More mobile methods of herbicide treatments further facilitate the application of
herbicides on a larger scale. Such methods include the application of herbicide mixtures via
applicator trucks which steadily apply treatments to long stretches of roadside. Although the
application of herbicides defer in facility and effectiveness, many factors still affect herbicide
activity as stated by the Texas Department of Transportation Herbicide Operations Manual,
Herbicide activity may be affected by many factors including: Species of plant being treated;
soil type; wind; humidity; rainfall; temperature; water quality; mixing and application procedures
and timing; maintenance supervisor; and individual herbicide applicator. Chemical agents used
poses waste and pollution concerns as the run off of water-diluted herbicides may contaminate
nearby sources of water, however, wherever used, chemical waste disposal standards may vary,
thus, local chemical waste management facilities must be contacted and Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) consulted. Also, depending on which state a herbicide is being used, certain

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states may require certification or licensing of personnel who apply chemical treatments (NOAA
F. S.).
What preventative measures can be taken by travelers not aware of the ones used by
professionals?

ROADSIDE INVASIVES

As most of the population traveling the roads are not transportation or environmental
specialists, the average commuter and traveler may not have any knowledge concerning the
existence, much less the prevention of invasive plant species. Many sources are available to the
general public which allow and encourage travelers to educate themselves in preventative
measures while traveling the nations roads. Reporting infant populations of weeds along the

Figure 1. Invasion Curve. The curve represents the infestation of an

invasive species, with Area Infested and Control Costs at their lowest at
the bottom left corner while the upper right corner represents the
uncontrolled infestation and high control costs as time elapses.

roads assists in the tracking and monitoring of colonies of invasive plants. This allows for the
corresponding transportation and roadside maintenance agencies to keep check of the
movements and spread of noxious weeds. This makes it easier to dispatch populations of
invasive plants before they gain a strong foothold of the area, thus decreasing management costs
and resources as shown by Figure 2 below:
The reporting of invasive plant species is facilitated by the use of smartphone applications, such
as EDDMapS West which is, as stated by the USDA, a customized system that focuses on
species that are new or potential new invaders to the Coalition states (Colorado, Idaho, Kansas,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington,
Wyoming), and that provides a means of reporting new sightings of select invasive species, a
mechanism for alerting appropriate individuals to the reports, and generates distribution maps for

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the reported species (USDA, 2016). Of course, this particular mobile application is one of many
which can be downloaded and used by travelers looking to help the cause. Online sources also
offer many prevention guidelines to the public; as vehicles, pets, and ones own person, are
potential migration vehicles for invasive species (California Invasive Plant Council, 2012).
Hitchhiking can be prevented by clearing any vehicles of visible plant debris which may be
hidden in the grill of a vehicle, tire tread, underside of the vehicle, trapped between a closed
door, or lying in the bed of a truck. Cleaning pets and ones person can be done by wiping off
seeds and plant material from pet coats, the travelers clothes, shoes, and any article of clothing
through brushing, as soft and stiff medium sized bristles may be used to remove soil and seeds
from fabrics and upholstery (NOAA F.S.). Vacuuming using a brush attachment is another form
of clean up as the vacuums suction will remove any seeds and plant matter from clothing; care is
advised as an excess of pressure my further embed any seeds (NOAA F. S.). Another form of
preventative removal is the use of an adhesive roller. This is by far the most effective form of
prevention as seeds and plant matter will easily attach to the adhesive roller. The only precaution
is in the form of disposal as the public is advised to properly bag and incinerate the adhesive
sheets (NOAA F. S.). High-Pressure water or air equipment may then be used to remove any
further form of plant debris.
Are all invasive plants treated with the same level of precaution?
Contrary to any assumption that invasive plants are all treated with the same level of
precaution and intensity, there are some invasive noxious weeds that are recognizably resilient
and aggressive categorized as Priority Invasive Plant Species. To begin, Knotweed is a particular
invasive plant which must be managed with extra care. According to the New Hampshire
Department of Transportations (NHDOT) Best Management Practices for Roadside Invasive

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Plants manual, Do not mow knotweed Mowing knotweed creates small stem fragments that
can be spread by mowing equipment or moving water. These fragments can sprout and start new
populations of knotweed. Apart from not being able to freely mow Knotweed, its stems must be
treated with herbicide two years prior to any form of excavation as to ensure that the entire root
system is killed (NHDOT, 2008). Purple Loosestrife (PL) is a unique invasive plant which is
capable of producing more than 2 million seed when matured, for that reason it is best for any
and all PL treatments to take place before its seeds mature at the beginning of August. As with
Knotweed, the mowing of PL should be avoided if possible as its stem fragments are capable of
creating new populations. Interestingly, there is a form of biological control which can be used to
battle PL: leaf-feeding and root-feeding beetles. These beetles are best used to control large and
dense populations of this particular invasive plant (NHDOT, 2008). Last but not least,
Phragmites are reeds which, like the previous two invasive species, are extremely resilient and
difficult to control. Phragmites can also sprout new populations via the stem fragments produced
by mowing. Any form of cutting is detrimental unless done at the right time, in this case, when
the reed is tasseling or when flowers begin to sprout on the stem; this ranges from late July to
early August (NHDOT, 2008). There are in fact plenty of invasive plants which may be
categorized as Priority Invasive Plant Species. Therefore, any traveler must take extra care not to
involuntarily facilitate the spread of such aggressive invasive plants.
Conclusion/Synthesis
To conclude, not every attempt to control this ever persistent problem is easily performed,
as analyzed by this literary review. As the nations population continues to travel and move
about, there is bound to be the unwelcome hitchhiker in the form of an invasive plant. There are
so many innumerable variables such as the weather, environmental geography, and animal

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10

behavior which will unfortunately produce new invasive plant populations no matter how careful
roadway users are. Although, it is theoretically impossible to utterly halt the spread of invasive
plants, the continuing effort by the public, as well as the federal and local governments, will
definitely continue to improve and minimize that impossibility. Inevitably, as the nation
continues to advance technologically, there will, no doubt, be a revision and reimplementation of
new better tactics and management strategies as the means and the technology become available.
References
Cal-IPC. (2012, January). Preventing the Spread of Invasive Plants: Best Management Practices
for Transportation and Utility Corridors. Retrieved from
http://www.pollinator.org/PDFs/TransportationUtilityCorridorsPreventionBMPs.pdf
New Hampshire Department of Transportation. (2008). Best Management Practices For
Roadside Invasive Plants. Retrieved from
https://www.fws.gov/northeast/cpwn/pdf/activities/InvasiveSpecies/BMPsforRoadsideInv
asivePlantsNH.pdf
National Park Service. (2015-16). Treatment of Invasive Plants. Retrieved from
https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/invasive-treatment.htm
USDA National Agricultural Library. (2016). Community Action: What You Can Do. Retrieved
from https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/news/whatyou.shtml
USDA National Agricultural Library. (2016). Monitoring: Smartphone Applications. Retrieved
from https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/toolkit/monitoringsmart.shtml
Texas Department of Transportation. (2016). 2016 Herbicide Operations Manual. Retrieved
from http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/mnt/herbicide-manual.pdf
California Invasive Plant Council. (2012, March). Preventing the Spread of Invasive Plants: Best
Management Practices for Land Managers 3rd Edition. Retrieved from http://www.calipc.org/ip/prevention/PreventionBMPs_LandManager.pdf
NOAA Fisheries Service. Preventing Invasive Species: Cleaning Land Vehicles, Equipment, and
Personal Gear. Retrieved from
http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/pdf/best_management_practices/Cleaning%20of%20Land
%20Vehicles%20and%20Equipment.pdf
Economics of Invasive Weed Control: Chemical, Manual/Physical/Fire, Biological, and Doing
Nothing. (2009). Invasion Curve. Retrieved from
http://www.weedcenter.org/technicalwebinars/documents/Written
%20Content/WebinarWrittenContent_Beck.pdf

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Tool 4: Invasive Plants Treatment Methods. Stumps showing herbicide application (indicated by
blue dye) around edge of cut stump and entire cut surface. Photos courtesy of Steven T.
Manning. Retrieved from
http://www.vtinvasives.org/sites/default/files/tool_4_treatmentmethods_final__2_.pdf