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Re: Plant Succession

I need some advice on treatment of undesirable plants on 60 acres in SE
Kansas.  40 acres is native and I have been burning for the past 3 years in
late April with good success of controlling woody growth except for the
smooth Sumac.  I am trying to control it by mowing once a year.  However it
is difficult to keep up with it.  My main problem however is on 20 acres
that at one time had brome on it and was gradually 
allowed to convert back to native species.  I made the mistake of over
grazing this 20 acres and now I have Sericea invading.  The county
conservation said to use Escort chemical for spot spraying in September. 
Can I also spot mow these areas for control before September?  Burning did
not seem to have any negative effect on this plant.  Any suggestions will
be helpful in control of this invasive plant. Thank you for your help.  Is
there another name for the Sericea? 
----------
> From: James C. Trager <jtrager@ridgway.mobot.org>
> To: prairie@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Plant Succession
> Date: Thursday, June 10, 1999 7:15 AM
> 
> Alan:  
> 
> The standard observation is that mowing down the short-lived 
> pioneer species in the first season or two after planting will speed 
> up succession to more permanent prairie vegetation. In any case, as 
> the more long-lived perennial prairie species take hold, the early 
> successional species which require disturbed soil and little 
> competition have fewer and fewer opportunities to grow. Even in 
> remants small numbers of these pioneer species can be found in sites 
> of local disturbance such as along animal trails and where soil has 
> been turned up by burrowers. Unchecked, the fleabanes will shade the 
> developing prairie, slow its progress somewhat, and shed oodles of 
> seeds, but most of these latter are doomed to slow death in the seed 
> bank unless the soil is significantly disturbed once again in the 
> future.
> 
> James C. Trager
> 
> > From:          Alan_Rider@ILLINOVA.COM
> > To:            prairie@mallorn.com
> > Date:          Thu, 10 Jun 1999 09:35:28 -0500
> > Subject:       Plant Succession
> > Reply-to:      prairie@mallorn.com
> 
> > 
> > 
> > As a newcomer to Prairie Restoration I do not understand/believe how
succession,
> > over time, will eliminate certain species and others will 'take over'.
> > For example I have an area I planted 2 years ago in Forbs with no
grasses.  Now
> > I have a field of Fleabane Daises mixed with some Black eyed Susans and
> > (Embedded image moved to file: pic03596.pcx)that are flowering.  The
Daises have
> > grown taller than all the other plants.  I fear they will re-seed the
area and I
> > will have a Fleabane Daisy 'Prairie'.  Other species are present, most
are a
> > couple of inches tall , but get little direct sun.  I 'think' I want to
> > eliminate the F Daisies.
> > Could I get some comments on how succession works, time frames involved
etc etc?
> > Also if you are wanting to introduce species into an area being
restored- seeded
> > several years ago- are there any ways better than others to do this....
> > Many thanks.....
> > 
> > 
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