This is a new webpage for tracking the spread of invasive desert plants. Initially, we are focusing on mapping Saharan mustard (Brassica tournefortii). Eventually, we will add buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) and  fountaingrass (Pennisetum setaceum).

For background information  on this project, read notes from a conference call among land managers.

Going to see desert wildflowers?

Help put Saharan mustard on the map!

 

 

You can help create a range map of Saharan mustard (Brassica tournefortii, or BT), which has enjoyed a bumper crop in the California desert with this winter’s rains. The map will help document the weed’s spread, and plan control strategies.

 

What you will need:

• This sheet—go ahead and print it out
• A good detailed map of the roads you will be driving—you will mark on this map and mail it to us, so you have to be ready to part with it. Photocopies of gazetteer pages work well. For a good overview map of the California desert, with roads and parks, see the California Wilderness Coalition website.
• A driver and a note taker—this is a two-person job
• Know what it looks like: Photos of Saharan mustard

 

How to map:

As you drive, do two things:

(1)   keep track of where you are on the map, and

(2)   observe whether Saharan mustard is present along either side of the road (we are chiefly interested in observing the road right-of-way, but if you observe infestations farther in the distance, feel free to make note of these as well)

 

We are using four categories:

·        “0” – I don’t see any BT

·        “1” – there are a few scattered BT plants (approx. 1-4% cover)

·        “5” – many small groups of BT plants (approx. 5-44% cover) See photo

·        “45” – depressing carpet of BT (approx. 45-100% cover)  See photo

Mark on your map to indicate what you see as you drive. (You can simply annotate sections with these numbers, or mark along the road with different color pens.) We do not need highly detailed info—you can average the amount of BT over distances of a mile or more. If your base map does not have enough detail to help orient you along long stretches of road, it is helpful to note highway mile markers.

 

Be sure to mark all areas that you survey—knowing where BT is not is as important as knowing where it is. If you did not see any Saraha mustard on your way to (or back from) the desert we want to know that, too. When choosing your route, consider making a loop so that you return via different routes than you drove on your way in. Some of the most important data will be knowing where the extent of the mustard currently ends.

 

Submit your information ASAP:

Cal-IPC will compile mapping information to create a range map for BT in the California desert. Mail your maps to the address below, and be sure to include a cover page with your:

• name
• address
• phone number
• email address
• date of survey
• any notes about your maps or observations

Be safe and have fun!

Remember to map safely. Be careful not to slow down to view plants unless you have sufficient room to pull onto the shoulder. If you are driving alone, do not attempt to record info while driving. You can pull over occasionally and note what you’ve seen (or if you’re super prepared, dictate into a recorder.) Enjoy the desert!

 

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Mail maps to:

Cal-IPC

1442-A Walnut St. #462

Berkeley, CA 94709

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Brassica tournefortii

Pennisetum ciliare

Pennisetum setaceum

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California Invasive Plant Council
1442-A Walnut St., #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 843-3902
fax (510) 217-3500
info@cal-ipc.org