Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a non-native plant threatening the integrity of natural ecosystems throughout California. Mechanical, chemical, and biological methods have been utilized for control of common mullein. The objective of this study was to determine which of the following treatment cycles is most effective to reduce populations of common mullein at Lava Beds National Monument: annual (once per year), biennial (once every two years), or no treatment. Vegetation type, natural features, site characteristics, and human disturbance were factors considered when analyzing common mullein distribution and abundance. Forty-five pre-existing plots with populations of common mullein were visited during summer 2005. The interrelationship of common mullein with the surrounding high-desert plant communities was assessed by three vegetation sampling methods. Density, cover, and common mullein stages were measured by point-intercept transects, belt transects, and circular macroplots. Simple linear regressions were performed using common mullein density as the dependent variable with multiple independent variables such as shrub, rock, soil, and grass cover. Analysis of variance test showed no significant relationship between density of common mullein and the three treatment cycles (p > 0.05). However, trends observed imply that annual treatment reduces the population of large rosettes and reproductive stalks over no-treatment and biennial treatment. A bivariate correlation test found the circular macroplot to be similar to belt transects for measuring common mullein density (r = 0.84). / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

The Calaveras River is a unique riparian habitat in San Joaquin County, influenced by both tidal water from the San Francisco Bay and impounded rainwater from the New Hogan Dam. The Calaveras River is one of the few river systems in California that does not benefit from snowpack melt. This dynamic system has changed dramatically in both its species composition and hydrodynamic regime due to years of human influences. What was once a thriving population of native plant species has become an environment dominated almost completely by aggressive exotic invasive species. The goal of this project was to remove the nonnative plant habitat by the most cost effective and least labor intensive means. The study area was along a section of river that bisects the University of Pacific campus in Stockton, California. From years of invasive species presence a deep seedbank has developed within the soil which acts to reduce the effectiveness of native plant reintroductions. A technique known as "solarization" was used to eliminate the seedbank and to facilitate the survival of native plants. Tarps were used to eradicate existing plants followed by disturbance of the soil and watering to induce germination of subsoil weed seeds. As the new plant seedlings emerge, tarps are reapplied to eliminate that generation of seedbank plants. After four time series of tarping and watering, a significant difference was found between control plots and treatments utilizing the solarization technique. Treatment 2, which consisted of tarping without weight, was determined to best target the seedbank after four repetitions and resulted in reducing invasive species in the seed bank.