Invasive Plants

 Hello ya'll, 

I do not know who will be visiting this post so I will simplify everything, so, even if you are not a biologist you will know what I am meaning when I mention these terms.  So I mentioned that there are native and invasive plants. Native plants are plants that were always in the area and were never introduced, and is the plants that animals have used as food. Invasive plants are plants that were brought to the area from ship, vehicle, or humans. They choke out the native plants and are detrimental to the environment. Animals can't eat them, and sometimes the invasive plants can be dangerous if ingested or touched. 

Job responsibilities includes managing invasive plants. Ways to accomplish this is by using the weed management. Which includes chemical, physical, mechanical, cultural, and biological control.  Chemical control is the use of herbicides. Physical control for example is weed pulling by hand or cutting with shears. Mechanical control for example is mowing or weed whacking,  Cultural control for example is prescribed burns. Lastly biological control is releasing a bio agent that will control a specific plant and not harm native plants. 

As you can imagine using chemical control is the main usage of controlling invasive. I was terrified because I didn't want to use to much chemical and be fined for over usage or use too little chemical and not make a difference in maintaining weeds. I was very careful when using the chemicals because you have to apply the herbicide in the right temperature and wind conditions so you do not cause a drift issue. If the temperature was too hot or too cold the plants would be stressed and wouldn't absorb the chemical through their pores. Wind speed had to be between 2 and 10 miles per hour anything higher or lower could also cause a drift issue. I had to purchase a portable wind gauge as shown below with link.

https://amzn.to/3XFv4aV

So once conditions are favorable then we choose the herbicide by which invasive plant we are trying to target. For example I would use milestone to target scotch thistle. The label gives information on how much to disperse based on acreage. I mainly learned all this information by preparing for my pesticide license. All this information was dropped on me this first month I was employed.  I felt like my brain had overflowed with soo much information.  Just by reading this I feel like I might have placed too much info for just the regular joe. I must say the first time spraying was a success. My field that I managed had little invasive plants and I didn't over spray. Even my manager complimented me on field when he saw.  It was the best wheat field he saw during the first year planting. So Whoot!!!

Until next time, 

Jessica

I am BACK!!!!

 Hi all!!!

So last time I was here writing, it was for an English class that was focused on biology. It was the best class I had taken as an undergraduate that wasn't in my major. It actually allowed me to enjoy an English class for the first time ever. I love science and math courses over English, and I am sorry if I offend anyone who loves English. To each their own, I suppose.  

Now I have since graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Science from University of Memphis as well as my Master's degree in Science. I focused my degree in Animal Behavior and Mammology. Even though I focused all my studies on animal studies, I get a job that is focused in mainly plants. You should have seen my surprise when my employer informed me that I would be focusing on habitat restoration which includes plant biology. I was like so lost, but since this was the first job that was permanent and full-time in field biology, I made it my mission to understand my job duties. I studied different plants, and understanding what plants were native and what were invasive. 

I am now in my second year at this job and I feel like I have come a long way.  The only obstacles that I still have to improve and tackle is improving my supervising skills. Let me tell you being around a bunch of males you would think there would be less drama. WRONG!!! I feel like that initiate all the drama. So I will like to share my stories and equipment that I have found that has helped me the most this past year and as I continue this year and more. Since I don't have friends in this new area this will become a great outlet for all my frustrations with staff and obstacles. If anyone has suggestions along the way I would greatly appreciate any advice that you have to give especially with staff issues or with any habitat conservation. 

Until later 

Jessica