Tag Archives: Julianne Mason

Clethodim Treatment Tracking – Reed Canary Grass

By: Julianne Mason, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Illinois For the past decade or so, I have had a slow-burn obsession with tracking the outcomes of spring treatments of clethodim herbicide, to reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). It is … Continue reading

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Prescribed Burn Monitoring – Field Data Collection with ESRI Field Maps

We have been using ESRI’s Field Maps app on our cell phones for natural resource management and monitoring data collection, and LOVING IT!  For ecological management data, we have data layers and maps for invasive species treatments and observations, seed … Continue reading

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Prescribed Burn Monitoring – Fire Intensity and Vegetation Community Changes

Part 2 – Why Bother Doing Prescribed Burn Monitoring The ecological effects of prescribed burns can vary a lot depending on seasonality, frequency, and fire intensity.  In recent years, we have been using a standardized protocol to monitor the intensity … Continue reading

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Prescribed Burn Monitoring – Fire Intensity

Part 1 – Fire Intensity Monitoring Protocol I know, I know.  There’s a lot to do during prescribed burn season and monitoring typically isn’t high on the list of pressing priorities.  However, I would like to make the case that … Continue reading

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Finesse vs. Brute Force in Invasive Plant Management

Part 3 – Stop Spraying Thistles! By: Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County Here are my top reasons for not spraying thistles.  I’m specifically talking about Canada thistles (Cirsium arvense), but who knows, maybe this … Continue reading

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Finesse vs. Brute Force in Invasive Plant Management

Part 2 – Soil Residual Effects of Herbicides By: Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County To preserve or restore native plant diversity and community integrity, it’s often necessary to apply herbicides to kill invasive plants.  … Continue reading

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Finesse vs. Brute Force in Invasive Plant Management

Part 1 – The Soapbox By: Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County Invasive plant management often feels like a brute force exercise.  We use the language of battle when we talk about killing invasive species.  … Continue reading

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Invasive Shrub Treatment Methods – Cut Stump and Basal Bark Comparison

By: Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator It’s an understatement to say that woody invasives are a major threat to our natural areas.  They can displace native plant communities, alter wildlife habitat, and impact nutrient cycling and other ecosystem processes.  Here … Continue reading

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Herbicide Treatments to Reed Canary Grass – Clethodim vs. Glyphosate – Follow-Up Observations

By: Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County Five years ago, my coworker and I put in some test plots to compare the effectiveness of spraying reed canary grass with glyphosate, a non-selective herbicide, compared to … Continue reading

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Rapid Assessment Monitoring, a video

By:  Julianne Mason, Restoration Program Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County Stewards are busy people.  Fire work, weed work, seed harvesting, brush thinning. How can you also find time to assess how your restorations are coming along? Watch our … Continue reading

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