The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Forest managers can’t adequately plan forest maintenance without good information, particularly information about invasive, non-native species. To provide that information for the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Area, the Arkansas Field Office of the Nature Conservancy conducted a study of the area, mapped non-native species and designed a brochure to help  citizens identify common invasive species.

To identify the present non-native species, assess each species’ level of infestation and to map and record the locations of each species, the Arkansas Field Office conducted field surveys in the Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Area from June 3, 2010, to October 20, 2010. The surveys were completed on the ground by a group of eight staff members and one volunteer, who worked in crews of one to six people and logged more than 128 hours on the project. The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission assisted with plant identification.

Non-native species identified from Black Fork Mountain Wilderness Area and its proximity include:

• Mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin)
• Japanese brome (Bromus japonicaus)
• Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis)
• Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata)
• Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)
• Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense)
• Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
• Beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens)
• Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceum)
• White clover (Trifolium repens)

The Nature Conservancy used the project’s data to produce maps. The maps will be used by the Forest Service to help prioritize invasive species management for the wilderness area. An identification brochure will help citizens in the wilderness area identify and locate non-native species.

This project was funded in a matching grant by the National Forest Foundation. The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages America in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million acre National Forest System, and accepts and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.