MANAGING JAPANESE STILTGRASS DOMINATED COMMUNITIES IN THE RIDGE AND VALLEY PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCE IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA

Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an exotic invasive species that can dominate forest understories and suppress native herbaceous and woody species. This study had two objectives: 1) to assess directed spray herbicides for controlling M. vimineum; and 2) to collect a set of factors that affect management of M. vimineum on the diverse properties of the Connors Hollow, WV, watershed. At 3 weeks following glyphosate and sethoxydim treatments, only glyphosate treatments showed significant differences in cover and mean percent change in height growth over the controls and other herbicide treatments. No significant differences in species richness were detected among herbicide treatments, although the three of four glyphosate treatments ranked lowest in richness. In discussions related to controlling M. vimineum, landowners helped to identify 12 major factors and 44 subcategories and issues affecting management of the invasive grass. End-of-season measurements and continued discussion of causal factors are slated for early in the fall of 2007.