Seeley-Swan Project, Montana
Project Synopsis
We will install two insectary corrals on existing stands
of
Spotted Knapweed. Cyphocleonus
achates (root-boring weevils)
will be released in one corral, and the other corral will be used as an
experimental control. Plant surveys will
be taken in the spring and fall. Also, Cyphocleonus will be released on nearby
existing stands of knapweed and populations will be monitored.
Funding
This project has been funded by the Montana Department
of
Transportation (MDT) with a two-year grant.
Twenty-five hundred dollars was awarded for fiscal year 2005 –
2006, and
an additional twenty-five hundred dollars is earmarked for fiscal year
2006 –
2007. The funds are released to Missoula
County Public Schools as invoices are received by MDT from Seeley-Swan High School.
Site Selection
The insectaries are located just east of
Salmon Lake,
approximately 3 miles off of Montana Highway 83.
The
land is currently owned by The Nature
Conservancy, and is scheduled to be transferred to the Forest Service
in the
fall of 2006.
The installation of the
insectaries and the release of biological controls for Spotted Knapweed
have
been approved by both agencies.
Construction
Construction of the insectaries is slated for the week of
July 17.
Materials and supplies have
been purchased to install one 50’ x 50’ corral and one 25’ x 25’.
Student and community volunteers, along with
Morgan Valient and Marjika Wassen from the Missoula County Weed
District, will
install the insectaries.
Plant Surveys
A plot survey of the plant communities within the
insectaries will be taken immediately upon completion.
Follow-up surveys will be conducted every
September and May.
Students will monitor
changes in the weed and native plant populations, making note of when
changes
in specific plant populations occur.
Cyphocleonus achates Release
Cyphocleonus achates
will be released in the large corral in August, 2006.
At this time, the release of 75 weevils is
planned.
In addition to releasing
Cyphoclonus within the large corral, we
plan to release 75 weevils at each of three locations within one mile
of the
insectaries.
We will monitor and map
these release sites, using GPS and ArcView.
The Forest Service has offered their support and assistance with
ArcView, although it is my hope that students will be able to take on
this
task.
These sites will also serve as collection sites in future
years as the population of Spotted Knapweed declines at those sites.
The
collected weevils will be made available to the Seeley-Lake branch of
the
Montana Department of Transportation for release on their property or
to local
landowners with property adjacent to MDT property.
Population of
Cyphocleonus
achates and Spotted Knapweed within the insectary will be
carefully
monitored.
As Spotted Knapweed
populations fall, the insectary will be turned
or
relocated to insure a food source for the
Cyphocleonus.
Instructional Support
Academic support for this project will include discussion of
population dynamics, biological controls, plant defenses, native vs.
non-native
species, classification, evolution, and competition.
Several labs and field experiences are
planned with the support of Morgan Valient and Marijka Wassen.
Students in grades 10 through 12 will be involved in the
project.
They are enrolled in either
Biology or Current Issues in Science.
All classes will be expected to use the scientific method to
design
related field or classroom labs.
Teacher
Mary Johnson
mtwow.org
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