Invasive Species & Forest Health: Beyond the Obvious

Hosts Faith Campbell, Senior Policy Advisor for the Forest Health Initiative, The Nature Conservancy & Vicki Nuzzo, Consultant, Natural Area Consultants

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Salon A

Restore, adapt, or ignore? How can land managers and policymakers prepare for and manage the cascading ecological consequences of invasive species? Addressing forest invasions from insect pests to plants, pigs to pathogens, the speakers will reveal the common threads and differences in impact, management, and prevention of complex invasions.

Exploring natural fire regimes and the use of prescribed fire in fragmented, pyrogenic ecosystems

Host Dr. Paul Drewa

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Salon G

Natural fire regimes that are intrinsic to the functioning of pyrogenic ecosystems worldwide have been anthropogenically altered, especially in terms of frequency, seasonal timing, intensity, and extent. As a result, such alterations of fire regimes have led to reductions in biodiversity. Successful restoration and management of biodiversity in fire-dependent ecosystems often depend on burn prescriptions that mimic at least some aspect of a natural fire regime. This symposium will attempt to (1) explore the scientific basis for the use of fire as a restoration and management tool in several different ecosystems, and (2) recommend new research directions that will enhance our understanding of natural fire regimes and thus improve the scientific basis for burn prescriptions.

Deer Management

Host John Watts, Columbus Metro Parks

Schedule Friday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Salon A

Managing white-tailed deer populations has or will soon become an integral part of preserving, conserving and managing natural areas. Managing white-tailed deer, especially in the urban interface, may not be only a biological question of carrying capacities and species management but can also be guided by personal values of the public, special interest, budget constraints and agency manpower to deal with the issue. This session will discuss a host of deer management strategy issues from applications of birth-control, culling, public hunting to the administrative viewpoint of agency impacts related to workforces, budgets and operations. The Symposium will conclude with question and answer roundtable.

State Natural Areas Program Roundtable

Host Natural Areas Association

Schedule Tuesday, October 9, 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Salon C

The State Natural Areas Program Roundtable, sponsored by the Natural Areas Association, brings state government natural area professionals together at annual conferences and during quarterly conference calls. The Roundtable, which will convene on October 9th, provides an active forum for information exchange and updates, including guidance on general planning and management issues. The 2007 Roundtable agenda developed as a result of discussions over the past year. Information will be shared on the initiative to increase NAA's outreach to state natural area programs. Topics may include: website updates, conference call planning, and State Programs Roundtable.

Stop Wasting Time on Invasives — Plan Your Way to Success

Host Ellen Jacquart, MIPN President

Schedule Tuesday, October 9, 9:00 a.m. Salon A

One of the great challenges land managers face is how to best use the limited resources available for invasive plant management. This workshop is aimed at helping land managers realistically assess the invasive plant problems at a given site and come up with an effective plan to address them. Based on simple criteria for species-based and site-based prioritization, this workshop gives you the tools to determine for a given preserve which invasive plant species and which particular infestations should be attacked first.

Federal Agency Natural Area Programs-Roundtable (Tentative)

Host Steve Shelly, U.S. Forest Service

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Erie/Superior Rooms

This session provides federal natural area program managers who may be attending the conference the opportunity for discussion and networking. Potential topics include reviews of program status in various agencies, ideas for sustaining or revitalizing federal natural area programs, and strategies for building funding and partnerships. In addition, opportunities for strengthening networks with the Natural Areas Association, state natural area programs, and Natural Heritage Programs may be discussed.

National Natural Landmarks Session

Host Janet Eckhoff, Regional National Natural Landmarks Coordinator, NPS

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 10:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. Erie/Superior Rooms

Come celebrate the 40th Anniversary of National Natural Landmark designation. In 1967, 10 sites in Ohio received National Natural Landmark (NNL) designation for their biological or geological natural features. Can you name them? Over 570 sites have been designated since the NNL Program began in 1962. NNLs illustrate geologic stories, which span millions of years and many natural phenomenon, and ecologic stories, about diversity, survival, and change in natural systems, across the USA and its territories. While ownership and use of designated NNL features is diverse, the preservation of those features is a common goal. Competing land uses, invasive species intrusions, and so on threaten the future of some NNL sites. Other NNL sites are helping to provide potential solutions through research and education programs, and still others can serve as baselines for intact ecosystems. In this session we will hear from the owners and land mangers of these 10 Ohio NNL sites and recognize and celebrate with them their 40th anniversary.

Regional Plant Invasions — A problem for us all

Hosts OIPC & MIPN

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Salon A

Whether you are aware of them or not, non-native invasive plants are changing the world around us. They are making their way into our forests, prairies, wetlands, waterways and any other available natural habitat. They displace native species and aggressively replace native plant diversity with monocultures. Left unchecked, they will limit many recreational uses on natural areas such as parks, preserves, and wildlife areas. Invasive plants can decrease your ability to enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, mushroom collecting, bird watching and many other recreational activities. Over 5,000 non-native invasive plants in the United States contribute to an annual economic cost of more than $34 billion!

So what is being done about it? One of the first steps is making people aware of the problem. Individual states are establishing statewide invasive species councils. Regional invasive species councils are being formed to promote communication between the states. These councils are working to spread the word about non-native invasive plants and reduce the threats of invasives through prevention, early detection and rapid response, control and management, and research. You can start in your own backyard. Familiarize yourself with the invasive species in your area and remove them from your property if possible. Plant native or non-invasive plants and encourage your local nurseries to stock these alternatives. Be careful not to spread invasive species from one area to another. Contact your local invasive species council for more information on what you can do in your state.

Topics to be discussed include: Early Detection and Rapid Response, Invasive Plant Pollinator Interactions, Garlic Mustard Biological Control, Researchers and Nursery Industry Partnerships, Reducing Seed Output and Viability of Cultivars, and Cooperative Weed Management Areas.

Integrating Invasive Plant Species Data in the Midwest: Solutions for Data Management and Sharing

Hosts MIPN and the USGS National Institute for Invasive Species Science

Schedule Wednesday, October 10, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Salon C

Join a representative from the National Institute for Invasive Species Science (NIISS) and the Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN) Data Management Committee to discuss how your invasive plant data can be shared with other managers and researchers via the NIISS online database and mapping system (http://www.niiss.org/). Have your questions about the online data sharing system answered, provide feedback to MIPN Committee members on MIPN's roll in coordinating data sharing for the Midwest, learn about the NIISS data sharing agreement, and find out about the next steps that agencies and organizations can take to get involved in this important data sharing initiative. We hope to see representatives from each Midwestern State, NGO partners, University Herbaria Staff, and other groups collecting data on invasive plants (includes people who manage data and databases, manage invasive plant monitoring programs and those who collect invasive plant data). Those interested in participating in this discussion may also want to attend the day time presentation which will cover the basics about the NIISS online database system.

State Natural Area Management Plans Session

Host Karen Smith, Director, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

Schedule Friday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Erie/Superior Rooms

Responding to the State Roundtable participant requests, a session on state natural area management plans will begin at 9:00 am on October 12th. The following states have been invited to present an overview of their approach to development of natural area management plans: Washington (Curt Pavola), Ohio (Melissa Moser), Michigan (Kim Herman), Indiana (John Bacone), Virginia (Rick Meyers), Arkansas (Chris Colclasure) and Arizona (Joanne Roberts). Examples of each state's management plan format will be provided. Participants will take part in panel discussion addressing such topics as public involvement, implementation, and monitoring procedures as well as encouraging open discussions and questions from special session attendees.

Land Trusts & Land Protection

Host Rich Cochran, President and CEO, Western Reserve Land Conservancy

Schedule Friday, October 12, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Salon C

This workshop is an all day primer on the work of land trusts. There are approximately 1,700 land trusts operating in the United States of America today. The vast majority of these land trusts were founded after 1981 when the United States Congress passed the modern conservation easement statute. Land trusts and natural areas organizations are often perfect partners, and during this course we will explore not only how land trusts work but also how natural areas practitioners can effectively partner with land trusts.

The course will be divided into three sections: Identify, Protect, and Steward. Senior land trust practitioners will teach each section, which will range from an overview of strategic conservation planning, to landowner cultivation, to closing deals, to annual monitoring and enforcement of conservation easements. There will be ample time for questions, and we will conclude the course with an open ended discussion about partnership opportunities. This is a rare chance to spend a day with senior staff from one of the largest land trusts in the country.

You must pre-register and pay a fee for the following workshops. They are listed under the conference field trips:

FQAI - Floristic Quality Assessment Index: A Method for Evaluating Natural Areas

Instructors Barb Andreas, Kent State University, Ohio FQAI co-author, John Mack, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio FQAI co-author, and Jim McCormac, Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio FQAI co-author.

Schedule MUST PRE-REGISTER - Tuesday, October 9, Workshop 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Salon B. Field trip 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Opinions on the quality of a natural area can vary greatly from observer to observer, depending on the person's field experience, familiarity with ecosystems, and botanical knowledge. A Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) is a scientific methodology that allows investigators to objectively rank the quality of a given area using botanical data. If done properly, the result (score) is defensible and valuable in making decisions related to land acquisition and protection.

ORAM - Ohio Rapid Assessment Method For Wetlands Version 5.0

Instructor Mick Micacchion, Ohio EPA

Schedule MUST PRE-REGISTER - Tuesday, 9th October, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Erie/Superior Rooms. Thursday, 11th October, field trip from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands Version 5.0 is a wetland assessment tool that provides an overall measure of the condition of a wetland. An ORAM wetland score can be compared with scores from other wetlands to indicate where on the scale of human disturbance levels the wetland resides. Once the ORAM protocols are learned, wetland evaluations can be conducted in a relatively short period, often less than an hour. This course will involve a half-day of classroom instruction (held the morning of Tuesday, Oct 9) on how to appropriately score the six major metrics comprising the ORAM and a full day of field assessments (Thursday, Oct. 11). In the field, participants will assess several different wetlands using ORAM. Results will be critiqued and participants will have ample opportunity for interaction with the instructor.

HHEI - Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index Course

Instructor Steve Tuckerman, Ohio EPA

Schedule MUST PRE-REGISTER - Thursday, October 11, Workshop 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Salon G. Field trip from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Primary headwater streams are the small swales, creeks and streams with a drainage area of generally less than one square mile. These watercourses have often been overlooked because of their small size, yet they are the origin of most rivers and lakes and have the most direct association with the land. Ohio EPA has identified three classes of primary headwater streams based upon biological assemblages. The development of the classification scheme will be explained. A field trip to primary headwater streams will demonstrate the classification techniques. Field trip will take us to sites in the Geauga County Metroparks.

VIBI - Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity Training

Instructor John Mack, Ohio EPA

Schedule MUST PRE-REGISTER - Thursday, October 11, Workshop 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Salon F. Field trip from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The State of Ohio has been a leader in the development of applied biological assessment methods. This course will cover the development and use of the Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity (VIBI) for Ohio wetlands. A morning lecture and classroom portion will be followed by a field exercise demonstrating the plot-based vegetation sampling method for collecting the data to calculate the VIBI score. Field trip will take participants to Bradley Woods Metropark on the west side of Cuyahoga County about 10 miles from downtown Cleveland. Bradley Woods is a high quality, hummock-hollow swamp forest below a beach ridge with the only known population of Carex louisianica in the state of Ohio.

Resprouting Demographics Of Tree Regeneration In Eastern Oak Forests: The Role Of Fire And The Persistence Niche

Albrecht, Matthew A.

Theme Fire or Forest Management

Region Southeastern Ohio, USA

Invasive Plant Surveys In Emerald Ash Borer-Impacted Forest Communities

Cardina, John

Theme Invasive Plants or Invasive Pests and Pathogens

Region Central Ohio, USA

Butterfly Habitat Restoration on Reclaimed Mined Land of the Wilds in Southeastern Ohio

Cavender, Nicole

Theme Habitat Restoration

Region Southeastern Ohio, USA

Using Tissue Culture To Recover The Endangered Northern Wild Monkshood (Aconitum Noveboracense) In Ohio

Charls, Susi

Theme Rare Species and Monitoring

Region Northeastern Ohio, USA

Effect Of Deer And Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) Removal Method On Restoration Of Understory Plant Communities

Cipollini, Kendra A.

Theme Invasive Plants

Region Southwestern Ohio, USA

Negative Impacts and Opportunities Associated with the Introduction or Reintroduction of rare Species into Natural Areas

Clarke, Paul

Theme Invasive Plants

Region Virginia, USA

Determining Lark Sparrow Breeding Habitat Requirements And Success To Inform Sand Barren Restoration

Coulter, Melanie (Student)

Theme Habitat Restoration or Avian Ecology

Region Northwestern Ohio, USA

Genetic Effects Of Urban And Agricultural Habitat Fragmentation In The Common Yellow Violet, Viola Pubescens

Culley, Theresa M.

Theme Urban and Suburban Nature

Region Southwestern Ohio, USA

Role of Coarse Woody Debris in Determining Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities in a Headwater Floodplain

Drinkard, Maureen (Student)

Theme Aquatic Ecosystems or Stream and Riparian Ecology

Region Northeastern Ohio, USA

Composition, structure, and history of an old-growth beech-maple forest of the Lower Great Lakes region, USA

Drobyshev, Igor

Theme Forest Ecology and Management

Region North Central Ohio, USA

Forest Ecosystem Restoration Effects [Sic] Decomposition And Nutrient Recycling In Appalachian Mixed-Oak Forests, Ohio

Giai, Carla**

Theme Soils or Restoration Approaches and Success

Region Southeastern Ohio, USA

Impacts Of Emerald Ash Borer-Induced Gap Formation On Forest Communities

Herms, Daniel A.

Theme Invasive Pests and Pathogens or Forest Ecology & Management

Region Southeastern Michigan, USA

Genetic Variation And Differentiation Among Populations Of Green Ash Trees (Fraxinus Pennsylvanica) From Nine Metroparks From Toledo, Ohio

Lang, Michelle

Theme Invasive Pests & Pathogens or Rare Species & Monitoring

Region Northwestern Ohio, USA

Slowing Relict Sand Dune Succession to Conserve Native Plants and Insects Using Two Vegetation Management Technicques in Northeastern Ohio

MacKeigan, Patricia

Theme Habitat Restoration

Region Northeastern Ohio, USA

A new biological control program for common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) in Canada and the United States

McClay, Alec

Theme Invasive Plants or Biocontrols

Region Canada and USA

Restoration By Mechanical Reconstruction Of The Tree Stratum: Does It Matter Which Trees Are Cut?

Miesel, Jessica R. ** (Student)

Theme Soils or Forest Ecology & Management

Region Klamath National Forest, California, USA

Efficacy Of Herbicidal Control Methods On Common Teasel (Dipsacus Follonum L.)

Reeve, Thomas

Theme Invasive Plants

Region Indiana, USA

Assessing The Impact Of Flooding On Soil Seed Banks Along Headwater Streams In The Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Semko-Duncan, Marie

Theme Soils or Stream & Riparian Ecology

Region Northeastern Ohio, USA

The Urban Heat Island And Vegetation Phenology

Shustack, Daniel P. (Student)

Theme Urban Restoration

Region Central Ohio, USA

Freshwater Mussel Species Distribution And Densities In The French Creek Watershed

Smith, Tamara

Theme Natural History & Inventory or Aquatic Ecosystems

Region Northwestern Pennsylvania, USA

Effectiveness Of Transplanting Vs. Seeding Of Lupinus Perennis In An Oak Savanna Regeneration Site

St. Mary, Mark K.

Theme Rare Species & Monitoring

Region Northwestern Ohio, USA

Developing Partnerships for Collaborative Fire Management in the Onslow Bight Landscape, North Carolina

Szell, Christopher

Theme Fire or Conservation Partnerships

Region Eastern North Carolina, USA