INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES CIRSIUM ARVENSE, CANADA THISTLE, AND PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS, COMMON REED: USING ECOLOGICALLY BASED CONTROL MEASURES AT EACH STAGE OF THE INVASION PROCESS

Invasive plant species threaten natural areas by reducing biodiversity and altering ecosystem functions. They also impact agriculture by reducing crop and livestock productivity. Millions of dollars are spent on invasive species control each year, and traditionally, herbicides are used to manage invasive species. Herbicides have human and environmental health risks associated with them; therefore, it is essential that land managers and stakeholders attempt to reduce these risks by utilizing the principles of integrated weed management. Integrated weed management is a practice that incorporates a variety of measures and focuses on the ecology of the invasive plant to manage it. Roadways are high risk areas that have high incidence of invasive species. Roadways act as conduits for invasive species spread and are ideal harborages for population growth; therefore, roadways should be a primary target for invasive species control. There are four stages in the invasion process which an invasive species must overcome: transport, establishment, spread, and impact. The aim of this dissertation was to focus on these four stages and examine the mechanisms underlying the progression from one stage to the next, while also developing integrated weed management strategies. The target species were Phragmites australis, common reed, and Cisrium arvense, Canada thistle. The transport and establishment risks of P. australis can be reduced by removing rhizome fragments from soil when roadside maintenance is performed. The establishment and spread of C. arvense can be reduced by planting particular resistant species, e.g. Heterotheca villosa, especially those that can reduce light transmittance to the soil. Finally, the spread and impact of C. arvense can be mitigated on roadsides through the use of the herbicide aminopyralid. The risks associated with herbicide drift produced by application equipment can be reduced by using the Wet-Blade herbicide application system.

Determining the role of environmental factors and disturbance in the distribution of reed canary grass within wetlands

Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is an invasive species originally from Europe that has now expanded to a large range within the United States. Reed canary grass possesses a number of traits that allow it to thrive in a wide range of environmental factors, including high rates of sedimentation, bouts of flooding, and high levels of nutrient inputs. Therefore, the goals of our study were to determine if 1) certain types of wetland were more susceptible to Reed canary grass invasion, and 2) disturbances facilitated Reed canary grass invasion. This study was conducted within the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community reservation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in Baraga County. We selected 28 wetlands for analysis. At each wetland, we identified and sampled distinct vegetative communities and their corresponding environmental attributes, which included water table depth, pH, conductivity, calcium and magnesium concentrations, and percent organic matter. Disturbances at each site were catalogued and their severity estimated with the aid of aerial photos. A GIS dataset containing information about the location of Reed canary grass within the study wetlands, the surrounding roads and the level of roadside Reed canary grass invasion was also developed. In all, 287 plant species were identified and classified into 16 communities, which were then further grouped into three broad groupings of wetlands: nonforested graminoid, Sphagnum peatlands, and forested wetlands. The two most common disturbances identified were roads and off-road recreation trails, both occurring at 23 of the 28 sites. Logging activity surrounding the wetlands was the next most common disturbance and was found at 18 of the sites. Occurrence of Reed canary grass was most common in the non-forested graminoid communities. Reed canary grass was very infrequent in forested wetlands, and almost never occurred in the Sphagnum peatlands. Disturbance intensity was the most significant environmental factor in explaining Reed canary grass occurrence within wetlands. Statistically significant relationships were identified at distances of 1000 m, 500 m, and 250 m from studied wetlands, between the level of road development and the severity of Reed canary grass invasion along roadsides. Further analysis revealed a significant relationship between roadside Reed canary grass populations and the level of road development (e.g. paved, graded, and ungraded).

Teaching and aligning upper level mathematics classes to Michigan high school content expectations in an alternative education setting : approaches and issues

After teaching regular education secondary mathematics for seven years, I accepted a position in an alternative education high school. Over the next four years, the State of Michigan adopted new graduation requirements phasing in a mandate for all students to complete Geometry and Algebra 2 courses. Since many of my students were already struggling in Algebra 1, getting them through Geometry and Algebra 2 seemed like a daunting task. To better instruct my students, I wanted to know how other teachers in similar situations were addressing the new High School Content Expectations (HSCEs) in upper level mathematics. This study examines how thoroughly alternative education teachers in Michigan are addressing the HSCEs in their courses, what approaches they have found most effective, and what issues are preventing teachers and schools from successfully implementing the HSCEs. Twenty-six alternative high school educators completed an online survey that included a variety of questions regarding school characteristics, curriculum alignment, implementation approaches and issues. Follow-up phone interviews were conducted with four of these participants. The survey responses were used to categorize schools as successful, unsuccessful, and neutral schools in terms of meeting the HSCEs. Responses from schools in each category were compared to identify common approaches and issues among them and to identify significant differences between school groups. Data analysis showed that successful schools taught more of the HSCEs through a variety of instructional approaches, with an emphasis on varying the ways students learned the material. Individualized instruction was frequently mentioned by successful schools and was strikingly absent from unsuccessful school responses. The main obstacle to successful implementation of the HSCEs identified in the study was gaps in student knowledge. This caused pace of instruction to also be a significant issue. School representatives were fairly united against the belief that the Algebra 2 graduation requirement was appropriate for all alternative education students. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.