Invasive Plants We Study: Leafy Spurge
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By Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program
October 2, 2022
Leafy spurge is an invasive Eurasian perennial introduced into the United States as a contaminant of crop seed in the 1880s and 1890s. It is an invasive plant that is poisonous to cattle and infests more than 2.7 million acres in southern Canada and the northern Great Plains. It typically forms monocultures and because of the latex that occurs in all parts of the plant, it is not consumed by naturally occurring herbivores. Leafy spurge is rapidly spreading and outcompetes native prairie and pasture plants, reducing wildlife habitat. USGS is using a variety of technologies to detect and map Leafy spurge infestations and is providing information on the effectiveness of various control methods.
Explore our science using the data below.
INHABIT species potential distribution across the contiguous United States
We developed habitat suitability models for invasive plant species selected by Department of Interior land management agencies. We applied the modeling workflow developed in Young et al. 2020 to species not included in the original case studies. Our methodology balanced trade-offs between developing highly customized models for a few species versus fitting non-specific and generic models...
Explore our science using the publications below.
Filter Total Items: 13
Management of plains cottonwood at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Establishment of cottonwood trees is driven by flood-induced channel migration, which provides the new surfaces necessary for successful germination and survival. Along the Little Missouri River the largest floods typically result from snowmelt in March or April. Seed release occurs in early summer, and seedlings usually germinate in moist, open locations on point bars at relatively low...
Authors
Jonathan M. Friedman, Eleanor R. Griffin
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) affects vegetation more than seed banks in mixed-grass prairies of the Northern Great Plains
Exotic plants have the ability to modify soil seed banks in habitats they invade, but little is known about the legacy of invasion on seed banks once an exotic plant has successfully been controlled. Natural areas previously invaded by leafy spurge in the northern Great Plains typically have one of two fates following its removal: a return of native plants, or a secondary invasion of...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, Dustin F. Haines, Jennifer L. Larson
Control of one invasive plant species allows exotic grasses to become dominant in northern Great Plains grasslands
Decline of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the northern Great Plains of the US is generally viewed as a success story for biological control, but quality of the vegetation that survived the infestation is key to recovery of ecosystem function. In addition, effects of other invasive species, notably cool-season exotic grasses, must be taken into account. Objectives of this study were (1...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.L. Larson
The Saga of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the Northern Great Plains
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an invasive Eurasian perennial introduced into the United States as a contaminant of crop seed in the 1880s and 1890s. It typically forms monocultures in rangeland and natural areas of the northern Great Plains where, because of the latex that occurs in all parts of the plant, it is not consumed by naturally occurring herbivores. U.S. Geological...
Authors
Diane L. Larson
Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion
The Central bioregion is a vast area, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the eastern forests to the Rocky Mountains, dominated by grasslands and shrublands, but inclusive of riparian and other forests. This bioregion has been impacted by many human induced changes, particularly relating to agricultural practices, over the past 150 years. Also changed are fire regimes, first by...
Authors
James B. Grace, Kristin Zouhar
Long-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona
Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Jennifer L. Larson
Short-term disruption of a leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) biocontrol program following herbicide application
Integrated pest management (IPM) for invasive plant species is being advocated by researchers and implemented by land managers, but few studies have evaluated the success of IPM programs in natural areas. We assessed the relative effects of components of an IPM program for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), an invasive plant, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Effects of...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.B. Grace, P.A. Rabie, P. Andersen
Temporal dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and two species of flea beetles (Aphthona spp.) used as biological control agents
The goal of this study was to evaluate the biological control program of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in a large natural area, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, western North Dakota, USA. Aphthona lacertosa and Aphthona nigriscutis have been released at more than 1800 points in the 18,600-ha South Unit of the park beginning in 1989; most releases have occurred since 1994. We...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.B. Grace
Effects of leafy spurge infestation on grassland birds
Grassland bird populations are declining. Invasive plant species may be contributing to these declines by altering habitat quality. However, the effects of invasive plants on grassland birds are largely unknown. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is an exotic, invasive weed in the northern Great Plains. We examined the effects of leafy spurge infestation on densities of breeding birds, nest...
Authors
D.M. Scheiman, E.K. Bollinger, Douglas H. Johnson
Invasive plant species: Inventory, mapping, and monitoring - A national strategy
America is under siege by invasive species of plants and animals, and by diseases. The current environmental, economic, and health-related costs of invasive species could exceed $138 billion per year-more than all other natural disasters combined. Notorious examples include West Nile virus, Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, and purple loose- strife in the Northeast; kudzu, Brazilian...
Authors
J. Larry Ludke, Frank D'Erchia, Jan Coffelt, Leanne Hanson
Interactions between fire and invasive plants in temperate grasslands of North America
A substantial number of invasive grasses, forbs and woody plants have invaded temperate grasslands in North America. Among the invading species are winter annuals, biennials, cool-season perennials, warm-season perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees. Many of these species have been deliberately introduced and widely planted; some are still used for range improvement, pastures, lawns, and...
Authors
James B. Grace, Melinda D. Smith, S.L. Grace, Scott L. Collins, Thomas J. Stohlgren
Prescribed fire effects on biological control of leafy spurge
The flea beetle, Aphthona nigriscutis Foudras, is a potentially useful agent for biological control of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) in grasslands devoted to wildlife conservation. However, effects of other grassland management practices on the persistence and dynamics of flea beetle populations are not well understood. We conducted small plot tests to evaluate 1) the effect of...
Authors
D.P. Fellows, W.E. Newton
Leafy spurge is an invasive Eurasian perennial introduced into the United States as a contaminant of crop seed in the 1880s and 1890s. It is an invasive plant that is poisonous to cattle and infests more than 2.7 million acres in southern Canada and the northern Great Plains. It typically forms monocultures and because of the latex that occurs in all parts of the plant, it is not consumed by naturally occurring herbivores. Leafy spurge is rapidly spreading and outcompetes native prairie and pasture plants, reducing wildlife habitat. USGS is using a variety of technologies to detect and map Leafy spurge infestations and is providing information on the effectiveness of various control methods.
Explore our science using the data below.
INHABIT species potential distribution across the contiguous United States
We developed habitat suitability models for invasive plant species selected by Department of Interior land management agencies. We applied the modeling workflow developed in Young et al. 2020 to species not included in the original case studies. Our methodology balanced trade-offs between developing highly customized models for a few species versus fitting non-specific and generic models...
Explore our science using the publications below.
Filter Total Items: 13
Management of plains cottonwood at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Establishment of cottonwood trees is driven by flood-induced channel migration, which provides the new surfaces necessary for successful germination and survival. Along the Little Missouri River the largest floods typically result from snowmelt in March or April. Seed release occurs in early summer, and seedlings usually germinate in moist, open locations on point bars at relatively low...
Authors
Jonathan M. Friedman, Eleanor R. Griffin
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) affects vegetation more than seed banks in mixed-grass prairies of the Northern Great Plains
Exotic plants have the ability to modify soil seed banks in habitats they invade, but little is known about the legacy of invasion on seed banks once an exotic plant has successfully been controlled. Natural areas previously invaded by leafy spurge in the northern Great Plains typically have one of two fates following its removal: a return of native plants, or a secondary invasion of...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, Dustin F. Haines, Jennifer L. Larson
Control of one invasive plant species allows exotic grasses to become dominant in northern Great Plains grasslands
Decline of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the northern Great Plains of the US is generally viewed as a success story for biological control, but quality of the vegetation that survived the infestation is key to recovery of ecosystem function. In addition, effects of other invasive species, notably cool-season exotic grasses, must be taken into account. Objectives of this study were (1...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.L. Larson
The Saga of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) in the Northern Great Plains
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an invasive Eurasian perennial introduced into the United States as a contaminant of crop seed in the 1880s and 1890s. It typically forms monocultures in rangeland and natural areas of the northern Great Plains where, because of the latex that occurs in all parts of the plant, it is not consumed by naturally occurring herbivores. U.S. Geological...
Authors
Diane L. Larson
Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion
The Central bioregion is a vast area, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the eastern forests to the Rocky Mountains, dominated by grasslands and shrublands, but inclusive of riparian and other forests. This bioregion has been impacted by many human induced changes, particularly relating to agricultural practices, over the past 150 years. Also changed are fire regimes, first by...
Authors
James B. Grace, Kristin Zouhar
Long-term dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and its biocontrol agent, flea beetles in the genus Aphthona
Three flea beetle species (Aphthona spp.), first introduced into North America in 1988, have come to be regarded as effective biological control organisms for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). The black flea beetles (Aphthona lacertosa and A. czwalinae) in particular have been shown to cause reductions in leafy spurge stem counts in the northern Great Plains, while the brown flea beetle (A...
Authors
Diane L. Larson, James B. Grace, Jennifer L. Larson
Short-term disruption of a leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) biocontrol program following herbicide application
Integrated pest management (IPM) for invasive plant species is being advocated by researchers and implemented by land managers, but few studies have evaluated the success of IPM programs in natural areas. We assessed the relative effects of components of an IPM program for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), an invasive plant, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota. Effects of...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.B. Grace, P.A. Rabie, P. Andersen
Temporal dynamics of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and two species of flea beetles (Aphthona spp.) used as biological control agents
The goal of this study was to evaluate the biological control program of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in a large natural area, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, western North Dakota, USA. Aphthona lacertosa and Aphthona nigriscutis have been released at more than 1800 points in the 18,600-ha South Unit of the park beginning in 1989; most releases have occurred since 1994. We...
Authors
D. L. Larson, J.B. Grace
Effects of leafy spurge infestation on grassland birds
Grassland bird populations are declining. Invasive plant species may be contributing to these declines by altering habitat quality. However, the effects of invasive plants on grassland birds are largely unknown. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is an exotic, invasive weed in the northern Great Plains. We examined the effects of leafy spurge infestation on densities of breeding birds, nest...
Authors
D.M. Scheiman, E.K. Bollinger, Douglas H. Johnson
Invasive plant species: Inventory, mapping, and monitoring - A national strategy
America is under siege by invasive species of plants and animals, and by diseases. The current environmental, economic, and health-related costs of invasive species could exceed $138 billion per year-more than all other natural disasters combined. Notorious examples include West Nile virus, Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, and purple loose- strife in the Northeast; kudzu, Brazilian...
Authors
J. Larry Ludke, Frank D'Erchia, Jan Coffelt, Leanne Hanson
Interactions between fire and invasive plants in temperate grasslands of North America
A substantial number of invasive grasses, forbs and woody plants have invaded temperate grasslands in North America. Among the invading species are winter annuals, biennials, cool-season perennials, warm-season perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees. Many of these species have been deliberately introduced and widely planted; some are still used for range improvement, pastures, lawns, and...
Authors
James B. Grace, Melinda D. Smith, S.L. Grace, Scott L. Collins, Thomas J. Stohlgren
Prescribed fire effects on biological control of leafy spurge
The flea beetle, Aphthona nigriscutis Foudras, is a potentially useful agent for biological control of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) in grasslands devoted to wildlife conservation. However, effects of other grassland management practices on the persistence and dynamics of flea beetle populations are not well understood. We conducted small plot tests to evaluate 1) the effect of...
Authors
D.P. Fellows, W.E. Newton