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Perry Park Buckthorn Survey <br />April 23,2023 <br />I measured buckthorn density along two transect lines,50’and 100’from the junction in the trail.One square meter <br />plots were surveyed at 10’increments along the transects,and the size and quantity of buckthorn found in the plots <br />was recorded. <br />⇧Transect line locations <br />Findings <br />⇦Buckthorn growth is densest along the <br />trail where light is available. <br />●Seedling and sapling growth is sparse <br />under the canopy. <br />●While there are not many large <br />buckthorn trees to cut down (per square <br />meter),there are a LOT of seedlings <br />~1-2”tall,which will grow quickly once <br />the canopy is removed.(See chart on <br />page 2.) <br />Conclusions:Even though I really want to clear out this buckthorn ASAP,I think that we should not start <br />removing it until we are ready to for a full,concerted effort to not only remove the buckthorn,but also begin seeding <br />and start a long-term maintenance regime (preferably including controlled burning,which kills buckthorn seedlings). <br />●Removing the canopy exposes the soil to erosion,which would be a problem at this site with a slope that <br />can be >20%. <br />●Removing the canopy exposes buckthorn seedlings to light and would result in an overall increase in <br />buckthorn abundance.