FIELD MANUAL FOR CUT ROOT-STOCK METHOD OF Lantana Camara MANAGEMENT

Transcription

1 FIELD MANUAL FOR CUT ROOT-STOCK METHOD OF Lantana Camara MANAGEMENT (version 2 dated ) This Field Manual has been prepared by Junglescapes Charitable Trust for the use of the Forest Department staff of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The manual is based on questions frequently raised during training sessions held by CEMDE, Delhi and Junglescapes at Bandipur Tiger Reserve on 15, 16 and 17 April

2 1. What are the risks associated with traditional methods of Lantana removal like Slashing, Cutting or Burning? Methods like cutting, slashing and burning only remove the Lantana plant above the soil level. The plant continues to be alive below the soil. In fact, when such methods are used the Lantana produces multiple shoots from the transition zone that lies 2-3 inches below the soil. Repetitive slashing or cutting makes the roots of the plant grow bigger in size and the plant reappears more aggressively making this counter-productive. This is the reason that plots where slashing or cutting or burning are used normally witness much denser Lantana than before. The below pictures illustrate this. Cut/slashed Lantana re-emerging from base of stem Lantana re-emerging from plant burnt in forest fire 3 months back 2. What happens when cut Lantana branches are left on the ground? When cut Lantana branches are left on the ground fresh roots are formed from both the cut ends of the branch and from the nodes that comes into contact with the soil and moisture. As a result a single cut branch may give rise to multiple individual plants leading to rapid reappearance. Single Lantana branch developing multiple shoots and roots when cut and left on the ground 2

3 3. What are the problems in using Lantana management methods like removal using JCB? Each Lantana bush produces thousands of seeds every year and most of these seeds lie buried in the soil under the plant and are dormant. These seeds do not germinate unless they are disturbed from the soil and get exposed to sunlight. When a JCB is used to remove Lantana a large number of such dormant seeds get disturbed and exposed to sunlight. As a result when a JCB method is used it has been observed that more Lantana comes back more aggressively and this becomes counterproductive. The same happens when any other method of tilling is used. 4. How is the Cut Root-Stock method better than these traditional removal methods? The Cut Root-Stock method has the following advantages: a. The transition zone that lies 2-3 inches below the soil is the reproductive part of the Lantana plant. The Cut Root-Stock method involves cutting the root exactly below the transition zone and thus eliminates the reproductive ability of the plant. In the picture below we can see the dark brown portion that was below the soil (about 2-3 inches below the soil). b. The Cut Root-Stock method involves making a small cut below the soil level, with minimum disturbance of the soil. The scar left at the point of removal is 9-12 inches in diameter. Therefore there is very little disturbance of dormant Lantana seeds lying in the soil. c. Because of the minimum disturbance of the soil other species of plants lying under the Lantana bush including grass species are left unaffected, helping quicker regeneration. Methods like burning and JCB involve large scale destruction of other plant species in the project areas (see images below). d. The Cut Root-Stock method involves 50-60% less manual effort compared to cutting or slashing. This was observed during the field demonstrations where the 3

4 teams with no prior experience were able remove several large bushes in a short span of minutes. 5. What has been success rate of the Cut Root-Stock method in other wildlife sanctuaries? The Cut Root-Stock method has been used successfully in other wildlife sanctuaries like Corbett NP and Rajaji NP. In Corbett NP, over 8000 hectares of Lantana invaded areas have been restored into healthy grassland habitats in the last 8-10 years. 6. Will Lantana come up again from the root below the transition zone (deep vertical root) or from the horizontal roots? Lantana does not come back from the root below the transition zone. So there is no risk in leaving the vertical root below the transition zone in the soil. Also, Lantana does not come up from the horizontal roots, so it is safe to cut these roots while uprooting the plant. 7. How many people are required for removing Lantana using the Cut Root-Stock method? a. In the case of large bushes, a team of 3 persons is recommended, two persons to hold the pole and push the Lantana bush back, and one person to cut the root stock using the Gudli. The three persons should take turns in doing the root-stock cutting. b. In the case of small individual bushes, a single person can remove the bush by pushing it back with his leg, so a 3 person team is not needed. 4

5 c. In the case of large clusters of Lantana that are inter-twined with each other, more than one team can operate at the same time so that the Lantana can be cut and rolled back like a carpet. as a large mass, thus clearing a large area in a short time. 8. What are the tools to be used for Cut Root-Stock method? The Cut Root-Stock method requires very simple tools: a. A Gudli that can be fabricated through the local village iron smith. The Gudli has a round shape (see picture below) as compared to the traditional rectangular shape. This is to enable the Gudli to cut the root stock on all sides when the cutting is done, helping to cut faster and more effectively. 5

6 Picture of Gudli with round Slight bend in the Gudli is shape recommended b. The weight of the Gudli and length of handle can be according to local practice. However a heavier Gudli can cut with fewer strikes as compared to a lighter one. c. The Gudli needs to be sharp to be effective. Therefore it has to be sharpened regularly after every few days of cutting. It is better to have 2 or 3 sets of Gudlis so that the workmen do not have to wait for them to be sharpened. d. A long and strong pole that is around 7-8 feet long. 9. What is the right time to remove Lantana? The best time to remove Lantana is before the fruiting season. The dry season (January June) is a good time as at this time the Lantana generally does not have flowers or fruits. It is easier to remove Lantana after the first summer rain showers in April as this makes the soil softer and easier to cut the root-stock. 10. What are the protocols for handling of the removed Lantana? a. After cutting, the Lantana bush should be turned upside down (see pictures below). As it is difficult to make a single bush stand upside down, a few upturned bushes can be assembled together in a group so that they support each other. 6

7 b. The upturned Lantana should be left to dry for around 10 days. c. Once the Lantana is completely dried it needs to be removed from the forest floor as it takes a long time to decompose and can pose a fire hazard and also hamper restoration efforts. The dried bushes can be taken to a safe place and burnt or distributed to villagers as fuel wood. 11. What is the reason for turning the cut Lantana upside down? a. When the Lantana bush should be turned upside down its metabolism is arrested and it has lower risk of regenerating. b. Also, when the bush is kept upside down the risk of the cut roots touching the soil are avoided. Otherwise the plant can start growing again. c. When the bushes are kept upside down it is very easy for the Forest Guards and Watchers to supervise the work and ensure that the removal has happened by the correct Cut Root-Stock method. This is because the Root-Stock and horizontal roots are clearly visible when the bushes are kept upside down. 12. Where should we start removing Lantana in the project area? As a general rule, the removal should start at the highest point in the project area and gradually move to the lower areas. The reason for this is that the monsoons carry Lantana seeds from higher elevations to lower elevations, so it is important to remove Lantana in higher elevations first. 13. Should we start removing Lantana in high density areas first or should we start with mild density areas? a. Restoration in low and medium density areas is recommended at the start of a project. This is because of reasonable number of pre-existing native plants under and around the Lantana bushes, which tend to grow faster with better sunlight and soil resources. Also, there is reasonable ground grass in such moderate density plots which tends to quickly colonise the area after removal of Lantana. The restoration inputs needed are hence compared to high density areas. From a human perspective, achieving quicker results in such plots may help the restoration team gain experience and boost their morale and confidence. b. High density plots have lower number of native seedlings and hence need greater level of preparedness with seeds, especially of grass species. Further, the absence of grass in such plots tends to attract other invasive species like Eupatorium and Parthenium. Therefore the intensity and duration of restoration needed in such plots tends to be higher. c. Often plots may have a mix of moderate and high density of Lantana. For instance, moderate density plots may have high density patches under large canopy trees or alongside streams which will need restoration efforts mentioned in (b) above. 7

8 14. Does the entire removal of 100 hectares planned have to be done in a single patch of land? There is no rule that the entire 100 hectares has to be in a single piece of land. Depending on the topography and similar factors, smaller pockets of say hectares may be chosen. However, if there is a lot of Lantana in surrounding areas, smaller cleared pockets may be vulnerable to fresh Lantana invasion through seed dispersal from such nearby plots. Therefore larger pockets of land may have a better chance of resisting fresh Lantana invasion. Other factors may also have to be considered. Some examples are given below: a. It may be a good idea to choose tracts of land that are adjacent to existing Lantana free or low Lantana areas, so that a large contiguous lantana-free area can be created in a short time. b. It may be also a good idea to select a piece of land that has a natural barrier like a water body or safari road on one side. 15. Can Lantana be removed from areas affected recently by forest fires? Based on field observations it is easier to remove Lantana from places recently affected by forest fires. This is because the upper canopy of the Lantana bushes is already burnt by the fire, so there are no large Lantana clusters. This makes removal quick and easy (see picture below). Lantana in forest fire areas has no upper branches, making it easy to remove The other advantage is that because of the absence of a canopy, the ground is exposed to sunlight and a reasonable amount of grass growth can be observed in such patches (see picture below). Therefore by removing Lantana in these areas we can have faster creation of grassy patches (both naturally and aided by manual propagation). Therefore removal of Lantana in recently fire affected places using the Cut Root-Stock method can be taken up on priority basis. However this has to be done soon after the fire since other invasive species tend to occupy such tracts within a short period of time. Also restoration efforts have to be intensive. 8

9 Good grass growth in forest fire area as ground is exposed to sunlight 16. Does the removal activity have to be repeated in subsequent years? The removal activity has to be carried out normally for 3 years to ensure complete elimination of Lantana. The first year involves complete removal and 100% effort. In the second and third years the effort is for removing any new Lantana plants that have come up in the cleared plot (these may have come up from fresh seed droppings by birds or from some dormant seeds that may have been disturbed). This effort is normally 20% in the second year and 10% in the third year. 17. Some important factors to be kept in mind while removing Lantana a. While removing Lantana bushes, care should be taken to simultaneously clear the area of small/new Lantana plants that may be coming up. b. While removing the bushes care is to be taken not to break the branches as far as possible, and in case any branches are broken these should be removed from the area. c. While striking at the base of the root please hit the Gudli as close to the root as possible. This is to minimise the soil disturbance. Avoid disturbing soil around the plant as far as possible. d. Other species that are under the Lantana should not be damaged as far as possible, either while cutting the Lantana or while removing the cut Lantana bushes. e. If there are large bird perching trees make sure to clear the area under these trees of Lantana periodically. 18. Why is restoration of Lantana cleared areas important? Restoration is critical to prevent re-appearance of Lantana or appearance of other invasive species. Active restoration and monitoring is essential to avoid these risks. 19. What are the methods that can be used for restoring Lantana cleared areas? Lantana cleared areas can be restored using the following methods: 9

10 a. Taking clumps of Grass from nearby areas and putting these in the pits that are created where Lantana has been removed. b. Manual Grass propagation. Take an existing large clump of Grass from nearby areas and divide this into small parts and plant these in 30 different places. c. Broadcasting seeds by Dibbling or Pellets. These could be seeds of native Grass varieties, Bamboo or other indigenous plants. Priority can be given for Grass and shrub species as this will help create the bottom and middle storey vegetation that will be beneficial for herbivores. d. Planting of saplings. 20. What are species most suitable for restoring Lantana cleared areas? a. Grass is the best option for restoring Lantana cleared areas as it grows fast and covers the ground area. Therefore Lantana seeds do not get sunlight to germinate. b. In addition to Grasses, other fast growing shrub and tree species can also be considered to introduce bio-diversity. c. Tree species normally come up naturally in such Grassy patches, so no special effort may be necessary for these species except broadcasting seed pellets. 21. How should the budget be allocated for removal and monitoring/restoration activities? The budget available should ideally be allocated for both removal and subsequent restoration activities. The general pattern of expenditure is 70% in year 1 (mainly removal) and 15% in years 2 and 3 (mainly monitoring and restoration). This is important because unless funds are available the monitoring and restoration is not possible. 22. What is the frequency of monitoring that is recommended? Periodic monitoring of cleared areas once every 3 months is recommended to observe if any new Lantana plants are coming up, and how well the restoration is happening. The monitoring will be needed for at least 3 years. 23. What are the methods to fix the wage rate for removing Lantana? a. Daily wage. b. Fixed per acre rate an average rate is fixed that is common for all areas. c. Variable per acre rate depending on density of Lantana. d. Per bush rate this method is not recommended as it is difficult to keep count of bushes and in many cases 3 or 4 bushes are clustered together making it difficult to assess. Contact details for further information 1. Dr Rakesh Kumar Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Delhi. 10

11 Phone: Mr Ramesh Venkataraman Junglescapes Charitable Trust, Bangalore. Mobile: