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SUMMARY

Rating	Alert	Impact	Invasiveness	Distribution	Doc.
Moderate	N	B	A	A	3.15
Comments:
Rating 1 = High 2 = Moderate 3 = Limited 4 = Evaluated, not listed		Alert Y = Yes N = No	Scores A = Severe B = Moderate C = Limited D = None U = Unknown	Documentation 4 = Reviewed scientific publications 3 = Other published material 2 = Observational 1 = Anecdotal 0 = No information

Scores

1.1	1.2	1.3	1.4	2.1	2.2	2.3	2.4	2.5	2.6	2.7	3.1	3.2
C	B	B	D	B	A	B	A	A	A	B	A	A

IMPACT

1.1 Impact on abiotic ecosystem processes - C

Identify ecosystem processes impacted: Can reduce soil moisture in areas of high infestations.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso, University of California-Davis, ditomaso@vegmail.ucdavis.edu Weed Records and Information Center (WeedRIC) - Yellow Starthistle: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

1.2 Impact on plant community composition, structure, and interactions - B

Identify type of impact or alteration: Can dominate native grasslands and create monocultures.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso, University of California-Davis, ditomaso@vegmail.ucdavis.edu Weed Records and Information Center (WeedRIC) - Yellow Starthistle: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst.

Donaldson, S. and Dawn Rafferty. 2002. Identification and Management of Malta Starthistle. University of Nevada: Fact Sheet-02-86.

Observational - Gallo

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

1.3 Impact on higher trophic levels - B

Identify type of impact or alteration: Poisonous to horses. Recreationalist will not go into areas of investation due to spines. Spines can injure mouth of wildlife.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso, University of California-Davis, ditomaso@vegmail.ucdavis.edu Weed Records and Information Center (WeedRIC) - Yellow Starthistle: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst.

Donaldson, S. and Dawn Rafferty. 2002. Identification and Management of Malta Starthistle. University of Nevada: Fact Sheet-02-86.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

1.4 Impact on genetic integrity - D

Identify impacts: None.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso, University of California-Davis, ditomaso@vegmail.ucdavis.edu Weed Records and Information Center (WeedRIC) - Yellow Starthistle: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

IMPACT: C B B D = B

INVASIVENESS

2.1 Role of anthropogenic and natural disturbance in establishment - B

Describe role of disturbance: Describe role of disturbance: Usually found in disturbed areas, both human and natural disturbances, but can also invade undisturbed grasslands.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso, University of California-Davis, ditomaso@vegmail.ucdavis.edu Weed Records and Information Center (WeedRIC) - Yellow Starthistle: http://wric.ucdavis.edu/yst.

Donaldson, S. and Dawn Rafferty. 2002. Identification and Management of Malta Starthistle. University of Nevada: Fact Sheet-02-86.

U.S. Forest Service. 2010. A field guide to managing Malta Starthistle. United States Agriculture Forest Service. TP-R3-16-1.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

2.2 Local rate of spread with no management - A

Describe rate of spread: Has not been in Texas as long as other Western states, therefore more areas are being invaded. Local rate of spread is fairly high without management.

Sources of information: Observational - Gallo

Documentation: Observational

2.3 Recent trend in total area infested within state - B

Describe trend: Is spreading in Western and Northwestern portion of state, but not doubling area in less than 10 years.

Sources of information: Observational - Gallo

Documentation: Observational

2.4 Innate reproductive potential - A

Describe key reproductive characteristics: Refer to Worksheet A

Sources of information: U.S. Forest Service. 2010. A field guide to managing Malta Starthistle. United States Agriculture Forest Service. TP-R3-16-1.

DiTomaso, J.M. and J.D. Gerlach, Jr.. Centaurea melitensis. In, Invasive Plants of California’s Wildlands. CalEPPC. UC Press, Berkeley; Gerlach, J.D. Jr. 2000. Ph.D. Dissertation, UC Davis.

Gerlach, J.D., and K.J. Rice. 2003. Testing life history correlates of invasiveness using congeneric plant species. Ecological Applications 13:167-179.

Documentation: Rev'd, Sci. Pub'n

2.5 Potential for human-caused dispersal - A

Identify dispersal mechanisms: Seeds and seed head stick to vehicles and machinery. Spread in contaminated seed mixes. Infestations commonly found around electric boxes, sewer entries, and other facilities accessed by vehicles.

Sources of information: U.S. Forest Service. 2010. A field guide to managing Malta Starthistle. United States Agriculture Forest Service. TP-R3-16-1.

DiTomaso, J.M. and J.D. Gerlach, Jr.. Centaurea melitensis. In, Invasive Plants of California’s Wildlands. CalEPPC. UC Press, Berkeley; Gerlach, J.D. Jr. 2000. Ph.D. Dissertation, UC Davis.

Donaldson, S. and Dawn Rafferty. 2002. Identification and Management of Malta Starthistle. University of Nevada: Fact Sheet-02-86. Observational - Gallo

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

2.6 Potential for natural long-distance dispersal - A

Identify dispersal mechanisms: Seeds fall near the parent plant, are dispersed short distances by wind or longer distances by humans, animals, water, and soil movements

Sources of information: California Department of Food and Agriculture, EncycloWeedia. 2002. Yellow starthistle. Malta starthistle or Tocalote. Sicilian starthistle. Ed by: Healy, E.A., S. Enloe, J.M. DiTomaso, B. Roberson, N. Dechoretz, S. Schoenig, P. Akers, L. Butler, and J. Garvin. Non-Cropland Weed group, UC Extension Service, Weed Science Program, Department of Vegetable Crops, The University of California. Davis, CA. 95616. website: http://pi.cdfa.ca.gov/weedinfo/CENTAUREB2.htm.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

2.7 Other regions invaded - B

Identify other regions: Has invaded coastal prairies and open woodlands in California.

Sources of information: Joe DiTomaso. 2003. Criteria for Categorizing Invasive Non-Native Plants that Threaten Wildlands. California Invasive Plant and Pest Council.

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

INVASIVENESS: B A B A A A B = A

DISTRIBUTION

3.1 Ecological amplitude - A

Describe ecological amplitude, identifying date of source information and approximate date of introduction to the state, if known: Refer to Worksheet B

Sources of information: Invaders of Texas Citizen Science Observations (Accessed 9 May 2011: http://texasinvasives.org/observations/search.php?satellite=&sn=CEME2&cn=

USDA PLANTS Database (Accessed 9 May 2011: http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Texas&statefips=48&symbol=CEME2)

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

3.2 Distribution/Peak frequency - A

Identify type of impact or alteration: Refer to Worksheet B

Sources of information: Invaders of Texas Citizen Science Observations (Accessed 9 May 2011: http://texasinvasives.org/observations/search.php?satellite=&sn=CEME2&cn=

USDA PLANTS Database (Accessed 9 May 2011: http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Texas&statefips=48&symbol=CEME2)

Documentation: Other Pub. Mat'l

IMPACT: A A = A

TEXAS ECOREGIONS

Source: Level III and IV Ecoregions of Texas. Griffith, G.E., Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Rogers, A.C., Harrison, B., Hatch, S.L., and Bezanson, D., 2004, Ecoregions of Texas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR.

Score: A. means >50% of type occurrences are invaded; B means >20% to 50%; C. means >5% to 20%; D. means present but ≤5%; U. means unknown.

Code	Level III	Level IV	Score
ER01	Arizona/New Mexico Mountains	Chihuahuan Desert Slopes
		Montane Woodlands
ER02	Chihuahuan Deserts	Chihuahuan Basins and Playas	A
		Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands	A
		Low Mountains and Bajadas	A
		Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands	A
		Stockton Plateau	A
ER03	High Plains	Rolling Sand Plains
		Canadian/Cimarron High Plains
		Llano Estacado
		Shinnery Sands
		Arid Llano Estacado
ER04	Southwestern Tablelands	Canadian/Cimarron Breaks
		Flat Tablelands and Valleys	C
		Caprock Canyons, Badlands, and Breaks
		Semiarid Canadian Breaks
ER05	Central Great Plains	Red Prairie
		Broken Red Plains
		Limestone Plains
ER06	Cross Timbers	Eastern Crosstimbers
		Western Crosstimbers	A
		Grand Prairie
		Limestone Cut Plain
		Carbonate Cross Timbers
ER07	Edwards Plateau	Edwards Plateau Woodland	A
		Llano Uplift
		Balcones Canyonlands	A
		Semiarid Edwards Plateau
ER08	Southern Texas Plains	Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains
		Semiarid Edwards Bajadas
		Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub	A
		Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces
ER09	Texas Blackland Prairies	Northern Blackland Prairies	A
		Southern Blackland/Fayette Prairie
		Floodplains and Low Terraces
ER10	East Central Texas Plains	Northern Post Oak Savanna
		Southern Post Oak Savanna
		San Antonio Prairie
		Northern Prairie Outliers
		Bastrop Lost Pines
		Floodplains and Low Terraces
ER11	Western Gulf Coastal Plain	Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
		Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
		Floodplains and Low Terraces
		Coastal Sand Plain
		Lower Rio Grande Valley
		Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain
		Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
		Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes
		Laguna Madre Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes
ER12	South Central Plains	Tertiary Uplands
		Floodplains and Low Terraces
		Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces
		Southern Tertiary Uplands
		Flatwoods
		Red River Bottomland

EVALUATORS

Evaluation Date: 2011-05-09

Evaluator 1
Travis Gallo, Ecologist
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
512-232-0116
tgallo@wildflower.org
4801 La Crosse Ave., Austin, TX 78739

Evaluator 2

REVIEW

Reviewers:
Review Date: 0000-00-00
Comments:

REFERENCES

Originally assessed for the City of Austin Invasive Management Plan