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Smooth Sumac Like prickly ash, smooth sumac can become excessively abundant, especially in areas where fire has been suppressed for long periods of time. It can form dense, clonal stands that dominate other vegetation. Unlike prickly ash or buckthorn, however, controlling smooth sumac does not require herbicide applications,since that would require a tremendous amount of herbicide,be quite labor intensive,and probably cause heavy damage to surrounding plants. Control of smooth sumac can be easily accomplished by cutting and burning,or a combination of these two methods. To be effective,the sumac must be burned or cut twice a year: the first time in the late spring,just after it has fully leafed out(expended maximum energy), and the second time in late summer,after it has re-sprouted. Repeat this method annually for two to five years to deplete the clone of its energy,working back at the edges of the clone and reducing cover from the outside of the area towards the center. If cutting or burning is performed only once a season,the clone will persist, since this will not be enough to drain the root system of stored energy. Cutting twice a year without burning will be effective,but burning is doubly so,since fire tends to benefit herbaceous plants and suppress woody ones. Disposal The easiest and most cost-effective method to handle large amounts of woody brush is usually to stack it and burn it.This is most typically done during winter to lessen the impacts to soil (compaction, erosion,rutting,etc.),though often brush will be piled soon after the removal and burned during the winter. In areas where brush is not dense,it can be cut up into smaller pieces,scattered,and left on the ground where it will decompose in one to three years (this method is especially useful on slopes to reduce erosion potential). Small brush piles can also be left in the woods as wildlife cover.Where there is an abundance of larger trees,cut trees may be hauled and chipped and used for mulch or as a biofuel.Alternatively,the wood can be cut and used for firewood, if a recipient can be found, or perhaps saved to be used later as waterbars for slope stabilization. FORBS Spotted knapweed Knapweed is a perennial species that has become a troublesome prairie invader. Of all the typical prairie weeds,spotted knapweed is probably the most difficult to manage. It cannot be controlled with burning—like sweet clover it actually increases with fire. Hand-pulling individuals or small groups of individuals can be effective for small infestations,and is often a good volunteer group task. However, knapweed has a fairly large tap root and can be difficult to pull. Pulling is typically more difficult when soil is hard (dry),clayey,or compacted,but easier when soil is wet(following a rain), sandy,and friable. If knapweed populations are large,a bio- Friends of the Mississippi River Bailey Point Nature Preserve NRMP 78