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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
ABBREVIATION :
SISALT
SYNONYMS :
Norta altissima Britton
SCS PLANT CODE :
SIAL2
COMMON NAMES :
tumblemustard
Jim Hill mustard
tumbling mustard
tall sisymbrium
tumble mustard
TAXONOMY :
The fully documented scientific species name of tumblemustard is
Sisymbrium altissimum L. There are no recognized varieties or forms
[12].
LIFE FORM :
Forb
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
N. McMurray/ January 1987
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
McMurray, Nancy E. 1987. Sisymbrium altissimum. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Tumblemustard is an introduced European weed common throughout the
United States. It has become well established in all cultivated
portions of North America north of Mexico [11,24,31].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
FRES40 Desert grasslands
STATES :
AK AZ CA CO HI IA ID IN KS MI
MD MN MO MT NV NE NM NY ND OK
OR SD TX UT VA WA WV WY AB BC
MB ON SK
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
AGFO BADL BIHO BICA CACH CARE
CHCU COLM CODA CRLA CRMO DEVA
DENA DETO GATE GWMP GLAC GRCA
GRTE GRKO HALE HAVO INDU ISRO
JECA JODA JOTR LAME LAMR LABE
MEVE MORA NABR NERI NOCA OLYM
PEFO PIPE PORE REDW SAMO SLBE
SUCR THRO TICA WACA WICA YELL
ZION
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K038 Great Basin sagebrush
K039 Blackbrush
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K046 Desert - vegetation largely lacking
K051 Wheatgrass - bluegrass
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
K057 Galleta - threeawn shrubsteppe
K063 Foothills prairie
K064 Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K067 Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K074 Bluestem prairie
K081 Oak savanna
SAF COVER TYPES :
237 Interior ponderosa pine
239 Pinyon - juniper
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Tumblemustard is an early seral species that rapidly invades disturbed
sites in both sagebrush-grassland and pinyon-juniper communities
[15,20,21,31]. Blackburn and others [3] have described a tumblemustard
community type in Nevada. This disclimax community consists of
continually disturbed inclusions surrounding water holes and sheep
bedding grounds; black sagebrush/Indian ricegrass (Artemisia
nova/Oryzopsis hymenoides) is the presumed habitat type.
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Tumblemustard is of low value to both livestock and wildlife. Its low
palatability and resistance to damage from trampling has contributed to
its widespread invasion of rangelands throughout the Intermountain
region. The occurrence of plants in grain fields not only reduces
production, but also makes commercial feed unpalatable to most livestock
except sheep [25].
PALATABILITY :
Tumblemustard is generally low in palatability to both livestock and
wildlife. Young and tender growth is, however, fairly palatable to
cattle and sheep [25]. The relish and degree of use shown by livestock
and wildlife species for tumblemustard in several western states is
rated as follows [7]:
MT ND UT WY
Cattle Poor Poor Poor Fair
Sheep Fair Fair Fair Fair
Horses Poor Poor Fair Poor
Pronghorn ---- ---- Fair ----
Elk Poor ---- Fair ----
Mule deer Poor ---- Fair ----
Small mammals ---- ---- Fair ----
Small nongame birds ---- ---- Fair ----
Upland game birds ---- ---- Fair ----
Waterfowl ---- ---- Poor ----
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Tumblemustard is rated poor in both energy and protein value [7].
COVER VALUE :
The degree to which tumblemustard provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species in Utah is as follows
[7]:
Pronghorn Poor
Elk Poor
Mule deer Poor
Small mammals Fair
Small nongame birds Fair
Upland game birds Fair
Waterfowl Poor
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Tumblemustard is an introduced, weedy annual that has low potential for
use in rehabilitation [7]. Although dense stands can rapidly establish
on highly disturbed sites, the short taproot of this plant results in
negligible soil stabilization [28].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Tumblemustard rapidly invades disturbed sites [5,6,18] and is maintained
where repeated disturbance results in a continual thinning of plants
[20]. The potential for the establishment of extensive stands of
mustard is greatly increased where management activities result in a
predominance of bare soil. Areas where herbaceous perennial cover has
been severely depleted are particularly susceptible. Such sites would
include the drier big sagebrush habitat types (Artemisia tridentata ssp.
tridentata and ssp. wyomingensis), where the herbaceous perennial
component is naturally quite low [4,10], and most overgrazed rangeland
[27,31].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Tumblemustard is an erect, rather freely branched, tall, weedy,
herbaceous annual or biennial that typically ranges in height from 11.7
to 58.5 inches (3-15 dm). The lower leaves are large and deeply
divided; upper leaves are much reduced. The root system consists of a
short taproot and poorly developed lateral roots [20]. At maturity the
stem frequently breaks off, allowing the aerial portion to be blown
about by the wind [11,24,25]. Plants are moderately resistant to
trampling by livestock [5].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Thereophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Tumblemustard regenerates entirely from seed. Seed production is
prolific; large plants can produce an estimated 1.5 million seeds [25].
Seeds are produced in rigid, linear, branchlike siliques approximately 2
to 4 inches (5-10 cm) in length [11]. These seed pods are extremely
tough and do not dehisce readily. Seeds are uniserate and somewhat
mucilaginous when wet. Mucilaginous seeds are an adaptation to enhance
germination potential in arid environments by increasing adherence to
soil particles. This sticky seed coating enables plants to establish on
bare soil. On overgrazed sagebrush-grassland sites in Nevada
tumblemustard seed reserves were greatest in the litter beneath shrub
canopies, but the majority of plants became established on bare soil in
the shrub interspaces [29]. In fact, on sites with litter buildup
cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) tends to replace mustard. Most seeds
germinate in the late fall as soon as rainfall has become sufficient;
some continuous germination occurs the following spring. Seeds
apparently acquire an environmentally induced dormancy over the cold
winter months which is very similar to that exhibited by cheatgrass
caryopses. Seeds remain viable in nature for only a short time period
[25].
Tumblemustard is adapted to long-distance seed disperal. Open-grown
plants assume a dense, rounded form; the entire plant can become
windblown, allowing for "tumbleweedlike" dispersal of seed. These
highly mobile plants are able to disperse seeds at intervals over
widespread areas and to occupy disturbed areas which are extremely
disjunct in distrubution. After initial plant establishment, seed
dispersal occurs primarily beneath parent plants; crowding produces
slender, open plants incapable of windblown mobility. Dense stands are
rapidly established where disturbance is extensive. Plants are able to
maintain dominance of a site for only a few years as continued crowding
rapidly eliminates plant survival and seed production [20].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Tumblemustard is an exotic weed species that inhabits disturbed areas
throughout the United States. Anthropogenic sites such as railroad
rights-of-way, road shoulders, and abandoned farmland have historically
served as seed sources for the rapid invasion of gaps in the native
vegetation.
Within the Intermountain region, tumblemustard occurs on disturbed sites
in both sagebrush-grassland and pinyon-juniper communities [15,18,20,21]
and is favored on sites where a preponderance of bare soil results
following grazing, fire, or cultivation [6]. Tumblemustard does not
appear to be exacting in its site requirements. It apparently is able
to occupy a variety of soil types and moisture regimes and is somewhat
tolerant of saline soils [7]. Plants will persist on continually
disturbed sites. Common associates include Russian thistle (Salsola
kali) and cheatgrass.
Elevational ranges for several western states are presented below [7]:
from 3,700 to 8,500 feet (1,128-2,591 m) in CO
4,300 to 7,400 feet (1,311-2,256 m) in MT
4,200 to 7,000 feet (1,280-2,134 m) in UT
4,100 to 7,400 feet (1,250-2,256 m) in WY
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Tumblemustard invades disturbed sites within both sagebrush-grassland
and pinyon-juniper communities [15,18,29,30]. Piemeisel [20,21]
completed a classic study of succession on abandoned farmland in
southern Idaho. His research indicates that tumblemustard frequency is
typically low the first year following disturbance. During the second
and third years of secondary succession, plants are able to rapidly
increase and dominate sites. In the absence of disturbance, cheatgrass
will establish itself and virtually eliminate tumblemustard within
approximately 2 years.
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Although a winter annual over much of its range, Antos and others [1]
described tumblemustard as a summer annual within a foothills grassland
in northwestern Montana. Plants can also function as biennials in some
situations [9]. Mechanisms responsible for life cycle diversity in this
species have not been addressed in the literature.
Seeds typically germinate in the fall as soon as rainfall is sufficient.
If germination is early and there is an extended initial growth period
before the onset of winter dormancy, plants form a dense rosette 2 to 4
inches (5-10 cm) in diameter. Late germination results in overwintering
rosettes with diameters of only 0.4 inch (1 cm) [20].
Plants on abandoned farmland in south-central Idaho exhibited the
following generalized phenological pattern [21]:
Growth initiation September through November
Winter dormancy December through mid March
Resumption of growth April through May
Maturity June
Tumblemustard produces abundant flowers on numerous racemes; blooming
generally occurs from May through September [24]. Individual plants
typically flower over an extended period. Flowers mature rapidly,
resulting in only a few blooming simultaneously. Apparently flower and
seed phenology are unaffected by the desiccation of the lower basal
leaves [25].
Earliest and latest flowering dates for tumblemustard in several western
states are presented below [7]:
State Earliest Flowering Latest flowering
CO May September
MT June August
ND May August
UT April July
WY May August
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Tumblemustard is readily killed by fire [19]. Plants are able to
rapidly invade burns due to an abundance of seed that is
characteristically dispersed in a tumbleweedlike fashion over widespread
areas [6,20,21]. This species is an important component of early
successional stages on burns in both sagebrush-grassland and
pinyon-juniper communities [15,27]. Germination is greatly enhanced on
bare soil [29], and tumblemustard can potentially dominate in early
postburn succession on sites where litter reduction is extensive.
Degree of dominance, however, varies widely depending on the habitat
type and condition of the site [4]. In general, plant densities
increase dramatically during postfire years 2 and 3 and then rapidly
decline to preburn levels as overcrowding reduces mustard survival and
seed production.
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Off-site colonizer species, seed transported by wind, postfire yrs 1-2
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Sisymbrium altissimum | Tumblemustard
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Tumblemustard is readily killed by fires of any intensity [6,19,20,21].
Extensive stands of tumblemustard are not usually able to carry a fire
[10].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Burns within sagebrush-grassland or pinyon-juniper communities are
rapidly invaded by tumblemustard [15,18,20,21]. This highly mobile
"tumbleweed" is capable of widespread seed dispersal; adjacent unburned
areas can also serve as seed sources [6,13]. Tumblemustard can be an
important component of early postburn vegetation, especially on sites
where herbaceous perennials have been significantly reduced [27].
Burning exposes bare soil which is condusive to seed germination [1].
Although initial establishment may be low, plant densities increase
dramatically for 1 to 2 years, and extensive stands are sometimes
formed. After 2 to 3 years, overcrowding significantly reduces mustard
survival and seed production, and plants are rapidly replaced by more
competitive species, typically cheatgrass.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
Piemeisel [20,21] described secondary succession on abandoned farmland
in Idaho as progressing from dominance by Russian thistle to
tumblemustard to cheatgrass. He indicated that initial dominance by any
one of these species is a function of efficient seedbed saturation.
Tumblemustard was not, however, a significant component following a fire
in a degraded big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass (Artemisia
tridentata/Stipa thruberiana) community in Nevada [30]. Although
maximum frequencies occurred shortly after burning, tumblemustard was
suppressed by a sparse stand of cheatgrass that had established during
the first postfire season.
Initial establishment of tumblemustard is also influenced by the amount
of perennial herbaceous cover present in the preburn community. Burns
in the drier sagebrush habitat types (Artemisia tridentata ssp.
wyomingensis and A. tridentata ssp. tridentata) are particularly
susceptible to mustard invasion [10]. Not only is mustard more
competitive on these drier sites, but herbaceous perennial cover is
naturally low at any successional stage [4]. Tumblemustard was unable
to establish dominance following a wildfire in a protected foothills
grassland in Montana despite an abundance of seed from adjacent mustard
stands. Although plant coverages were significantly higher than on
unburned areas, maximum coverages reached only 3 percent 2 years after
the fire [1].
Studies of postburn vegetation in pinyon-juniper woodlands indicate that
tumblemustard reaches highest coverages during early-mid (4- to
8-year-old burns) to mid (14- to 17-year-old burns) successional stages
[15]. Apparently this species is more competitive on drier sites within
these communities, since frequencies were greatest on south- and
west-facing slopes. Furthermore, when burns were seeded, tumblemustard
had a significantly higher occurrence on unseeded sites than seeded
sites.
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
References for species: Sisymbrium altissimum
1. Antos, Joseph A.; McCune, Bruce; Bara, Cliff. 1983. The effect of fire on an ungrazed western Montana grassland. The American Midland Naturalist. 110(2): 354-364. [337]
2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
3. Blackburn, Wilbert H.; Tueller, Paul T.; Eckert, Richard E., Jr. 1969. Vegetation and soils of the Churchill Canyon Watershed. R-45. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Agricultural Experiment Station. 155 p. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. [460]
4. Bunting, Stephen C. 1985. Fire in sagebrush-grass ecosystems: successional changes. In: Sanders, Ken; Durham, Jack, eds. Rangeland fire effects: Proceedings of a symposium; 1984 November 27-29; Boise, ID. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office: 7-11. [558]
5. Daubenmire, Rexford F. 1940. Plant succession due to overgrazing in the Agropyron bunchgrass prairie of southeastern Washington. Ecology. 21(1): 55-64. [735]
6. Daubenmire, Rexford F. 1975. Plant succession on abandoned fields, and fire influences, in a steppe area in southeastern Washington. Northwest Science. 49(1): 36-48. [745]
7. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
8. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
9. Harrington, H. D. 1964. Manual of the plants of Colorado. 2d ed. Chicago: The Swallow Press Inc. 666 p. [6851]
10. Hironaka, M.; Fosberg, M. A.; Winward, A. H. 1983. Sagebrush-grass habitat types of southern Idaho. Bulletin Number 35. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 44 p. [1152]
11. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1964. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 2: Salicaceae to Saxifragaceae. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 597 p. [1166]
12. Holmgren, Arthur H.; Reveal, James L. 1966. Checklist of the vascular plants of the Intermountain Region. Res. Pap. INT-32. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 160 p. [1184]
13. Johnson, A. H.; Strang, R. M. 1983. Burning in a bunchgrass/sagebrush community: the southern interior of B.C. and northwestern U.S. compared. Journal of Range Management. 36(5): 616-618. [1273]
14. Klemmedson, James O.; Smith, Justin G. 1964. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Botanical Review. 30: 226-262. [1353]
15. Koniak, Susan. 1985. Succession in pinyon-juniper woodlands following wildfire in the Great Basin. The Great Basin Naturalist. 45(3): 556-566. [1371]
16. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
17. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
18. Moomaw, James Curtis. 1956. Some effects of grazing and fire on vegetation in the Columbia Basin region, Washington. Pullman, WA: State College of Washington. 87 p. Dissertation. [1688]
19. Pechanec, Joseph F.; Stewart, George; Plummer, A. Perry; [and others]. 1954. Controlling sagebrush on rangelands. Farmers' Bulletin 2072. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 44 p. [1860]
20. Piemeisel, R. L. 1938. Changes in weedy plant cover on cleared sagebrush land and their probable causes. Technical Bulletin No. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 44 p. [1887]
21. Chapman, Joseph A.; Henny, Charles J.; Wight, Howard M. 1969. The status, population dynamics, and harvest of the dusky Canada goose. Wildlife Monographs No. 18. Washington, DC: The Wildlife Society. 48 p. [1889]
22. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
23. Robocker, W. C.; Gates, Dillard H.; Kerr, Harold D. 1965. Effects of herbicides, burning, and seeding date in reseeding an arid range. Journal of Range Management. 18: 114-118. [2014]
24. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1971. Common weeds of the United States. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 463 p. [2378]
25. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1937. Range plant handbook. Washington, DC. 532 p. [2387]
26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982. National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names. SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
27. Wright, Henry A. 1985. Effects of fire on grasses and forbs in sagebrush-grass communities. In: Sanders, Ken; Durham, Jack. eds. Rangeland fire effects: Proceedings of the symposium; 1984 November 27-29; Boise, ID. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office: 12-21. [2617]
28. Yensen, Dana L. 1981. The 1900 invasion of alien plants into southern Idaho. The Great Basin Naturalist. 41(2): 176-183. [2634]
29. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A. 1975. Germinability of seed reserves in a big sagebrush community. Weed Science. 23(5): 358-364. [2654]
30. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A. 1978. Population dynamics after wildfires in sagebrush grasslands. Journal of Range Management. 31(4): 283-289. [2657]
31. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A.; Major, J. 1972. Alien plants in the Great Basin. Journal of Range Management. 25: 194-201. [2674]
[2674] Index
Related categories for Species: Sisymbrium altissimum
| Tumblemustard
|
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