New Guide Helps Land Managers Control Medusahead
As an ecosystem-transformer species, medusahead is among the worst weeds. Not only does it compete for resources with more desirable species, but it changes ecosystem function to favor its own survival at the expense of the entire ecosystem.
The Medusahead Management Guide for the Western States has chapters on the introduction and spread of medusahead in the Western U.S., as well as its impacts, biology and ecology. Much of the guide is devoted to management of the weed, through mechanical, cultural, chemical and integrated methods. Regardless of the management technique used, medusahead must be prevented from producing new seed for two to three years in order to deplete the soil seedbank.