Buckthorn Watch
Thinking about joining buckthorn watch?
Below you will find details about how to join and report common buckthorn.
If you have questions email us at: buckthornwatch@osu.edu.
How to Report Common Buckthorn
Buckthorn Watch is partnering with the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) to develop a map of the distribution of common buckthorn across the north-central U.S. You can help in this effort by reporting infestations of common buckthorn you find while inspecting your property or exploring your neighborhood parks, trails, and roadsides.
Becoming a Buckthorn Watch volunteer only takes a few minutes. All you have to do is register with MISIN and complete a short tutorial about common buckthorn identification. When you register you will be asked if you are affiliated with any program, be sure to select Buckthorn Watch.
Where to look for common buckthorn: Watch for common buckthorn in disturbed sites. This includes the edges of forests, unmanaged hedges, fencerows separating crop fields, and along roads and highways, and power line and railroad right-of-ways.
What information will you be asked to report?
Location: When you find common buckthorn, note your location. When you make your report you will be able to pin-point the location of the infestation using Google Maps.
Area: The reporting site has five categories for area, all in acres. An acre is approximately 200 x 200 feet. The categories are: less than 1 acre, 1-10 acres, 10-50 acres, 50-100 acres, and more than 100 acres. Most common buckthorn patches will be less than 10 acres.
Density: You will select from four density categories to categorize your common buckthorn sighting. These are: sparse (less than 10 total plants), patchy (two or more isolated groupings of 20 or fewer plants), Dense (dense stand of 20-50 plants), or Monoculture (dense stand of 50 or more plants).
Photo: If you have a digital camera or camera phone we would really like a photo of your site! You can email photos of your site to the Buckthorn Watch team when you file a report.
Aphid Hunt: We are also studying the distribution of the soybean aphid on common buckthorn. If you are interested in learning more about this project you can sign up to receive more information when you file a buckthorn report. To learn more about Aphid Hunt CLICK HERE.
