Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)


Pueraria montana var. lobata


RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS: High risk, score: 24


Australian/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Hawai‘i.
Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. M. Almeida. Family - Fabaceae. Common Names - kudzu vine, kudsu. Synonyms - Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, Pueraria thunbergiana (Sieb. & Zucc.) Benth., Pueraria triloba (Houtt.) T. Makino, Dolichos lobatus Willd.

Answer

Score

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

0

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=-1, n=-1

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

n

0

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

1

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

y

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

2

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

4

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

4

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

2

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

0

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.10

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

y

1

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

y

1

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

0

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

0

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

y

1

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

y

1

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

0

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

y

1

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

3

0

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

y

1

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

-1

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

n

1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

1

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

24

Supporting data:

Notes

Source

1.01

No evidence.

1.02

1.03

2.01

(1) Kudzu is a semiwoody, nitrogen-fixing vine native to subtropical and temperate regions of China, Japan, and Korea

(1) van der Maesen, L.J.G. 1985. Revision of the Genus Pueraria DC. With Some Notes on Teyleria backer (Leguminosae). Wageningen, The Netherlands: Agriculture University Wageningen Papers. 132 p.

2.02

2.03

(1) Kudzu is most prolific in areas where winters are mild (40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (4-16 °C)), summer temperatures rise above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 °C), the growing season is long, and annual precipitation is > 40 inches (1,000 mm)

(1) Winberry, John J.; Jones, David M. 1973. Rise and decline of the "miracle vine": kudzu in the southern landscape. Southeastern Geographer. 13: 61-70.

2.04

(1) Kudzu is a semiwoody, nitrogen-fixing vine native to subtropical and temperate regions of China, Japan, and Korea

(1) van der Maesen, L.J.G. 1985. Revision of the Genus Pueraria DC. With Some Notes on Teyleria backer (Leguminosae). Wageningen, The Netherlands: Agriculture University Wageningen Papers. 132 p.

2.05

(1) Kudzu originated in China and was brought to the United States from Japan in the late 1800s [34,66]. It is distributed throughout much of the eastern United States and is most common in the South. It occurs from Nebraska, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts south to Florida and Texas. Kudzu also occurs in Hawaii

(1) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

3.01

3.02

(1) Kudzu is typically found in open, disturbed areas such as abandoned fields, roadsides, and forest edges. Spread is most rapid in open areas, and is slowed as kudzu encounters the shade of a forest edge.

(1) Forseth, Irwin N.; Teramura, Alan H. 1986. Kudzu leaf energy budget and calculated transpiration: the influence of leaflet orientation. Ecology. 67(2): 564-571.

3.03

(1) Forestry problems associated with aggressive vines such as kudzu include mortality of edge trees, exclusion of native plant species, and potential to increase fire hazard during winter.

(1) Putz, F, E. 1991. Silvicultural effects of lianas. Pages 493-501 in F. E. Putz and H. A. Mooney, eds. The Biology of Vines. Cambridge, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press.

3.04

(1) Kudzu is an aggressive, nonnative vine that currently dominates an estimated 810,000 ha of mesic forest communities in the eastern United States. To test an integrated method of weed control, abundances of kudzu and other plant species were compared during 4 yr after six herbicide treatments (clopyralid, triclopyr, metsulfuron, picloram + 2,4-D, tebuthiuron, and a nonsprayed check), in which loblolly pines were planted at three densities (0, 1, and 4 seedlings m-2) to induce competition and potentially delay kudzu recovery. (2) Even core areas of otherwise undisturbed, insular forest habitat can eventually succumb, as invading kudzu slowly advances from established populations along a forest perimeter. Any southeastern plant communities in the vicinity of an existing kudzu population -- from pine plantations to mixed hardwoods -- are likely to be at risk of invasion.

(1) Harrington, T.B., L. T. Rader-Dixon and J. W. Taylor, Jr. 2003. Kudzu (Pueraria montana) Community Responses to Herbicides, Burning, and High-Density Loblolly Pine. Weed Science 51(6): 965-974. (2) (1) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

3.05

(1)"control of Pueraria phaseoloides with 2,4-D and MCPA" (2)"Pueraria phaseoloides, a known invasive vine, was recently introduced and has a limited distribution. It has not been seen again since it was treated in 1997. " [ 'Listed as a noxious weed in Hawaii]. (3)it may need to be grazed or otherwise controlled to keep it from becoming a pest.

(1)Brazil, Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (1983) Project biology and control of weeds. [FT: Projeto biologia e controle de plantas daninhas.] Informe técnico, CEPEC 1982., 1983, pp.73-77 (2)Eradication of potentially invasive plants with limited distributions in the Galapagos Islands Soria, M., M. Gardener and A. Tye Available at: <http://www.issg.org/ConfAbstracts.html> [http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi] (3)http://www.echonet.org/tropicalag/plantinfo/Puerariaphaseoloides.pdf

4.01

(1) No evidence.

(1) Wagner, W. L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

4.02

No evidence

4.03

Not parasitic

4.04

(1) Anecdotal evidence suggests that kudzu can be controlled effectively with close grazing from sheep or goats (2) From 1920 to 1950, it was planted throughout the southeastern United States on about 1 million ha to control erosion and to provide livestock forage and shade.

(1) Harrington, T.B., L. T. Rader-Dixon and J. W. Taylor, Jr. 2003. Kudzu (Pueraria montana) Community Responses to Herbicides, Burning, and High-Density Loblolly Pine. Weed Science 51(6): 965-974. (2) Mitich, L. W. 2000. Intriguing world of weeds: kudzu (Pueraria lobata [Wild.] Ohwi.). Weed Technol. 14:231-235.

4.05

(1) Kudzu has potential value as livestock forage

(1) Corley, R. N.; Woldeghebriel, A.; Murphy, M. R. 1997. Evaluation of the nutritive value of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) as a feed for ruminants. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 68: 183-188.

4.06

(1) When soybean plants are not present in the field the fungus is viable only when transferred to another living host. One widespread host in the United States is kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata, that could serve as a reservoir for soybean rust. (2) A recent estimate placed the economic damage from kudzu at $54 million yr-1 from lost timber production within the state of Mississippi alone (A. Van Valkenburg, Area Forester, Mississippi Forestry Commission, pers. comm.). This impact may soon be surpassed by the economic losses inflicted by Asian Soybean rust, which overwinters on kudzu. (3) A Phytophthora species was also isolated from infected root and foliar parts of P. lobata in the Republic of Korea (YW Lee, Seoul National University, Suwon, Republic of Korea, pers. comm., 2003). The pest could therefore be a reservoir for soybean rust and Phytophthora species.

(1) http://www.phidias.us/phinfo/topicSearchResult.php?showall=1&pathogenID%5B%5D=26 [15 Nov 2007] (2) Weaver, M.A. and M.E. Lyn 2007. Compatibility of a Biological Control Agent With Herbicides for Control of Invasive Plant Species. Natural Areas Journal 27(3): 264-268. (3) Pueraria lobata EPPO Bulletin 37 (2), 230–235.

4.07

No evidence

4.08

Uncertain (1) dry kudzu litter can provide substantial fuel for dormant-season surface fires, perhaps providing a positive feedback in promoting seed germination. To the extent that abundant, moist, green kudzu foliage can inhibit fire, kudzu may alter historic fire regimes by lengthening fire return intervals. Conversely, substantial fuel loading from dense mats of kudzu litter may enhance dormant-season fire potential. Additionally, the presence of kudzu in forest canopies may provide ladder fuels that enhance the likelihood of crown fires, particularly in areas where frequent surface fires may otherwise maintain seral pine or oak dominants. As kudzu invades shrub and forest communities, increases in standing and ground-layer fuels from dead woody plants that have succumbed to invasion could also increase fire intensity and severity. These scenarios are speculative.

(1) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

4.09

(1) Although it thrives best under full-sunlight conditions, kudzu is considered to be moderately tolerant to shade. Fujita et al. (1993) speculated that kudzu's moderate degree of shade tolerance was partly attributable to its ability to fix and accumulate nitrogen under partial shade.

(1) Fujita, K., K. Matsumoto, G. K. Ofosu-Budu, and S. Ogata. 1993. Effect of shading on growth and dinitrogen fixation of kudzu and tropical pasture legumes. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 3943-54.

4.10

(1) Kudzu grows on a variety of soil types (2) performs best on deep, well-drained, loamy soils.

(1) Winberry, John J.; Jones, David M. 1973. Rise and decline of the "miracle vine": kudzu in the southern landscape. Southeastern Geographer. 13: 61-70. (2) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. 2001. Invasive alien plant species of Virginia. Fact sheet: Kudzu (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi), [Online]. Available: http://www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh/fspulo.pdf [2002, May 23].

4.11

(1) Kudzu kills or degrades other plants by smothering them under a solid blanket of leaves, by girdling woody stems and tree trunks, and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through the sheer force of its weight.

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007]

4.12

(1) Kudzu monocultures typically contain thousands of individual plants per acre.

(1) Miller, James H. 1988. Guidelines for kudzu eradication treatments. In: Miller, J. H.; Mitchell, R. J., eds. A manual on ground applications of forestry herbicides. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region: 6-1 to 6-7.

5.01

terrestrial

5.02

Fabaceae

5.03

(1) Kudzu is a semiwoody, nitrogen-fixing vine native to subtropical and temperate regions of China, Japan, and Korea

(1) van der Maesen, L.J.G. 1985. Revision of the Genus Pueraria DC. With Some Notes on Teyleria backer (Leguminosae). Wageningen, The Netherlands: Agriculture University Wageningen Papers. 132 p.

5.04

(1) Kudzu roots are fleshy, with massive tap roots 7 inches or more in diameter, 6 feet or more in length, and weighing as much as 400 pounds. As many as thirty vines may grow from a single root crown. (2) The semiwoody roots of a single plant can have diameters of up to 30 cm and extend to depths of 3.7 m, accounting for up to 40% of total plant biomass and providing considerable carbohydrate storage for recovery after disturbance.

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007] (2) Miller, J. H. 1988. Kudzu eradication trials with new herbicides. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 41:220-225.

6.01

No evidence of reproductive failure in native range, but seed production is limited in introduced range of North America. (1) Kudzu also spreads somewhat through seeds, which are contained in pods, and which mature in the fall. However, only one or two viable seeds are produced per cluster of pods and these hard-coated seeds may not germinate for several years.

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007]

6.02

(1) Kudzu also spreads somewhat through seeds, which are contained in pods, and which mature in the fall. However, only one or two viable seeds are produced per cluster of pods and these hard-coated seeds may not germinate for several years.

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007]

6.03

Possibly (1) Furthermore, kudzu may hybridize with related taxa. Some specimens in his revision confused Maesen (1985), and he treated them as "Material of Uncertain Disposition." Among these specimens are Henry 13626 and 10931 that he refers to as "near Pueraria lobata and P. edulis," and Maesen (1985) suggests that, "Perhaps these specimens are simply a form of P. lobata var. lobata, or, indeed, a hybrid of P. edulis or P. lobata var. montana ..."

(1) Jewett, D.K., C. J. Jiang, K. O. Britton, J. H. Sun and J. Tang. 2003. Characterizing Specimens of Kudzu and Related Taxa with RAPD's. Castanea 68(3): 254-260.

6.04

Probably self-compatible(1) The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. (2) Mean genotypic diversity was 0.694, ranging from 0.223 to 0.955. Such high levels of genotypic diversity indicate that local sites are often colonized by several propagules (most likely seeds) and/or that sexual reproduction occurs within populations after establishment. An excess of heterozygosity was observed in populations with few unique genets, implying that selection for highly heterozygous individuals may occur in populations of P. lobata.

(1) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Pueraria+montana+lobata [15 Nov 2007] (2) Pappert, R.A., J.L. Hamrick, and L.A. Donovan. 2000. Genetic variation in Pueraria lobata (Fabaceae), an introduced, clonal, invasive plant of the Southeastern United States. American Journal of Botany 87(9): 1240-1245.

6.05

(1) The extremely low viability of these seeds has been assumed to be due to a lack of pollinators. However, Thornton (2001) demonstrated that there are a variety of both native and naturalized pollinators, the most important of which are native Hymenoptera.

(1) Thornton, M. R. 2001. Arthropod fauna associated with kudzu (Pueraria lobata Willd.) in North Carolina. M. S. thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

6.06

(1) The spread of kudzu in the U.S. is currently limited to vegetative expansion by runners and rhizomes and by vines that root at the nodes to form new plants.

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007]

6.07

(1) Kudzu plants do not usually flower until their 3rd year.

(1) Bredenkamp, Christy; Beer, Brian. 2001. Controlling kudzu in western North Carolina, [Online]. Available: http://swain.ces.state.nc.us/newsletters/nursery/kudzu.html [2002, May 7].

7.01

(1) Local dispersal methods Consumption/excretion: Road vehicles: Translocation of machinery/equipment (local): Water currents: (2) In Switzerland, plant waste has been found in many infested sites, therefore garden waste is thought to be a pathway.

(1) http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/ecology.asp?si=81&fr=1&sts= [15 Nov 2007] (2) Pron S (2006) Ecology, distribution and evaluation of the exotic liana Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (Fabaceae) in southern Switzerland. Thesis. Department of Environmental Sciences. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (CH).

7.02

Used in food, forage, medicine, and erosion control.

7.03

No evidence as it does not produce abundant viable seeds. (1) Generally, a cluster of seedpods produces only 1 or 2 viable seeds. Seed production is substantially limited in North America, especially in areas outside the Southeast.

(1) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

7.04

Legume seed without adaptation for wind dispersal. (1) Seeds 4-5 mm long, ca. 4 mm wide.

(1) Wagner, W. L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i. University of Hawaii Press, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu.

7.05

Possibly (1) Local dispersal methods Consumption/excretion: Road vehicles: Translocation of machinery/equipment (local): Water currents:

(1) http://www.invasivespecies.net/database/species/ecology.asp?si=81&fr=1&sts= [15 Nov 2007]

7.06

(1) In its native range, P. lobata spreads locally by runners, and over moderate distances by dispersal of seeds by mammals and birds.

(1) Pueraria lobata EPPO Bulletin 37 (2), 230–235.

7.07

No means of external attachment.

7.08

Legume seed with hard seed coat (1) In its native range, P. lobata spreads locally by runners, and over moderate distances by dispersal of seeds by mammals and birds.

(1) Pueraria lobata EPPO Bulletin 37 (2), 230–235.

8.01

(1) Generally, a cluster of seedpods produces only 1 or 2 viable seeds. Seed production is substantially limited in North America, especially in areas outside the Southeast.

(1) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

8.02

(1) However, only one or two viable seeds are produced per cluster of pods and these hard-coated seeds may not germinate for several years. (2) Seed banking: Seeds require scarification before they germinate. Although information on seed longevity is lacking, seed banks can apparently develop

(1) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pumo1.htm [15 Nov 2007] (2) Munger, Gregory T. 2002. Pueraria montana var. lobata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, November 15].

8.03

Repeated herbicide treatments are necessary. (1) Herbicides are commonly used to control kudzu; however, eradication might require retreatment for 3 to 10 yr in young stands and 7 to 10 yr for mature stands (2) Clopyralid, picloram, triclopyr, metsulfuron, and tebuthiuron exert various degrees of control, depending on soil type, meteorological conditions, herbicide formulation, seasonal application, characteristics of the kudzu stand, and frequency and number of herbicide applications

(1) Miller, J. H. 1986. Kudzu eradication trials testing fifteen herbicides. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 39:276–281. (2) Kay, S. H. and F. H. Yelverton. 1998. Dormant season herbicide treatments for kudzu control. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 51:190–191.

8.04

(1) Kudzu sprouts from the root crown after fire. It quickly reestablishes following dormant-season fire, in some cases returning to previous levels of dominance by the 2nd postfire growing season

(1) Rader, Laura T.; Harrington, Timothy B. 1999. The effects of herbicides and induced competition on kudzu-dominated plant communities at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina. In: Haywood, James D., ed. Proceedings, 10th biennial southern silvicultural research conference; 1999 February 16-18; Shreveport, LA. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-30. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 324-327.

8.05

Don't know.


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