Kenny Truong 11/24/13 APES Ogo Period 1

Yellow Iris
The yellow iris (also known as yellow flag) is a plant with bright yellow or white to cream flowers. Its leaves are sword-shaped with a grayish-blue cast. The plant was native to North Africa, Western Asia and Europe. It was introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant, for sewage treatment and erosion control. The yellow iris ranges in 41 states (some include California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin), but it has escaped cultivation. It turns out that this plant could form dense colonies and impenetrable thickets. These thickets displace native species and change the habitat for animals living in the same area and interferes with water movement. It spreads vegetatively by the break-up of rhizomes or from abundantly placed seeds. There are many ways to control the spread of the yellow iris. Some ways are manual and some are mechanical. One way is by prescribed fire although it isnt recommended, because native plants cannot adapt to the fire. Another way is just by pulling, but it isnt an option because of the size of the impacted area. The cost of removing the yellow iris includes having to use large excavation equipment. Another cost is the use of herbicides, which is a pesticide. The costs of the impact are the reduction of carrying-capacity in wetlands and disrupt ecological relationships. With the invasion of sedges and rushes, which waterfowl species depend on for energy, the yellow iris will reduce the carrying capacity of marshes to sustain waterfowl populations. The problem with the yellow iris is that it reduced the carrying-capacity and disrupts ecological relationships. The reward in this case, for getting rid of the yellow iris is having a greater carrying-capacity and sustained ecological relationships. The yellow iris is able to live in soils with an acidity of 3.6-7.7, saline conditions, and an extensive period of anoxic conditions. It shows that it has the ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions. Habitats it can live in are the forested wetlands, open wetlands, floodplain and riparian communities. It often grows with the typha which also has a similar niche to the yellow iris, although it grows in shallower waters.