First report of Microstegium vimineum in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of Microstegium vimineum (Poaceae: EPPO A2 List) in Short Hills Provincial Park (Niagara region of Ontario, Canada). The species was detected in September 2019. M. vimineum, commonly known as Japanese stiltgrass is regulated as a pest under the CFIA’s Plant Protection Act. The site where this first record for Canada was detected is under official control and delimitating surveys are being conducted to determine the extent of the species in the region. The species is classified as transient, actionable, and under eradication. M. vimineum is an annual C4 grass native to China, India, Japan and Nepal. Within the EPPO region the species is present in in Turkey and the Southern Caucasus. It invades habitats that have been disturbed by natural (e.g. flood) and anthropogenic (e.g. mowing, tilling) events. It is also capable of invading natural areas and swiftly replacing natural communities with nearly monospecific stands. In North America, M. vimineum can have negative impacts on native plant communities by reducing species richness, plant diversity, and overall groundcover. Potential pathways for the introduction of the species into the EPPO region include seeds contaminating clothes and shoes, used machinery, bird seed and growing media adherent to plants for planting.
Sources
NAPPO Phytosanitary Alert System. Official Pest Reports (2020-05-26) Canada international preliminary pest report: Japanese stiltgrass Detection in Canada https://www.pestalerts.org/official-pest-report/international-preliminary-pest-report-japanese-stiltgrass-detection-canada