Brush Clearance
It is that time of year again when we need to prepare for fire season by reducing wildfire fuels. Clearing the brush in our open spaces, that have overgrown during the winter months, is an important part of wildfire mitigation in Agoura Hills.
BLACK MUSTARD
Family: Brassicaceae
Range: Throughout most of the western states
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, grasslands, and especially in coastal areas
Origin: Native to Europe. Introduced by the Spanish as a spice crop
Impact: Dense stands of black mustard outcompete native vegetation. It has adapted to periodic fires, and newly burned sites are subject to invasion. The high biomass contributes to increased fuel load and fire frequency.
Control: Shallow tillage (discing) is preferred over deep tillage as deeply buried seeds can survive up to 50 years. Burning usually increases the mustard species. Seeds on the ground are not destroyed by wildfire. Goats and sheep are effective on steep slopes but are slow and expensive.
Other Interesting Facts:
- It was brought here as mission-to-mission navigational tool by the Spanish
- It has shallow roots and depletes the surface soil of water and nutrients
- Due to its quick spread these plants cover much more ground when a fire or clearance efforts have removed the native plants
- It contains water-soluble allelochemicals that inhibit the germination and growth of other species
- Shallow roots and allelochemicals exacerbate landslides/mudslides
- The yellow flowers are edible, and by grinding the seeds, we can produce the condiment mustard
- Latin name Brassica Nigra
- This is an invasive plant, meaning it has few predators and is a disturbance to the ecosystem
