Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of girdling for the extermination of the invasive tree species Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) . After girdling in June 2006, we observed sprouting dynamics over 9 years. Many sprouts were observed from aboveground stems and horizontal roots, but the outbreak of root suckers was greatly reduced compared to cutting the stem entirely. By manipulating the number of times sprouts were removed, it was shown that black locust trees would wither and die if sprouts from girdled trees were removed more than twice a year. Because black locust propagates via vegetative suckers, it may be possible to exterminate the entire stand by girdling all individual trunks of the stand. These results suggest that girdling is an effective method for the removal of this invasive tree.
