From the report
Risky Business: Invasive species management on National
Forests -
A review and summary of needed changes in current
plans, policies and programs
www.kettlerange.org/weeds/
February, 2001
Kettle Range Conservation Group
The need for management of invading plants requires a serious commitment to education and increasing the awareness of the nature and extent of the problem. Obvious needs include plant and weed identification needs for land managers and information exchange between agencies and public and private groups. Signs, brochures, posters and news articles offer a chance for communication between groups. Workshops and classes can be held to bring interested people together in informative, problem-solving formats. National Invasive Species Council (2000) backed up the need for research on invasive species:
The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Research (CENR) of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy identified invasive species as a priority focus for integrated ecosystems research. It stressed the importance of sustained research programs that direct research based upon the needs determined by land and water managers and the need to strengthen core long-term resources essential for building basic understanding of invasion biology and predictive capacity for reducing invasive species impacts.Wooten and Morrison (1995) described some of the research needs:
There is an overwhelming need for more data on the ecology and biology of plant invasions. Agencies and educational institutions need to invest in research and methods that have the potential for solving the problems of invading species. Through cooperative agreements, cost-sharing and data-sharing, a better understanding of plant invasions will produce more effective prevention strategies and control techniques. Affected ecosystem components need to be studied, and at-risk ecosystems such as riparian areas should receive high priority. Specific topics that deserve attention include nutrient cycling, mycorrhizal connections, effects on wildlife, effects on biodiversity, biological controls, cultural (ecological) controls, research on target-specific or non-toxic herbicides, mechanisms of spread, genetics and reproductive biology of invading species, and the effects of varying the nature, severity and kind of causative disturbances.There is a need for more comparative studies on the effectiveness of various control strategies. An example of a successful project to highlight research on invasive species occurred during the Reed Canarygrass Working Group Conference held on March 15, 2000, in Olympia Washington, sponsored by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Society for Ecological Restoration-Northwest Chapter. During the conference, over 20 different researchers were able to discuss their experiences in controlling and failing to control the invasive species, reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). The conference was multidisciplinary, so that the entire spectrum of possible treatments was discussed, in addition to a number of related aspects about the biology of the species. Methods included disking, changing the hydrologic regime, grazing, herbicides, mowing, shade competition, and competition from nearby plants. Since the results of many different studies were all brought together, it was possible for the participants to get a better idea of how to deal with their own aspects of the problem.
Solutions