[APWG] Any information on prevention practices and how they can reduce rate of spread?

[Linda Mazzu]

Hi folks, We are currently working on an Invasive Plants Environmental
Impact Statement for Region 6 of the Forest Service.  My question is:

      Does anyone have any solid information (preferably quantitative) on
reduction in rate of spread due to prevention practices?  The prevention
practices we're most interested in researching are washing of off road land
management activity vehicles before entering Forest Service lands, washing
of these same vehicles before leaving infested areas, use of certified
weed-free straw/mulch, reducing off highway vehicle access, managing
livestock movement patterns in grazing allotments.

For example, we'd like to project that the washing of vehicles before
entering FS lands will reduce the current rate of spread by _____%.  The
rate of spread for invasive plants most often found in the literature for
this part of the world is 8 - 12% annually.

Thanks.  Anything you may have; actual numbers, anecdotal stuff,
monitoring you've started; thoughts, hypotheses etc..... would be helpful.


Linda C. Mazzu
Plant Ecologist
Invasive Plants EIS
USDA Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region
503-808-2696