[APWG] PUBLICATION: An Invasive Species Assessment Protocol

[Plant Conservation]

Just FYI.  Contact info for the Protocol is in the press release below.

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http://www.natureserve.org/getData/plantData.jsp

PRESS RELEASE
June 2, 2004
Contact: Rob Riordan, NatureServe, 703-908-1831 or
rob_riordan at natureserve.org

New Method Assesses Impact of Invasive Plants on Native Ecosystems

Arlington, Virginia -- Which non-native species pose the most serious
threats to native species and ecosystems? NatureServe, in collaboration
with The Nature Conservancy, has developed a new scientific method to help
answer this question. The method is published in a NatureServe report
released today, An Invasive Species Assessment Protocol: Evaluating
Non-Native Plants for Their Impact on Biodiversity.

"Nearly everywhere we look, natural places are being degraded by invasive
non-native plants," said Larry E. Morse, Ph.D., NatureServe's North
American Botanist and lead author of the report. "To control them, land
managers will need to set priorities, recognizing that not all invasives
can be eradicated everywhere. This protocol is the first systematic way to
separate the worst of the invaders from the rest, so it's a big step
forward for conservation."

Invasive species now constitute the second-leading threat to imperiled
native species, behind only habitat destruction. They can affect native
biodiversity in several ways, including outcompeting native species for
food or habitat, changing the food web or physical environment, and
preying directly on native species. Rare species with limited ranges,
small numbers, and restricted habitat requirements are often particularly
vulnerable, as are rare habitat types. As global trade and travel
increase, the problem worsens, with invasive species able to establish
themselves in places where they have no natural checks on their
population. Among plants alone, at least 3,500 non-native species are now
found outside of cultivation in the United States.

The new Invasive Species Assessment Protocol is a valuable tool for
natural resource managers in government agencies and conservation groups.
It provides a systematic, science-based way to evaluate the threat from
non-native species, based on objective criteria, and with full
documentation of sources--aspects missing from previous efforts. The
protocol lays out a series of 20 related questions pertaining to four key
issues: Ecological Impact, Current Distribution and Abundance, Trend in
Distribution and Abundance, and Management Difficulty. Detailed
instructions and examples are provided to guide any knowledgeable land
manager through the impact assessment for a particular species. Sub-ranks
for the four issues are combined to yield an overall Invasive Species
Impact Rank (I-Rank) of High, Medium, Low, or Insignificant. These results
summarize the impact of each species over large portions of its range --
such as states, provinces, ecoregions, or nations—as opposed to localized
impact such as in a single park.

NatureServe has recently begun to use the protocol to assess a sampling of
more than 300 non-native plants. Results will help to focus scarce
management resources on the very worst invaders. Examples of plants
assessed as high impact include miconia (Miconia calvescens) and saltcedar
(Tamarix ramosissima). Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and skunk vine
(Paederia foetida) rank as medium impact. Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is
assessed as low impact, while Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea) is an
example of a plant causing insignificant impact.

The report and supporting data, including assessments for more than 300
other non-native plants, are available on the NatureServe website at
www.natureserve.org/getData/plantData.jsp. Additional plants will be
assessed as funding becomes available, and NatureServe plans to adapt the
method for invasive animal species as well.

Development of the Invasive Species Assessment Protocol was made possible
through charitable support from the Turner Foundation and the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with additional funding from the U.S. Air
Force and the Federal Highway Administration. The protocol is authored by
a team comprising Larry Morse, Nancy Benton, and Stephanie Lu of
NatureServe, John Randall of The Nature Conservancy’s Wildland Invasive
Species Team, and Ron Hiebert of the National Park Service.

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NatureServe is a non-profit conservation group dedicated to providing the
scientific information and technology needed to guide effective
conservation action. NatureServe represents a network of 75 natural
heritage programs and conservation data centers in the United States,
Canada, and Latin America that collect and analyze information on plants,
animals, and ecosystems. NatureServe is a leading source for detailed
scientific information about rare and endangered species and threatened
ecosystems. Visit us on the web at www.natureserve.org.