[APWG] Why remove invasives

[Johnny Randall]

Our approach at the North Carolina Botanical Garden is to prioritize 
invasive plant removal and also demonstrate to our volunteers that there 
is value and potential for success.  Note - our problems shrink next to 
those in Hawaii because of many factors, but there are still many common 
issues.

I have attached our in-house (draft) invasive plant ranking and 
prioritization schedule for control.  There are other such schedules, 
which we reference.  The take home message is to protect the highest 
quality natural areas from the plants that present the greatest risk.  
The rule of thumb for determining which plants to control is location, 
ease of control/access, and potential for success.  But if you are in 
triage mode and you have the means - locate and control the individuals 
that are producing the greatest number of fruits/seeds that will be 
dispersed by birds or wind. (If you have an urban interface where these 
and other invasive plants on private property, you must convince them to 
remove these species...)

There has also been great success in designating Cooperative Weed 
Management Areas for very focused eradication sites and targets.  CWMAs 
are agreements among various agencies and groups that generally work 
with the help with grant funding.  See 
www.weedcenter.org/weed_mgmt_areas/wma_overview.html for more 
information....

I have only mentioned a couple of possibilities, but there are many 
others....  For inspiration,support, and commiseration - join or form a 
local Exotic Pest Plant Council/Invasive Species Council..... 

All the best - Johnny

Philip Thomas (www.HEAR.org) wrote:
> My take is that site-based management of weeds generally *is* futile 
> unless there is a long-term (i.e., PERMANENT) plan that is actually 
> implemented for perpetual care of the area.  If the area you're 
> protecting is small enough and you have an onoing dedicated labor 
> force, maybe you could paint a rosy picture.  Start small; make sure 
> folks can see success (e.g., from previous groups' work, and at the 
> end of their own day).
>
> Aloha,
> pt at hear.org
>
>
> jmbarr wrote:
>> No inspiring message here, sorry.
>> I am a volunteer who has spent hundreds of hours removing invasives.  
>> I am increasingly frustrated at the shear waste of volunteers time 
>> and energy in what I fear are exercises in futility.
>>
>> I would love detailed information on best practices for invasives 
>> control for land managers.  For example, does hand pulling by 
>> volunteers make sense or would professionals with herbicides make 
>> more sense?  When beginning an effort in a natural area, do you start 
>> in the center of the property and work out, begin at a random point 
>> and work out from there, do you try to identify the furthest entry 
>> point and work back to the point of origin, does it make any difference?
>>
>> Thanks for letting me vent,
>> john
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
>> APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
>> http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org 
>>
>>
>> Disclaimer
>> Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the 
>> opinion of the individual posting the message.
>>
>>
>

-- 
Johnny Randall, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
North Carolina Botanical Garden
CB 3375 
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill  NC  27599
Phone - 919-962-0522
FAX - 919-962-3531
www.ncbg.unc.edu

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