We Can Better Manage Ecosystems by Connecting Solutions to Constraints: Learning from Wetland Plant Invasions

Wetlands provide critical wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and mitigate the impacts of floods, droughts, and climate change. Yet, they are drained, filled, dredged, and otherwise altered by humans, all of which contribute to their high susceptibility to plant invasions. Given the societal significance of wetlands and the disproportionately large amount of time and money spent controlling invaders in remaining wetlands, a fundamental shift must occur in how we approach restoration of plant-invaded wetlands. The need for more research is often used as an excuse for a lack of progress in invader management but, in fact, constraints to invader management are spread across the science, management, and stakeholder engagement domains. At their intersection are “implementation gap” constraints where the monumental efforts required to bridge the gap among scientists, managers, and community stakeholders are often unassigned, unrewarded, and underestimated. Here we synthesize and present a portfolio of broad structured approaches and specific actions that can be used to advance restoration of plant-invaded wetlands in a diversity of contexts immediately and over the long-term, linking these solutions to the constraints they best address. These solutions can be used by individual managers to chart a path forward when they are daunted by potentially needing to pivot from more familiar management actions to increase efficiency and efficacy in attaining restoration goals. In more complex collaborations with multiple actors, the shared vocabulary presented here for considering and selecting the most appropriate solution will be essential. Of course, every management context is unique (i.e., different constraints are at play) so we advocate that involved parties consider a range of potential solutions, rather than either assuming any single solution to be universally optimal or relying on a solution simply because it is familiar and feasible. Moving rapidly to optimally effective invasive plant management in wetlands may not be realistic, but making steady, incremental progress by implementing appropriate solutions based on clearly identified constraints will be critical to eventually attaining wetland restoration goals.

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Invasive Plants with Native Lookalikes: How Mistaken Identities Can Lead to More Significant Plant Invasions and Delay Management

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech04821-21 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

S. Christopher Marble ◽

Stephen H. Brown

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plants ◽

Native Species ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Population Expansion ◽

Plant Invasions ◽

Plant Management ◽

Delayed Response ◽

Native Plant ◽

Success Rates ◽

Invasive Plant Management

Plant invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity, agricultural production, and land value throughout the world. Due to Florida’s unique climate, population expansion, expansive coastline, and number of seaports, the state is especially vulnerable to non-native plant naturalization and spread. Invasive plant management programs were shown to have higher success rates with fewer resources when invasives were managed soon after non-native plants were observed. However, some newly emerging invasive plants may go undetected due to their resemblance with native species or other invasive plants. The objective of this review is to highlight a few key invasive plants in Florida that have native lookalikes. While morphological differences are discussed, the primary goal is to discuss management implications of misidentification and delayed response times, as well as the need for plant identification guides that include information on how to distinguish problematic invasive plants from similar native species.

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Are We “Missing the Boat” on Preventing the Spread of Invasive Plants in Rangelands?

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-d-10-00030.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 166-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Kirk W. Davies ◽

Dustin D. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Plant Communities ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Biotic Resistance ◽

Plant Management ◽

Native Plant ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Management Actions

AbstractInvasive plants are negatively affecting the ecological and economic production of rangelands by reducing resource productivity, decreasing biodiversity, displacing native vegetation, and altering ecosystem processes and functions. However, despite these well-known negative effects, once invasive plants are regionally established, limited effort is directed at preventing their continued spread across rangelands. Most efforts are directed at restoration at specific locations while additional rangelands are invaded. Restoring native plant communities invaded by exotic plants is frequently unsuccessful, especially in more arid environments, and is often too costly to apply at the scale required to make meaningful progress in reducing invasive plant populations relative to their expansion. Of the few prevention efforts being implemented, most are a second priority to control and restoration efforts. Integrating strategies to prevent new infestations and restrict the expansion of existing populations in invasive plant management programs is critical to limiting the negative effects of invasive plants in rangelands. However, we are “missing the boat” on this issue by not providing sufficiently developed and validated management actions. Limited information is available for developing management strategies to prevent the spread of invasive plants, although it has been suggested that land managers need to increase biotic resistance of desired plant communities, decrease invasive plant propagule pressure, and eradicate small incipient infestations to prevent the continued expansion of invasive plants. Thus, instead of scientifically validated methods developed to limit the spread of invasive plants, managers are often left with vague suggestions for preventing the continued spread of invasive plants. We suggest that if prevention is going to be successful, researchers are going to need to conduct more applied research to provide land managers with specific prevention strategies and quantify the benefits of various prevention strategies.

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Eradicating Bodies in Invasive Plant Management

Environment and Planning D Society and Space ◽

10.1068/d17712 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 951-968 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Jennifer Atchison ◽

Lesley Head

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plant ◽

Plant Management ◽

Invasive Plant Management

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Influence of Neighboring Vegetation Height on Seed Dispersal: Implications for Invasive Plant Management

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-07-067.1 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 626-630 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Kirk W. Davies ◽

Roger L. Sheley

Keyword(s):

Seed Dispersal ◽

Invasive Plants ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Plant Management ◽

Wind Dispersal ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Plant Seeds ◽

Vegetation Height

Controlling invasive plant infestations is very costly and often unsuccessful. Preventing invasions is more cost-effective than controlling invasive plants after they are established. Because prevention guidelines do not suggest any tools or methods to limit wind dispersal of invasive plant seeds, we investigated the influence of neighboring vegetation height on seed dispersal of a wind-dispersed (yellow salsify) and nonwind-dispersed (medusahead) species. To examine the influence of neighboring vegetation height on dispersal, seeds of both species were released in front of an artificial stand of desert wheatgrass in a modified wind tunnel. Treatments were a complete factorial design with two species, four vegetation heights (10, 30, 40, and 60 cm), three wind speeds (3, 5.5, and 10 km h−1), and three release distances from the neighboring vegetation (0, 15, and 30 cm). The ability of medusahead and yellow salsify seeds to disperse was influenced by the height of neighboring vegetation. Increasing height of neighboring vegetation decreased the number of yellow salsify seeds dispersing across neighboring vegetation. The greatest percentage of medusahead seeds dispersed across the neighboring vegetation was at the shortest height. Based on these results, we suggest that maintaining or promoting tall vegetation neighboring invasive plant infestations may reduce wind dispersal of seeds. More research is needed to investigate the influence of varying heights, densities, structural attributes, and composition of vegetation neighboring infestations and the dispersal of invasive plants.

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Ecologically Based Invasive Plant Management: Step by Step

Rangelands ◽

10.2111/rangelands-d-12-00061.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 6-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Roger L. Sheley ◽

Brenda S. Smith

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plant ◽

Plant Management ◽

Invasive Plant Management

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Developing minimal-input techniques for invasive plant management: perimeter treatments enlarge native grass patches

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1017/inp.2020.9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 108-113

Author(s):

Scott R. Abella ◽

Lindsay P. Chiquoine ◽

Jeremy M. Moss ◽

Eric D. Lassance ◽

Charles D. Schelz

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Native Plants ◽

Perennial Grass ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Plant Management ◽

Native Grasses ◽

Native Grass ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Wide Ring

AbstractThere is a continual need for invasive plant science to develop approaches for cost-effectively benefiting native over nonnative species in dynamic management and biophysical contexts, including within predominantly nonnative plant landscapes containing only small patches of native plants. Our objective was to test the effectiveness of a minimal-input strategy for enlarging native species patches within a nonnative plant matrix. In Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico, USA, we identified 40 native perennial grass patches within a matrix of the nonnative annual forb kochia [Bassia scoparia (L.) A.J. Scott]. We mechanically cut B. scoparia in a 2-m-wide ring surrounding the perimeters of half the native grass patches (with the other half as uncut controls) and measured change in native grass patch size (relative to pretreatment) for 3 yr. Native grass patches around which B. scoparia was cut grew quickly the first posttreatment year and by the third year had increased in size four times more than control patches. Treated native grass patches expanded by an average of 25 m2, from 4 m2 in October 2015 before treatment to 29 m2 in October 2018. The experiment occurred during a dry period, conditions that should favor B. scoparia and contraction of the native grasses, suggesting that the observed increase in native grasses occurred despite suboptimal climatic conditions. Strategically treating around native patches to enlarge them over time showed promise as a minimal-input technique for increasing the proportion of the landscape dominated by native plants.

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Resprouting potential of rhizome fragments from invasive macrophyte reveals superior colonization ability of the diploid congener

AoB Plants ◽

10.1093/aobpla/plz071 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Brenda J Grewell ◽

Caryn J Futrell ◽

Maria T Iannucci ◽

Rebecca E Drenovsky

Keyword(s):

Invasive Plant ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

High Growth ◽

Growth Potential ◽

Plant Management ◽

Nutrient Loads ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Aquatic Mesocosms ◽

Colonization Ability

Abstract Non-native aquatic Ludwigia species from a polyploid complex are among the world’s most problematic invasive plants. These emergent, floating-leaved species respond to disturbance through fragmentation of shoots and/or rhizomes, spreading rapidly by hydrochorous dispersal and posing challenges for invasive plant management. While recruitment of clonal aquatic plant species from shoot fragmentation is well documented, regeneration from rhizome bud banks, although common, often is overlooked. It is further unclear how interactions among ploidy and resource availability influence regeneration success of rhizome fragments. We conducted a full factorial experiment in aquatic mesocosms to compare trait responses of Ludwigia congeners differing in ploidy (diploid, decaploid) grown from clonal rhizome fragments under contrasting soil nutrient availability (low, high). Similar to previous work with shoot fragments, the diploid congener had a higher relative growth rate and produced more biomass than the decaploid during this establishment stage of growth. High growth rates and biomass production were associated with greater rhizome N and P and reduced investment in belowground structures. Comparing these results to previous shoot fragment studies with Ludwigia, rhizome fragments appear to have much greater growth potential, suggesting that management strategies should minimize disturbance to prevent fragmentation and dispersal of belowground structures. Furthermore, rapid response to newly colonizing diploid invaders will be essential to minimizing spread, and reductions in nutrient loads to aquatic environments may be more effective toward controlling establishment of the diploid congener than the decaploid.

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Experiences with invasive plant management and ecology in Alberta

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps07119 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 87 (5) ◽

pp. 1013-1022 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D. E. Cole ◽

J. R. King ◽

D. A. Oyarzun ◽

T. H. Dietzler ◽

A. S. McClay

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Grazing Management ◽

Integrated Weed Management ◽

Plant Management ◽

Invasive Plant Species ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Ecological Principles ◽

Silene Pratensis

A number of invasive plant management strategies, including competition, fertilizer, herbicide, combination of fertilizer and herbicide, biological control, mowing, grazing management, prevention, eradication and education have been investigated and employed in Alberta. The integrated weed management (IWM) strategies are overlapping, interconnected and based on ecological principles. Research on several invasive plant species, including ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.), scentless chamomile [Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Laínz] and white cockle [Silene pratensis (Raf.) Godr. & Gren.] has provided ecological information showing the importance of maintaining healthy, competitive plant communities. Key words: Invasive plants, management, ox-eye daisy, competition, Alberta

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Constructing Standard Invasion Curves from Herbarium Data—Toward Increased Predictability of Plant Invasions

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1017/inp.2017.38 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 293-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Pedro M. Antunes ◽

Brandon Schamp

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Plant Management ◽

Nonnative Species ◽

Efficient Production ◽

Targeted Prevention ◽

Invasive Plant Management ◽

Essential Components ◽

Herbarium Data

Prevention, early detection, rapid response, and prioritization are essential components of effective and cost-efficient invasive plant management. However, successfully implementing these strategies requires the ability to accurately predict the temporal and spatial dynamics of newly/recently detected nonnative species. Why some nonnative species become invasive and the source of variation in lag time between arrival and the onset of invasive expansion are poorly understood. One tool to fill these knowledge gaps is the “invasion curve,” which tracks nonnative species abundance (i.e., area invaded) over time after arrival in a new area. Since invasive species curves rely primarily on records from herbarium collections, we propose that these collections can be used as a springboard to develop a standardized approach to building invasion curves. This would allow researchers to compare the trajectories of nonnative species, improving risk assessment and our ability to recognize potential invasive species and factors contributing to both invasibility and invasiveness. While there have been admirable efforts to produce invasion curves, several barriers exist to their reliable production and standardization. In this paper, we explore the challenges related to the efficient production of these curves for plants using herbarium data and suggest ways in which progress could occur. It is our hope that this will better position herbaria and researchers to aid natural resource managers to prioritize needs, make effective management decisions, and develop targeted prevention and monitoring programs by taking advantage of lag times to implement timely responses.

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