Compiling information into a comprehensive

invasives management plan

Mark J Renz, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kelly Kearns, Endangered Resources, WI DNR
 Weed Increase Over Time and Control Potential

intense effort required

Eradication unlikely,
Eradication
feasible
Local control and
management only

Eradication
simple Public
awareness
Acres Infested

Control Costs
typically begins

Introduction

Detection

Plant absent Scattered Numerous At or near biological potential

locations locations

Time
 Considerations in Controlling

Invasive Species
• Prevention is ALWAYS the
best strategy!

• Early detection is the second best

strategy
By the time you are in the control and
management strategy, the cost is
huge and the failure rate is high.

Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)

 Important information to gather
• Appropriate maps of location
– Soils, wetlands, hydrology, plats (ownership), forest
cover typing, current land use

• Historical information
– Presettlement vegetation, grazing, draining, tillage,
logging

• Biology and management of species present

– Weed species, locations, densities
– Natural habitats
– Crops
 Additional information needed
to develop a plan
• Goals of landowner
– Land use
– Plant communities
– Time frame
• Resources available to accomplish these goals
– Financial and technical assistance
– Equipment, labor, etc.
• Limitations due to rules, regulations, or laws
 Inspect the Site

• Walk the land

• Demarcate edges, trails,

fence lines, and patches of invasives

• GPS and use flagging tape to mark spots
to be controlled
• Develop list of invasives on site and mark
 Map Your Site
• Hand written
• Topographic map or
aerial photo
• GPS (Global
Positioning System)
Gather data for your map and plan
• Geographic variability present
– Soil types, land uses, seasonal variability
• Any endangered/sensitive areas
• Specific info about the invasives present
– How long have they been present?
– Status of infestation (spreading, stagnant, declining)
– effective control methods
– restrictions to control methods
• Do I need to restore/revegetate or will suitable
vegetation recover?
 List of common invasive plants
in CRP fields
• Annuals : Japanese hedge parsley, giant ragweed

• Biennials : Poison hemlock, garlic mustard, white and yellow sweet clover, thistles,
burdock, wild carrot

• Simple perennials : teasels, wild parsnip, hill mustard, purple loosestrife, curly dock,
dames rocket, giant hogweed, wild chervil, knapweeds

• Creeping perennials : Chinese lespedeza, crown vetch, Japanese knotweed, common

tansy, field bindweed, hawkweeds, reed canary grass, common reed, leafy spurge,
Canada goldenrod, Canada thistle

• Woody plant : Multiflora rose, black locust, brambles, dogwoods, etc.

 Determine Goals for Land
• Land uses
• Types of Natural Communities
• Desired Native Plants and Animals
 Develop Priorities for Invasives Work
• Think long-term!
• Identify and prioritize species/infestations that threaten targets
and goals

DON’T BEGIN AT THE CENTER

 Look for the source of the problem

• Find the source of the

infestation
– On site vs. off site
– Can you reduce/eliminate
source?
 Hill Mustard

What if we were developing a plan for

property adjacent to this. What could we do
to minimize spread of this plant?
Leafy spurge
 Two Different Approaches

• Weed-based attack
1. Attack the weed wherever it occurs on site
2. Attack off-site infestations

• Spatial distribution-based attack

1. Prioritize your areas of importance
2. Keep uninvaded areas uninvaded
3. Defragment uninvaded sites
4. Expand the uninvaded area outward
 Prioritization
• Species-based Prioritization –
Which do I go after first?
• Site-based Prioritization – Where
do I go first?

A combination of both are

necessary for success.
Species Based Prioritization:
WHAT do I go after first?

I. Current extent of the species on or

near the site;
II. Current and potential impacts of
the species;
III. Value of the habitats/areas that the
species infests or may infest; and
IV. Difficulty of control.
I. Current extent of the species
1. Species not yet on site but present nearby
or likely to invade
2. Species present as new populations or
outliers of larger infestations, esp. if
expanding rapidly.
3. Species present in large infestations that
continue to expand
4. Species present in large infestations that
are not expanding.
II. Current and potential impacts of the
species
1. Species that alter ecosystem processes
2. Species that outcompete natives and dominate
otherwise undisturbed communities.
3. Species that do not outcompete dominant
natives, BUT-
a) Prevent or depress recruitment or
regeneration of native species, OR
b) Reduce or eliminate resources used by
animals
4. Species that overtake and exclude natives
following natural disturbances such as fires,
floods, or hurricanes.
 III. Value of the habitats/areas the
species infests or could infest

1. The most highly valued habitats or areas –

those with rare or highly valued species or
communities
2. The less highly valued portions of the site -
areas already infested by other weeds may
be given lower priority.
IV. Difficulty of control and establishing
replacement species
1. Species likely to be controlled with available
resources and which desirable native
species will replace with little further input.
2. Species likely to be controlled but will not be
replaced by desirable natives without an
active restoration program requiring
substantial resources.
3. Species difficult to control with available
technology and resources and/or whose
control will likely result in substantial
damage to other, desirable species.
4. Species unlikely to be controlled with
available technology and resources.
 Site Based Prioritization:
WHERE do I go first?
1. Identify and map invaded and un-invaded areas
(NO MAP – NO CONTROL PLAN)
2. Focus on large blocks of un-invaded areas – keep
them un-invaded
3. Control small outlier populations first
4. Reverse the invasion – expand the un-invaded
area outward.
 Site Based Prioritization:
WHERE do I go first?
5. For long distance dispersers:
-in aquatic settings, control upstream to
downstream
-for bird-dispersed species, control large seed
source populations first
6. All roads, trails, and watercourses are invasive
corridors; survey them regularly to detect new
invaders quickly
7. Keep your focus on targets – restoration may be
necessary.
Assess Optimal Control Techniques
• Use Integrated Pest Management-
Combining control methods to
minimize
pesticide use
• The ‘right technique may be
different for a 1/10 acre of
scattered garlic mustard
plants vs. a 5 acre area
Garlic Mustard
dominated by it (Alliaria petiolata)

• Consider all possible tools

 Work with Adjacent and
Nearby Landowners
- Determine their goals
- Discuss how your management
plan might help in meeting
their goals
- Help them develop similar
management objectives, if possible
- Offer to share resources
(equipment, labor)
Set Up Time Line for Management
Activities
 Plan to Monitor and Assess Impact

of Management Actions
• Necessary to determine if treatments are
effective
• Can be done at different levels of intensity
– ‘ocular estimate’ vs. research plots
• Modify treatments or timing as needed
• Change priorities as new species emerge
 Plan to Replant with Native
Species
AFTER Most Control Work Is Done
• Continue regular management
• Continue careful site inspections
for re/new invasions
 Develop a management plan
100 Acres
Goal: Restore sedge meadow composition and species diversity
RIVER
EXTERIOR

PERIMETER
100
ACRES

INTERIOR ROAD

PROPERTY
LINE
 First example: purple loosestrife

Lt blue = purple loosestrife infestation

Yellow = Environmentally sensitive plants
Dk blue = pasture
 What are your goals?
Promote diversity of native plants and animals

• Identify areas that threaten goal

– Most diverse and rich habitats

• How much money/time do you have to commit?

• Exterior : Goal is to Preserve / Protect

– Monitor / Survey / Detect/Eradicate Spots

• Perimeter: Goal is to prevent spread

– Intensive control along edge

• Interior: Goal is remove weed species in crucial habitat

Intensive control in critical areas
 Suggested management plan
Red = Biological control agent
Dk Blue = spray herbicide
Yellow = hand cut + stump treat
 Develop a management plan
100 Acres
Goal: productive fish habitat
Garlic mustard
Reed canary grass RIVER
Canada thistle

ROAD

PROPERTY
LINE
 Which plants oppose your goals
Fish habitat
• Identify areas that threaten goal
– Weeds that do not promote a healthy aquatic system
that promotes fish populations
• How much money/time do you have to commit?

• Exterior
– Goal: promote healthy community and prevent new
invasions
• Perimeter & Interior
– Goal: prevent spread and reduce area infested in a
manner that limits the spread
 What should we do

Garlic mustard
Reed canary grass RIVER
Canada thistle

ROAD

PROPERTY
LINE
 Suggested Management Targets
• Priorities:
– Manage weeds upstream the first
– Prioritize garlic mustard as it is a new invasion and can prevent
establishment of saplings
– Put RCG as a low priority as it will require intensive efforts
and may not impact fish habitat as much
• Exterior and Perimeter
– Prevent any garlic mustard from establishing and promote
healthy plant communities
– Look for sources of canada thistle and garlic mustard and
eliminate. Repeat controls each year
• Interior
– Monitor spread of plants and keep to a minimum
– Promote healthy plant community
 Integrate management and
restoration/revegetation
• Use management methods that will allow for selective
management while establishing desirable plants

• Example: Garlic mustard invading edge of forest

– Manage established plants and plant desirable grasses
– Manage future garlic mustard plants establishing in
grass
• Mowing
• Selective herbicides that don’t harm grasses
 Develop and Implement Weed
Management Plan – one format
1. INTRODUCTION

A. Description of the Site, Conservation Targets, and

Management Goals

B. How Weeds Threaten Targets and Interfere with

Management Goals

C. Inventory of Weeds on the Site

 Develop and Implement Weed
Management Plan
2. OVERVIEW OF WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN

A.Management Philosophy & Setting Priorities

(Using Adaptive Strategies)
B.Summary of Specific Actions Planned
1: Prioritized List of Weed Species
2: Weed Management Plan Implementation
Schedule
3: Costs (money and labor) – Projected and
Actual
3. SPECIFIC WEED CONTROL PLANS
 Invasive Plant Management Plans
(DNR Forestry template)
• Introduction
– Background information on invasive Plant
– Who is the plan for (Managers/volunteers).
– What will be done with the plan.
• Property Overview (Property Specific Information)
– Purpose of the property
– Adjacent land ownership
– Surrounding land use
– General description of plant communities
– Contacts
• Plant Communities/Covertypes (Property Specific
Information)
– Describe Community Types
– Describe Management Units
• Burn units
• Compartments
• Stands
• Natural Areas
– Describe any areas enrolled in conservation
programs
• MFL
• CRP
• Other
– Designated Use Areas
• Inventory (Property Specific Information)
– At a minimum the inventory portion of the plan
will include a list of known species,
approximately where they occur, and some type
of map, even if it is hand drawn.
– Develop a range of acceptable inventory efforts

• Species Templates
– Known
– Potential
• Current and Historic Management (Property Specific
Information)

• Management Options (Template)

– Overview of control techniques
– Restrictions on control

• Prioritization
– Early Detection (Template)
– Distribution (Property Specific)
– Abundance (Property Specific)
• Monitoring (Template & Property Specific)
– Surveillance vs. Post-control monitoring
– Prioritize monitoring efforts:
– early detection species
– new control techniques
– IPAW post-control monitoring form
• Prevention (Template)
– BMP’s (as they become available):
• Forestry
• Recreation
• ROWs
• Urban Forestry
– Timing of activities
– phenological calendar
• Property Specific Management Plan
– Broken down by management unit?
– Mechanism for triggering yearly review of plan

• Appendices (Template):
– How to Identify:
• Local Partners
- Contractors
- Volunteer/Friends groups
• Government Contacts
• Adjacent Landowners
• Funding Opportunities (will need to periodically updated)
– Educational Resources
– Supply resources (boot brushes etc.)
 Information Sources
✸ Midwest Invasive Plant Network
www.mipn.org
✸ Invasive Plants Association of
Wisconsin www.ipaw.org
✸ WI DNR dnr.wi.gov/invasives

✸ TNC Wildland Weeds abstracts

tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs.html
✸ UW Herbaria
www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/
wisplants.uwsp.edu/wisplants/
Invasive Plants of the Upper Midwest:
an Illustrated Guide to their
Identification and Control
by Elizabeth J. Czarapata, University of WI Press

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guides:

Invasive Plants of North America
by J. Marinelli and J. Randall
Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants
by C. Burrell, J. Marinelle and B. Harper-Lore