Invasive Plant Prevention
Early Detection/Rapid Response | Weed Prevention Areas | Prevention Publications
The most effective, economical, and ecologically sound approach to managing invasive plants is to prevent them from invading.
Land managers often concentrate on fighting well-established infestations, at which point management is expensive and eradication is unlikely.
Infestations must be managed to limit the spread of invasive plants, but weed management that controls existing infestations while focusing on prevention and early detection of new invasions can be far more cost-effective.
Weed prevention depends on:
- Limiting the introduction of weed seeds. The Forest Service provides helpful guidelines for purchasing seed and understanding seed packaging labels to avoid introducing weeds.
- Early detection and eradication of small patches of weeds
- Minimizing the disturbance of desirable plants along trails, roads, and waterways
- Maintaining desired plant communities through good management
- Monitoring high-risk areas such as transportation corridors and bare ground
- Revegetating disturbed sites with desired plants
- Evaluating the effectiveness of prevention efforts and adapting plans for the following year
Early Detection/Rapid Response
Even the best prevention efforts cannot stop all introductions. Early detection of incipient invasions and quick, coordinated responses are needed to eradicate or contain invasive species before they become too widespread and control becomes technically and/or financially impossible. Populations that are not addressed early may require costly ongoing control efforts.
ED/RR Resources
Invasivespecies.gov—A gateway to Federal and state invasive species activities and programs. Manager's toolkit includes:
- Early Detection and Rapid Response of Invasive Species - Links to many web sites with early detection guidelines, surveying information, and suggestions for enlisting volunteers to detect new invasions.
- National Early Warning and Rapid Response System for Invasive Plants in the United States: A Conceptual Design (pdf) - Proposed national plan for invasive plant detection, assessment, and response by the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds. September 2003.
- Early Detectionfrom IPANE, Invasive Plant Atlas of New England
Dangerous Travelers: Controlling Invasive Plants Along America’s Roadways. Training video for road maintenance crews developed by the USDA Forest Service and partners. Free from Forest Service or via download.
Developing Bid Specifications for Invasive Plant Control Programs (pdf). A thorough guide, from establishing goals, identifying and prioritizing species, and outlining tasks, to contractor requirements and types of contracts.
Early Detection—Chapter 4 of the Global Invasive Species Programme's Online Toolkit. 2001.
Early Detection of Invasive Plant Species Handbook (draft), a cooperative USGS/NPS project. Includes formulating species lists, prioritizing species and sites, utilizing predictive models (site-based and species based), utilizing remote sensing, formulating search strategies, rapid response strategies and feedback loops.
Invaders Database — Weed distribution records for five northwestern states; includes maps, photos, and biological information; updated regularly.
Nevada’s War on Weeds: Avoid Exploding Weed Populations with Prevention and Early Detection — Specific recommendations for the prevention and early detection of invasive plants.
Weed Watch flyers from MSU Extension. Full-color, well-illustrated flyers with I.D., biology, and control info. Whitetop, houndstongue, leafy spurge, yellow starthistle, knapweed, saltcedar, toadflax. Download or contact MSU Extension Publications for free copies.
Publications: Practical Steps to Weed Prevention
Beware of Invasive Species from the Federal Highway Administration
Biodiversity and Conservation: A Hypertext Book by Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu), School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine — discusses introduction of exotic plants and new pathways for invasion
Cutting Costs with Weed Prevention (pdf) from the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen and other partners.
Don't Move Firewood. Moving firewood is a leading cause of the spread of invasive forest pests inside the US. But it is also one of the most preventable causes.
Invasive Plant Prevention Guidelines—a 24-page booklet on preventing the invasion and establishment of invasive plants on roadsides and in natural areas. Sept. 2003, $1.50. Order from Montana State University Extension Publications, request publication 4472.
Invasive Species, from Babe Winkelman Productions. Learn how anglers can help prevent the spread of invasive species.
Nevada’s War on Weeds—Avoid Exploding Weed Populations with Prevention and Early Detection. From UNR Cooperative Extension.
Measures to Prevent the Spread of Noxious and Invasive Weeds During Construction Activities (pdf), from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Service.
New Strategies for Weed Prevention from Exotic Pests of Eastern Forests, Conference Proceedings. Posted by www.invasive.org. Includes regulatory strategies; weed detection at ports of entry; bibliography
Plan Now for Noxious Weed Prevention—a publication from MSU Communication Services outlining how the most effective method in managing noxious weeds is to prevent their invasion into weed-free areas.
Preventing Noxious Weed Invasion (pdf), MSU Extension Service publication 9517
Preventing horticultural introductions of invasive plants: potential efficacy of voluntary initiatives. 2007 article in Biological Invasions. Provides specific recommendations for improving participation in voluntary programs in the horticulture trade.
Prevention, Chapter 10 in CIPM's Online Invasive Plant Management Textbook.
Prevention Practices from Alberta Dept. of Sustainable Resource Development
Sand and Gravel Pit Certification Program. Sand and gravel pits can be a source of weeds. The Greater Yellowstone Area (MT, ID, WY ) has come up with a sand/gravel pit certification program easily adaptable to other places (pdf files).
- Gravel pit minimum standards, 2006
- Greater Yellowstone weed certification list
- Inspection form
- Management plan data page
- Noxious weed management plan
- Pit Information and inspection history form
- Weed certification
- Weed free conditional rating key
- Weed management plan specific conditions
- Weed survey protocols
- Wyoming certificate of inspection, 2006
State Noxious Weed Seed Requirements Recognized in the Administration of the Federal Seed Act
Transfer of Invasive Species Associated with the Movement of Military Equipment and Personnel, from DoD Legacy Resource Management Program. 126-page pdf file (use Internet Explorer to download).
The USDA Forest Service Guide to Weed Prevention Practices (pdf) — comprehensive directory of weed prevention practices for use in Forest Service planning and wildland resource management
Vectors and Pathways—info on introduction of exotic species and risk assessments from the Manager's Tool Kit at the National Invasive Species Information Center
Weed Prevention from the Alberta Dept. of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development. Guidelines for weed prevention in croplands.
Weed Prevention and Management Guidelines for Public Lands — BLM, California. How to prevent introduction from contamination, movement, and disturbance. Planning measures to prevent introduction.
