PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds

PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds
CLASSIFYING INVASIVE SPECIES, NATURALISED WEEDS.
WEEDS (contd) Invasive species colonize and persist in an ecosystem where they did not occur
previously. CSIRO Australia www.csiro.au/science/InvasivePlants.html
,
(Acacia pycnantha) is WWF-Australia www.wwf.org.au/ourwork/invasives/
indigenous to NSW, Vic and Invasiveness is one of the 3 most important factors influencing plant weediness,
SA ,but is widely
naturalized in WA. the other two are impacts and potential distribution.
Naturalized weeds are invading species that can become established and reproduce
Not all naturalized weeds for are environmental weeds,
some are restricted to
are several also naturalized generations plants. in the Invasive wild without species human that are assistance. naturalized Most and serious widespread weeds
pose a
farmland, roadsides major threat to the environment or agriculture, their containment or control will protect
values of national environmental significance. They are mostly:
– Introduced weeds, but some are indigenous weeds, eg A. baileyana. They have
been cultivated outside their limited native range, adapted to the conditions there,
escaped cultivation and become naturalized. It is estimated that about
10 new species escape and become naturalized in the environment each year.
– New naturalizations are listed on the website www.weeds.gov.au/
WEED LISTS DEFINITIVE WEED LISTS. are based on a Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) process
and directed at different levels of the ecological hierarchy – global, national, state,
regional or local for management action. There is now a multitude of weed lists and the
number of plants considered ‘weedy’ is increasing. Only a few lists are legally binding,
or have government or scientific authority. The degree of risk posed by any plant will
depend on where it is growing. A weed may be on several ‘lists’.
National Weeds Lists www.weeds.gov.au/
TARGET WEEDS. Weeds not yet in Australia
NAQS Target List for Weeds (NAQS) is a list of 41 species regarded as serious
threats to Australia’s productivity, export markets and the environment. It focuses on
the potential for weeds to enter Australia from Timor Lestse, Indonesia or Papua New
Guinea via the Australian northern border by natural or non-conventional pathways
including wind currents, migratory animals, traditional vessel movements and illegal
fishing activity.
AQIS Targeted Lists of Weeds can be found on the following Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website
www.daff.gov.au/aqis/quarantine/naqs/target-lists
Barker, etc al. 2006.
Weeds of the future:
Threats to Australia’s
Grazing industry by
Garden Plants. Meat &
Livestock Australia/CRC
WMS. avail online
Blood, K. 1999. Future
and Expanding Weeds.
Plant Protection
Quarterly Vol.14(3).
State/
Territory
Some plants
n
in one State
or Shire but
not in another
EMERGING or SLEEPER WEEDS. Weeds already in Australia.
Naturalized Invasive and Potentially Invasive Garden Plants is a database
which identifies many sleeper weeds that have not yet increased their distribution
significantly and could be controlled before numbers explode. Weeds on this list are
naturalized invasive species currently with a restricted range and whole eradication is
feasible and cost-effective.
National Environmental Alert List is an important subgroup of emerging or
sleeper weeds. These are plant species in the early stages of establishment with the
potential to become a significant threat to Australian Biodiversity. This list consists
of 28 non-native plants that have established naturalized populations in the wild and
threaten biodiversity and cause other environmental damage across Australia.
National Environmental Alert List and Alert list for Environmental Weeds:
Weed Management Guides www.weeds.gov.au/
Eradication and Containment Lists (currently none have official status)
– An Eradication and Containment list impacting natural ecosystems has
34 naturalized species compiled by scientists to include species that pose a direct
threat to natural ecosystems because of their potential impact on native species.
– An Eradiation of and Containment List impacting agricultural ecosystems has
27 naturalized species compiled by scientists to include species that pose a
potential threat to agricultural ecosystems should they ever spread further.
– An Eradication Candidate List of 17 sleeper agricultural weeds compiled by
scientists for cost-effective eradication before they become major agricultural weeds.
NOXIOUS WEEDS. Mostly agricultural/horticultural crop weeds
A ’noxious’ weed is a plant that has been legally declared under State/Territory
legislation (page 432). These weeds have a negative impact on crop (or animal)
production and are variously referred to as noxious weeds, declared weeds or
proclaimed weeds. In Australia, about 200 weeds are classified as noxious, and
there are legal provisions requiring landowners (public and private) to control them.
Most are agricultural weeds which are difficult to control.
Most are perennial plants, many spread by rhizomes and similar structures.
Different noxious weed lists exist for each region; get your local list which is
available from local council or shire offices.
Lucid keys, eg Identifying Declared Plants of Australia www.lucidcentral.com/
The Australian Weeds Committee provides an intergovernmental
mechanism for identifying and resolving weed issues at a national level, eg
updates the ‘Noxious Weed Lists for Australian States and Territories. The entire
noxious weed list (in table form) can be accessed on the Weeds in Australia website.
414 Weeds - Biology, classification and identification