A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests James ...

Preparation always has been critical to forest, roadway, and natural area managers and landowners. As invasiveplant populations increase in size and density, land managers and owners must be willing to employ and deploy newconcepts, tools, and materials. Preparation entails seeking the very latest information on invasive plant identification,prevention and control methods, and rehabilitation and restoration techniques. It also means finding reliable sourcesof noncontaminated fill dirt and rock, seed, and mulch for soil stabilization. To fully prepare for rehabilitation and restoration,managers and landowners may need to purchase newly available native seeds,planting tools and equipment, landscape fabrics and fiber mats for stabilization, and alsomay need to seek professional services.Without persistence, all efforts to control and rehabilitate infested lands will be lost. Tonurture a healthy native or noninvasive community of plants, managers and landownerswill need to persist in a regime that includes timed treatments and retreatments as wellas tenacious follow through. This will need to be followed by years of site monitoring forreappearance of the prior or new invasive plant species.Principles to Follow• Never plant recognized invasive plants. Seek information on whether or not a plantis invasive before you purchase it (for lists and descriptions of invasive plants, go towww.invasive.org/weeds).• Detect invasive plants early through active surveillance of your lands. Map and marklocations of the invasive plants you find. Apply and document eradication treatmentsand monitor their effectiveness, retreating as needed. If treatments do not work,research ways to improve current treatments or find more effective alternatives.Locate sources ofnoncontaminatedmaterials for soilstabilization and roadconstruction.• If you detect several invasive plants, prioritize your treatment by targeting the worst of the plants first. The worstplant may not be the plant that has infested your land the most, i.e., has the highest level of infestation. In manycases, the worst plant may be the plant that occupies the least territory but has the greatest potential for spreading.You should manage your fight against several detected species by balancing eradication of first entries ofhigh-priority invasive plants with persistent treatment of extensive infestations (see www.invasive.org/south/ for aregional list of High Priority Invasive Species of Southern Forests and Grasslands).• To prevent spread of invasive species outward from your property, perform road maintenance, timber harvest,and site preparation starting from the boundary of the infested area and working inward, from areas that are notinfested to those that are. To prevent the spread of invasive species by contaminated equipment and personnel,postpone all management activities until you have suppressed or eradicated invasive plants from the site, or beprepared for the consequences of wider occupation. Always inspect and clean equipment before moving toanother site.7Ben JacksonInvasive plant strategies and programs ultimately depend upon the eradication and restoration of one infestation at atime at the local level and preventing new entries. Following these principles will greatly increase the chances of success.Considerations in Developing a Site-Specific PlanAnswering the following questions will help you develop a plan that considers appropriate tools, timelines, costs,and outcomes.What Is the Long-Term Plan for the Site?Control methods can change dramatically based on the site’s planned uses. For example, if the long-term plan is tokeep the site cleared of all tall vegetation, then a less selective and less expensive approach can be used. If you needto protect indefinitely a site that contains many desirable or rare species, then consider a more selective long-termtreatment and monitoring plan.