Prioritizing Invasive Plant Management Strategies

Abstract

Invasive plants have many serious impacts on range- land throughout the world. They can displace desir- able species, alter the ecological function of the eco- system, destroy wildlife habitat, decrease productivity, and facilitate frequent wild res, with impacts costing bil- lions of dollars annually. Major invasive plant management programs are established in most countries. Although a sub- stantial effort to manage plant invasions is underway in the United States, the conservation bene ts are questionable because these programs are expensive and risky to imple- ment for the long term. Ecologically Based Invasive Plant Management (EBIPM) has the potential to provide an im- proved decision-making process, but managers are often uncertain about how to get started implementing this type of program.

DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v34i6_smith