Invasive plants in Alaska: assessment of research priorities

Authors: Conn, Jeffery; GRONQUIST, RUTH - USDI-BLM FAIRBANKS,AK; MUELLER, MARTA - COOP. EXT. SER. UAF

Submitted to: Agroborealis
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2003
Publication Date: 12/1/2003
Citation: Conn, J.S., Gronquist, R., Mueller, M. 2003. Invasive plants in Alaska: assessment of research priorities. Agroborealis. 35:13-18.

Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Forty-two research needs for preventing and controlling invasive plants in Alaska were suggested by attendees at the 3rd Alaska Noxious and Invasive Plant Management Workshop in November 2002. A committee was formed to prioritize these research ideas and to propose how the research might be accomplished. The original 42 research ideas were reduced to 24 by eliminating duplicates or slight rewordings of other research ideas. Since invasive weeds are managed at three levels (prevention, eradication/control, restoration) the remaining research needs were classified into these three functional groups. Research needs were ranked separately for importance to four land-use objectives: agriculture, natural areas, Transportation and urban. A matrix was developed with land use objectives as columns and with research needs as rows. The committee then gave the research needs a value of 0 (no need) to 5 (highest need) for each land use objective. A research need that was ranked of low priority for a particular land use objective does not necessarily mean that the research is not important generally, but that other research needs rank higher for that land use objective. The scores for each research need were then averaged across objectives to produce an average score for each research need. The results of the ranking process were reviewed by the whole of the Research Needs Subcommittee and then by the entire CNIPM membership through e-mail solicitation. For prevention, the highest-ranking research needs were: Invasiveness Ranking; Determining Methods and Rates of Spread and Predicting New Invasive Weeds. For Eradication/Control, the highest ranking research needs were: Determining Seed Longevity in Soil and IPM Control Strategies. For restoration, the highest-ranking research objectives were: Methods for Producing Propagules and Planting Native Plants for Revegetation and Determining which Plants can be Used for Revegetation Without Being Invasive.

Technical Abstract: Technical Abstract: Forty-two research needs for preventing and controlling invasive plants in Alaska were suggested by attendees at the 3rd Alaska Noxious and Invasive Plant Management Workshop in November 2002. A committee was formed to prioritize these research ideas and to propose how the research might be accomplished. The original 42 research ideas were reduced to 24 by eliminating duplicates or slight rewordings of other research ideas. Since invasive weeds are managed at three levels (prevention, eradication/control, restoration) the remaining research needs were classified into these three functional groups. Research needs were ranked separately for importance to four land-use objectives: agriculture, natural areas, Transportation and urban. A matrix was developed with land use objectives as columns and with research needs as rows. The committee then gave the research needs a value of 0 (no need) to 5 (highest need) for each land use objective. A research need that was ranked of low priority for a particular land use objective does not necessarily mean that the research is not important generally, but that other research needs rank higher for that land use objective. The scores for each research need were then averaged across objectives to produce an average score for each research need. The results of the ranking process were reviewed by the whole of the Research Needs Subcommittee and then by the entire CNIPM membership through e-mail solicitation. For prevention, the highest-ranking research needs were: Invasiveness Ranking; Determining Methods and Rates of Spread and Predicting New Invasive Weeds. For Eradication/Control, the highest ranking research needs were: Determining Seed Longevity in Soil and IPM Control Strategies. For restoration, the highest-ranking research objectives were: Methods for Producing Propagules and Planting Native Plants for Revegetation and Determining which Plants can be Used for Revegetation Without Being Invasive.