Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute - Online Resources: Invasive Plant Ecology and Management

RESEARCH PROGRAM > Non-Native Species > ONLINE RESOURCES: Invasive Plant Ecology and Management

INVADERS: Surveys & Databases > ONLINE RESOURCES: Invasive Plant Ecology and Management

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ONLINE RESOURCES: Invasive Plant Ecology and Management

The following set of links are excerpted from UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING INVASIVE PLANTS IN WILDERNESS AND OTHER NATURAL AREAS. Volume 4 of the Leopold Institute's Linking Wilderness Research and Management Series.

Section 1: Databases, contains links to databases that include species lists, distribution records, regulatory information, control techniques, the status of invasive species, and control efforts in wilderness.
Section 2: Other Online Resources, contains links to sites with pertinent invasive plant information, contacts, approaches to management, access to programs, and other resources. These sites are primarily U.S.-based. State-specific Web sites are generally not included.

1. DATABASES

CalWeed Database: California Noxious Weed Control Projects Inventory [Online].
Available: http://endeavor.des.ucdavis.edu/weeds [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This is a combined government/private/nonprofit effort to establish an Internet database that contains information on noxious weed control in California.

Database of Integrated Pest Management Resources [Online].
Available: http://www.ippc.orst.edu/cicp/gateway/weed.htm [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site provides links to over 100 Internet resources on weeds and their control.

The National Institute of Invasive Species Science [Online].
Available: http://www.niiss.org/cwis438/niiss/index.html [2004, September 24].
Annotation: A consortium of government agencies and non-governmental groups, the National Institute of Invasive Species Science (NIISS) was formed to develop cooperative approaches to invasive species science. The NIISS maintains a database of current research projects related to invasive species, and data and maps on species occurrence and distribution across the United States. The databases are searchable using a number of parameters. The Institute welcomes contributions of data and project information from individuals involved in invasive species research or control.

NPSpecies [Online].
Available: http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/apps/npspp [2003, April 21].
Annotation: Developed and maintained by the National Park Service, this tool records park-specific information about both plants and animals. For each species that occurs in a National Park, this database includes presence/absence, abundance, residency, nativity, whether the species is weedy, management and exploitation concerns, and preferred scientific and common names. Three additional lookup databases work with the NPSpecies application. They include a taxonomic module that provides a list of scientific names and common names and their linkages to synonyms as well as links to taxonomic hierarchies; a parks module that provides a standard list of park names, park-State information, and Inventory and Monitoring Network information; and a Threatened and Endangered Species module. The latter provides lists of Federally listed species (from Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS] TESS database), globally ranked species (from The Nature Conservancy [TNC]), and State-listed species (from individual State agencies).

PLANTS Database [Online].
Available: http://plants.usda.gov [2003, April 21].
Annotation: Administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, this is the USDA's single source of standardized information about plants. While this database is not limited to invasive species, it does contain Federal and State lists of noxious weeds and a composite list of invasive plants in the United States. Focusing on vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the United States and its Territories, the PLANTS database includes scientific and common names, checklists, automated tools, identification information, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, plant materials information, plant links, references, and other plant information.

Southwest Exotic Mapping Program (SWEMP) [Online].
Available: http://usgssrv1.usgs.nau.edu/swepic/swemp/maps.html [2003, April 21].
Annotation: The master regional database, which is compiled by the USGS Colorado Plateau Field Station and housed on this site, contains exotic plant distributions for the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent areas of adjoining States) and includes the ability to generate geographic information system (GIS) based distribution maps. The regional database and collaborators manual are both available for download.

The Invaders Database System [Online].
Available: http://invader.dbs.umt.edu [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site consists of a comprehensive database of nonnative plant species, distribution records, and regulatory information for the Northwestern United States. Approximately 9,000 plant names (including synonyms, varieties, and subspecies) and nearly 90,000 distribution records are included, and new records are being continuously added. Historic distribution data starting as early as 1875 are available for certain species. The INVADERS software is available for download. Additionally, agency users that are taxonomically qualified can add new data on nonnative plants online as well as receive updated outputs, and users can sign up for the automated e-mail alert system that will provide new reports of important noxious weeds. This site provides direct links to all State noxious weed lists and to other Web sites that post pictures, describe management, and provide ecological and other descriptive information on specific invasive species.

Western Rangeland Weeds Annotated Database [Online].
Available: http://alic.arid.arizona.edu/invasive/html [2006, February 16].
Annotation: This extensive online resource was developed by the University of Arizona, Arid Lands Information Center in cooperation with the National Agricultural Library for inclusion in the National Invasive Species Information Center's website, Invasivespeciesinfo.gov. The website and database include invasive rangeland weed information in the Western states.

Wilderness Invaders Project [Online].
Available: http://leopold.wilderness.net/research/invasives/invaders.htm [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site provides access to two databases: one from a survey of exotic plants on Federally designated wilderness areas managed by the USDA Forest Service, USDI National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, and a second that resulted from a survey of invasive and exotic species in wilderness managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The former, funded by the Leopold Institute and conducted in 1997 and 1998, consisted of a survey of wilderness area managers and resource specialists. The second database, funded by the Fish and Wildlife Service and conducted in 2001, also included animals and pathogens. The primary objectives of these surveys were to document both the occurrence of nonnative plant species in wilderness areas and the various control efforts being used to combat them. The databases include contact information for the responding wilderness areas and information on the various species invading these areas (species names, patterns of infestation, control methods, and so forth.). Both databases can be downloaded from this site.

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2. OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute [Online].
Available: http://leopold.wilderness.net [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site is the Homepage of the Leopold Institute, a Federal interagency research group that provides scientific leadership to sustain wilderness. The Leopold Institute has identified nonnative species as one of its three priority research issues. This reading list as well others in the Linking Wilderness Research and Management Series are available through this website.

Alien Plants Ranking System [Online].
Available: http://usgssrv1.usgs.nau.edu/swepic/aprs/ranking.html [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This Web site provides a link to download the Alien Plant Ranking System (APRS), a user-friendly computer program designed to help land managers prioritize decisions concerning invasive plants. APRS can help to focus limited resources and target those species likely to cause major impacts or threats to resources or those that impede attainment of management goals. It provides an analytical tool to separate the innocuous species from the invasive ones and can identify species with high future impact potential. The system addresses the feasibility of control of each species, enabling the manager to weigh the costs of control against the level of impact. The system relies on a set of questions to be answered for each nonnative plant known to occur in or near the site of concern.

American Lands Alliance Invasive Species Page [Online].
Available: http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/invasive.htm [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site, hosted by American Lands Alliance, provides information about the threat of noxious weeds in wild areas and provides links to many useful Web sites and reports or documents.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Noxious Weeds Homepage [Online].
Available: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/weeds [2003, April 21].
Annotation: In addition to APHIS-specific weed information and fact sheets, this site provides links to Federal and State noxious weed lists. APHIS seeks to prevent and control noxious weeds detrimental to U.S. agriculture and the environment in general.

Bureau of Land Management's Weeds Web site [Online].
Available: http://www.blm.gov/weeds [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This Web site provides information regarding invasive weeds from the BLM's perspective. Included are links to BLM State weed sites, BLM contacts, the BLM's national strategy for invasive plant management, and species-specific "weed wanted posters."

California Exotic Pest Plant Council (CalEPPC) [Online].
Available: http://www.caleppc.org [2003, April 21].
Annotation: With a membership including land managers, consultants, scientists, planners, nonprofit organizations and volunteers, the California Exotic Pest Plant Council (CalEPPC) is a California-based organization that proposes and facilitates solutions for people who are interested in the protection, management, and enjoyment of California's natural areas and who have concerns over the alarming spread of invasive exotic vegetation. Their website provides publication information, access to their newsletters, book reviews, news updates, information about combating invasive brooms, and a pest plant list that highlights nonnative plants that pose serious problems in California's wildlands. CalEPPC conducts an annual symposium, and their website provides access to past symposia proceedings. The website also includes links to other useful sites, including other EPPC websites, pest plant information in California and other States, Federal websites, organizational websites, and websites with information on restoration and weed control.

California Native Plant Society - Invasive Exotic Plants Internet Links [Online].
Available: http://www.cnps.org/links/exotics_links.htm [2005, September 24].
Annotation: This page links to a wide range of information pertaining to invasive plants. Links include information on control strategies, species life history, and weed management areas. This page is maintained by the California Native Plant Society, and much of the linked information is from state and federal agencies.

Center for Invasive Plant Management [Online].
Available: http://www.weedcenter.org [2003, April 21].
Annotation: CIPM, based at Montana State University, promotes the ecological management of invasive plants through education, by facilitating collaboration among researchers, educators, and land managers, and by funding research projects and weed management areas. CIPM serves as an information clearinghouse, provides examples of ecological management, and delivers implementation tools and products to land managers. The Center operates in partnership with federal, state, and county agencies, private industry, foundations, universities, and landowners.

Exotic Plant Management Teams [Online].
Available: http://www.nature.nps.gov/epmt [2003, April 21].
Annotation: The National Park Service developed Exotic Plant Management Teams (EPMT) to combat exotic plant species, modeled after the coordinated rapid response approach used in wildland firefighting. Each team provides highly trained plant management specialists to assist parks with limited resources in controlling infestations before it becomes impossible or prohibitively expensive to do so. Teams are adaptable to different regions and employ the expertise and capabilities of local citizens and agencies. Currently, nine teams are operating (California, Chihuahuan Desert/Southern Shortgrass, Florida, Gulf Coast, Lake Mead, National Capital Region, North Cascades, Northern Great Plains, and Pacific Islands), and additional teams have been identified for development.

Extoxnet: Extension Toxicology Network [Online].
Available: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/index.html [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This is the Web site of the Pesticide Information Project of the cooperative extension offices of Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and University of California at Davis with support provided by the USDA Extension Service, National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program. Information on specific herbicides is available.

Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (FICMNEW) [Online].
Available: http://ficmnew.fws.gov [2003, April 21].
Annotation: FICMNEW's Homepage provides information about this committee and access to the National Strategy for Invasive Plant Management, which is the Federal strategic overview intended to highlight successful ways to battle invasive plants, the National Invasive Species Management Plan, workshops, meeting dates and agendas, an online version of the "weed fact book" and other resources, and links to members.

Global Invasive Species Program [Online].
Available: http://globalecology.stanford.edu/DGE/Gisp/index.html [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This is an international, interdisciplinary program with a proactive approach to prevention and management of invasive species. This Web site details their strategies and provides links to publications, meetings, and specific strategies.

Handbook for Ranking Exotic Plants for Management and Control [Online].
Available: http://www1.nature.nps.gov/pubs/ranking [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This site provides access to an online version of R. D. Hiebert and J. Stubbendieck's 1993 handbook. Developed by the USDI National Park Service, this handbook consists of a ranking system to help resource managers prioritize which exotic plants they should target for control efforts.

National Invasive Species Information Center [Online].
Available: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov [2006, February 16].
Annotation: This comprehensive U.S. government site is the gateway to Federal efforts concerning invasive species. It includes information regarding the impacts of invasives, the government's response, profiles of selected species, news updates, and links to other agencies and organizations. The National Invasive Species Council, also accessed through this Web site, coordinates responses to the problems associated with invasives. The site contains links to agency Web sites, Presidential Executive Order 13112, and the national invasive species management plan entitled "Meeting the Invasive Species Challenge."

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council (SE-EPPC) [Online].
Available: http://www.se-eppc.org [2003, April 21].
Annotation: A nonprofit organization, the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council strives to increase public awareness about the spread of exotic plants, facilitate the regional exchange of information about invasive plant management and control, provide a forum for exchange through meetings, workshops and symposia, provide educational, advisory, and technical support on exotic plant issues, and initiate campaign actions to prevent future invasions. This is an umbrella organization with links to each Southeastern State's EPPC Web site. It also links to the National EPPC Web site.

Southwest Exotic Plant Information Clearinghouse (SWEPIC) [Online].
Available: http://usgssrv1.usgs.nau.edu/swepic [2003, April 21].
Annotation: A cooperative effort among the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service and Northern Arizona University, the Southwest Exotic Plant Information Clearinghouse organizes information on exotic plant species in the Southwest into a single Web location. The SWEPIC's goal is to provide reliable and organized information on the distribution and ecology of weeds in the Southwest, with an emphasis on forests, rangelands, and other natural areas. This site houses the Southwest Exotic Mapping Program (see description above), the Alien Plant Ranking System (see description above), links to information about weed species that occur in the Southwest, as well as noxious weed lists and watch lists for species that are considered to be of special concern but are not yet designated as legally noxious.

Species Invasions [Online].
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/biotrends/trends_invasives.html [2005, September 24].
Annotation: This is part of a larger presentation titled �Biological Trends in the United States: an on-line annotated review,� from the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station. The page gives a general overview of the extent of exotic species' invasions by state.

The Nature Conservancy's Wildland Invasive Species Team - Invasives on the Web [Online].
Available: http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This Web site provides access to TNC's weed management library with many resources for individual invasive species (including their "Elemental Stewardship Abstracts" for specific plant species). In addition, TNC'S extensive "Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas" can be downloaded (in increments or in its entirety).

Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas [Online].
Available: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien [2003, April 21].
Annotation: This Web site is a product of the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group. It provides information on the problem of invasive species, fact sheets that include plant descriptions, native range, U.S. distribution and habitat, management options, suggested alternative native plants, and other information. It also includes selected links to relevant people and organizations.

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