Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
Practical Considerations for Early Detection
Monitoring of Plant Invasions
Matthew L. Brooks and Robert C. Klinger
Abstract
Invasions by multiple nonnative species into wildland areas require that
decisions be made on which species and sites to target for early detection monitoring
efforts and ultimately management actions. Efficient allocation of resources to detect
invasions from outside of a management unit, and to monitor their spread within a
management unit, leaves more resources available for control efforts and other man-
agement priorities. In this chapter, we describe three types of monitoring plans that
are possible given three typical scenarios of data availability within or adjacent to the
management unit: (1) there are
no data
on invasive species, (2) there are
species lists
of invasives, and (3) there are
georeferenced abundance
data for invasive species. In
the absence of invasive species data, monitoring must be guided based on the general
principals of invasion biology related to propagule pressure and plant resource avail-
ability. With invasive species lists, prioritization processes can be applied to narrow
the monitoring area. It is also helpful to develop separate prioritized lists for species
that are currently colonizing, established but not spreading, and those that have begun
to spread within a management unit, because management strategies differ for spe-
cies at different phases of the invasion process. With georeferenced abundance data,
predictive models can be developed for high priority species to further increase the
efficiency of early detection monitoring. For the majority of invasive species manage-
ment programs, we recommend a design based on integrating prioritization and pre-
dictive modeling into an optimized monitoring plan, but only if the required species
information and resources to process them are available and the decision is based on
well-defined management goals. Although the up-front costs of this approach appear
to be high, its long-term benefits can ultimately make it more cost-effective than less
systematic approaches that typify most early detection programs.
Keywords
Modeling
Niche
Prioritization
Prediction
Species distribution
models
Vegetation management
M.L. Brooks(
) and R.C. Klinger
United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Yosemite Field Station,
El Portal Office, El Portal, California 95318,
matt_brooks@usgs.gov
