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Northeast Temperate Network. Invasive Plant Assessment System. What is the “Network”. 12-parks, plus the Appalachian Trail ≈ 9 acres to ≈ 47,000 acres 10 are National Historic Parks or Sites mandated to maintain historical features, landscapes or practices Eight states (Network Proper)
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Northeast Temperate Network Invasive Plant Assessment System
What is the “Network” • 12-parks, plus the Appalachian Trail • ≈ 9 acres to ≈ 47,000 acres • 10 are National Historic Parks or Sites • mandated to maintain historical features, landscapes or practices • Eight states (Network Proper) • Coastal Maine to central New Jersey • ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, NJ, and PA • Fourteen states (Appalachian Trail) • ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, WV, MD, VA, TN, NC, GA.
What does the Network Do? • Inventory vertebrates and Vascular Plants • Work with parks to identify key resources • Develop plans to monitor resources
Key Resources / Concerns Of 46 ecological stressors considered by Parks and Network Staff, Invasive Plants were ranked 3rd
Regional Comparison(14 States) • 10829 Plant Species • 2207 Non-native Species • 20.38% Non-native Data Source: USDA Plants database
What are Parks Trying to Accomplish, and Where to Begin • Parks compete for funding to manage invasive species • Must know what they have, and • Must know which are most problematic • Parks have preliminary plant lists • Select a prioritization protocol to determine highest management priority
Invasive Plant Assessment System • Incorporates two existing Protocols • Alien Plant Ranking System • Invasive Species Assessment Protocol • Merges both systems into a common user interface • Uses existing plant inventory data • Generates prioritization scores based on user responses
Current Status • Nearly ready for field use • Requires adaptation for Non-park use
Citations • Hiebert, R.D. and J. Stubbendieck. 1993. Handbook for Ranking Exotic Plants for Management and Control. U.S. National Park Service Natural Resources Report NPS/NRMWRO/NRR-93/08. • Morse, L.E., J.M. Randall, N. Benton, R. Hiebert, and S. Lu. 2004. An Invasive Species Assessment Protocol: Evaluating Non-Native Plants for Their Impact on Biodiversity. Version 1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.