Advances in an Alabama Strategy To Target Priority

Advances in an Alabama Strategy To Target Priority Invasives Using New Web Databases James H. Miller Southern Research Station US Forest Service Auburn University, Alabama Major Contributions by Erwin Chambliss and Vic Rudis, SRS

The Main Portal to Invasive Knowledge Southeast Exotic Pest Plant and ALIPC Websites se-eppc. org

View and Input Infestations

Nature Serve’s I-Rank of Invasive Plants

FIA Survey Guide – 33 Taxa or about 40 Species …. . And 20 additional species in Florida www. invasive. org

Invasive Plant Taxa Surveyed Regional Florida Trees Shrubs Vines Grasses Ferns Forbs Subshrubs 6 8 8 6 1 4 - 6 5 3 1 2 Total 33 20

SRS FIA Survey of Invasive Plants Initiated in 2001 and “phased in” until 2003 States vary in initiation of new cycle 1 -7+ years to complete State while MS is underway and OK not started.

Percent Completion of Plots on Posted on SRS FIA Website 0% 80% 66% 80% O% 100 % * 120% 60% 100% * Expected June 15 2007 60% 80% 57% 60%

FIA Forest Survey Plots A Sample Plot is randomly positioned within each hexagon Sample Plots contain 4 Subplots each 1/24 acre 1 subplot = 1, 500 acres 2 120 ft between centers 4 . 1 . . 24 ft radius (1/24 acre) 3 . Microplot measurement of seedlings and saplings

Survey of Forest Exotic Pest Plants Data Collected in Forested Subplots VAST Landscape Context Subplot/Condition -Geographic Coordinates -Slope, Aspect, Physiography OPPORTUNITIES -Elevation -Disturbances -Proximity to Ag, Roads, -Timber Treatments FOROwnership, Land Use Urban, Water -Size of forest fragment -Forest Type, Stand Age -Non-forest edge conditions -Prior land use CORRELATIVE All Trees >4 in dbh Measured and Assessed AND MODELLING -Location in Subplot -Species, Diameter, Height, Status, Damage, etc RESEARCH

Survey of Forest Invasive Plants Data collected on Subplots Cover estimated for up to 4 invasive species Code Cover 1 Trace < 01 % 2 1 -10 % 3 4 5 11 -50 % > 50% (50 -90%) 90 -100%

FIA Websites Invasive Data and Maps Southern SRS FIA Nonnative Invasive Data Tool • Summary tables by Species by State • County data by subplot and cover of Invasive Plant Species Future Developments • New data will be updated on the 15 th of each month • Current data maps and shape-files available

Number of Forested Subplots per County Currently Posted 0 1 - 35 36 - 85 86 - 145 146 - 235 95, 000+ Subplots 236 - 285 286 - 425

The following slides contain content that may be inappropriate for some viewers Parental discretion is advised

Occupation of Alabama’s Forests by Invasive Plants 2001 -2006 James H. Miller and Erwin Chambliss, US Forest Service R&D Auburn Preliminary Estimate of Actual Acres Covered (SRS FIA) Japanese Honeysuckle Privets (Ch. & Jap. ) Kudzu Japanese Climbing Fern Cogongrass Mimosa / Silktree Tallowtree Nonnative Roses Chinaberry Asian Wisterias Princesstree Tropical soda apple 2, 755, 281 Acres 867, 770 Acres 58, 250 Acres 39, 812 Acres 38, 660 Acres 29, 670 Acres 20, 180 Acres 15, 710 Acres 10, 615 Acres 6, 684 Acres 2, 284 Acres 1, 008 Acres

Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 0 0. 1 – 5 5. 1 - 25 25. 1 - 50 50. 1 - 75 75. 1 - 100 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Chinese Privet Ligustrum sinense 0 0. 1 – 5 5. 1 - 10 10. 1 - 20 20. 1 - 30 30. 1 - 60 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Fragmented and Disturbed Landscapes with Mixed Land-use, Water-use, and Right-of-ways s vet Pri Pa ulo wn ia na na dii nd an Na N orn erth Silv ee tr w lo al T

Kudzu Pueraria lobata var montana 0 0. 1 – 1 1. 1 - 4 4. 1 - 8 8. 1 - 12 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Ailanthus altissima 0 0. 1 – 1. 5 1. 6 – 5 Percent Occurrence = Subplots with Invasive Species Total Forested Subplots Surveyed 5. 6 – 10 X 100 10. 1 – 20 20. 1 – 30

Princesstree Paulownia tomentosa Knoxville Shenandoah NP 0 0. 1 - 2 2. 1 - 3 3. 1 - 6 6. 1 - 9 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Bush Honeysuckles Lonicera spp. 0 <2 2. 1 - 8 8. 1 - 25 25. 1 - 50 50. 1 - 75 75. 1 - 100 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Species Control and Containment Strategies Prevention Search Early Alerts Surveillance Inventory Monitor Survey Monitor Outliers Contain by Inventory and Eradication Advancing Front Special Habitat Protect By Eradication Contain by Inventory and Eradication Severely Infested or Occupied Zones Manage and Control

Mimosa Albizia julibrissin 0 0. 1 – 0. 5 0. 6 - 5 5. 1 - 10 10. 1 - 15 15. 1 - 30 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Chinaberrytree Melia azedarach 0 0. 1 – 0. 5 0. 6 – 2 2. 1 – 4 4. 1 – 8 8. 1 – 16 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Tallowtree Triadica sebifera 0 0. 1 – 5 5. 1 - 15 15. 1 30 30. 1 - 60 60. 1 - 95 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Japanese Climbing Fern Lygodium japonicum 0 <3 3 - 10 11 - 25 26 - 50 51 - 75 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Cogongrass Imperata cylindrica 0 0. 1 – 1 1. 1 – 3. 0 3. 1 – 6. 0 5. 1 – 12. 0 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Cogongrass 2007 35ºN 30ºN Eradication Underway First Entered U. S. at Grand Bay 1911 -12 90ºW 25ºN

Tropical Soda Apple Solanum viarum 0 0. 1 - 1 1. 1 - 3 3. 1 - 5 5. 1 - 10 10. 1 - 20 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

Nandia Nandina domestica 0 0. 1 – 1 1. 1 - 2 2. 1 - 5 5. 1 - 10 10. 1 - 25 Percent Occurrence =(Subplots present / Total Forested Subplots) * 100

We must get ahead in our projections and know what we will be managing. Have working EDRR and containment strategies and programs. Be real about how we tackle these species by long-view assessments that are multispecies. Perform Cost-benefit analyses. Gain political buy-in at all levels.