Management
The management of invasive plants in the Green Area, as defined in the Timber Management Regulation 60/73, is accomplished
through the implementation of a program that consists of prevention,
surveying and control. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development works
co-operatively with many municipal districts/counties, resource industries
and other stakeholders to manage invasive plants more effectively on
a landscape level.
1. Prevention
The prevention aspect of the program is essentially educating all land users in the practices necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plants. Various mediums are being used to provide government staff and industry stakeholders with information such as plant identification and biology, survey methodology, and the importance of ensuring equipment and materials are free of invasive plant parts or seeds before entering an operational area or moving from any infested site.
2. Survey
Surveying is completed to obtain an inventory of the location, extent and type of invasive plant infestations.
Survey information is used to prioritize areas for control in conjunction with other factors such as plant impacts, site-specific details, local or regional concerns, opportunities for co-operative control, and the potential impacts of control measures.
3. Control
Any control strategy must be aimed at
balancing invasive plant impacts and the economic realities of
control. The majority of control carried out is done
either chemically or mechanically (mowing and picking). Another method used is biological control, which is the introduction of organisms capable of destroying specific plant populations. Testing is currently being done to assess the effectiveness of certain biological control agents.
Back to top
|
