Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

Target Pests

Practices

This proposal supports the Western Invasive Plant Risk Evaluation Network, a work group aimed at preventing new invasive plants from getting a foothold in western states. The project addresses the Center’s “Invasive Species” priority area. The Network generates risk assessments for plants that may become invasive and provides a forum for sharing information on new plants of potential concern. Key stakeholders include conservation land managers, the nursery industry, academia and public agencies.

Prevention is a key IPM approach. Because many plants have an extensive lag phase before becoming invasive, prevention can be strengthened by predicting which plant species pose the highest risk for becoming invasive in the future in a given region. The Network broadens the use of the PRE assessment tool and provides an early detection communication network, both of which strengthen invasive plant prevention across western states. The PRE assessment tool has been used in California since its development in 2015 to evaluate both horticultural plants and non-horticultural plants that have not yet established broadly. The tool is managed by PlantRight, an interdisciplinary partnership convened to prevent introduction of invasive plants through horticulture.

In the first phase of this project, funded by the Center in 2021, we formed the multi-state work group, trained partners to conduct and review assessments, and completed assessments for 25 priority species (10 for California, 5 for each partner state).

With 2022 WIPMC funding, we added partners from Nevada and the Yurok Tribe. We trained five new evaluators, maintained the communication network, and are in the process of completing assessments for an additional 30 species. We also added a feature to the PRE climate matching tool to improve evaluators’ ability to identify the extent to which a species’ global distribution overlaps specific climate conditions.

For 2023, we propose to strengthen our collaboration in several ways. We will conduct trainings and provide oversight for evaluations of 30 more species. We will continue meetings and communications among partners. We will design and hold a half-day virtual workshop on ways to use PRE assessments to reduce introduction of invasive ornamentals through the nursery trade. Lastly, to ensure the PRE tool’s longevity, our web developer will begin important back-end upgrades to a more current web platform.

Arizona partners are at University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Oregon partners are at Portland State University and Cascade Pacific Resource Conservation & Development. Washington partners are at the Pacific Northwest Invasive Species Council and the Washington Department of Agriculture. Nevada partners are at the National Park Service and the Nevada Department of Agriculture. California partners include University of California Cooperative Extension, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Rogers Gardens, the Yurok Tribe, Cal-IPC, and PlantRight.

The results of this effort will be shared at the 2023 Cal-IPC Symposium and beyond if opportunities arise. By broadening adoption of the tool, we can promote collaboration in invasive plant listing and better ensure the ongoing maintenance of this valuable web tool.

Objective 1. Strengthen existing PRE assessment capacity – We will continue to strengthen invasive plant risk assessment capacity across our partnerships with five partner states (California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) and the Yurok Tribe. Cal-IPC and PlantRight will provide refresher training, project management, review, QA/QC, and logistical support to all partners using PRE. We will work with partners to ensure that a minimum of two PRE evaluators are trained for each state. 90% likelihood of success by 10/31/2023.

Objective 2. Generate PRE assessments – We will work with partners of each state and the Yurok tribe to generate and finalize another 30 assessments of plant species (five for each state and 10 for California, including the Yurok tribe). 90% likelihood of success by 2/29/2024.

Objective 3. Strengthen the work group – We will share knowledge from related prevention programs through a half-day virtual workshop on reducing the risk of introduction of invasives through the ornamental industry. The PlantRight program of California and the Plant Sure program of Australia will present and we will encourage partner states and Tribal partners to share their approaches to reducing the sale and spread of ornamental invasives. We will also continue to foster communication through regular meetings, notifications about new weeds, and participation in one another’s conferences. 90% likelihood of success by 2/29/2024.

Objective 4. Maintain PRE tool – We will work with the PRE website manager to continue upgrading the PRE tool. In 2023, we will begin the back-end upgrade of PRE to Drupal 9 on a development platform. 90% likelihood of success by 2/29/2024.