Implementing EBIPM A guide to developing an invasive plant

operational plan

Implementing EBIPM Outline

EBIPM Plan -1

Using EBIPM to Design Invasive Plant Management ———————————————————————————2

Overall Vegetation Goals and Objectives ——————————————————————————————————-3

Prioritizing Management ————————————————————————————————————————————4

Current Assessment ———————————————————————————————————————————————5

Priority 1—Prevention plan

A. Prevention Plan Flowchart—————————————————————————————————————-6

A. Prevention goals ———————————————————————————————————————————6

B. Create priority list of species for prevention——————————————————————————-7

C. Develop education/ awareness plan (primarily public lands) ———————————————-7

D. Early detection and Eradication —————————————————————————————————-8

E. Interruption of movement—————————————————————————————————————10

F. Milestones/ time schedule—————————————————————————————————————11

Priority 2—Control plan

A. Processes in need of repair ————————————————————————————————————-12

B. Principles to apply ——————————————————————————————————————————12

C. Practices: the tools and strategies to address the causes of weed infestations ————-12

D. Milestones/ time schedules———————————————————————————————————— 13

Priority 3— Revegetation plan

A. Processes in need of repair ————————————————————————————————————-14

B. Principles to apply ——————————————————————————————————————————14

C. Practices: the tools and strategies to address the causes of weed infestations ————14

D. Milestones/ time schedules ——————————————————————————————————— -15

Adaptive Management

A. Monitoring to collect valid data ————————————————————————————————— 16

B. Evaluating and making necessary changes ——————————————————————————16

Annual Operating Plan —————————————————————————————————————————————--18

Resources to help build an implementable EBIPM plan ————————————————————————— 19

Using EBIPM to Design Invasive Plant Management

Using this guideline:

The following guideline was developed

for land managers implementing an ecological

systems approach to implementing invasive

plant management programs. Ecologically-

based invasive plant management (EBIPM) is

a step-wise decision-making process that

allows land managers to systematically

develop restoration and invasive plant

management plans. The point is for

managers manipulate ecological processes to

cause desired changes in species

abundances.

The five steps of this holistic EBIPM

process include: 1) conducting a Rangeland

Health Assessment, 2) identifying causes of

invasion and associated ecological processes

in need of repair, 3) using ecological

principles to guide decision-making, 4)

choosing appropriate practices based on

principles, and 5) designing and executing an

EBIPM plan using adaptive management

Managers systematically consider each

step in EBIPM and apply the concepts to their

specific situation. Each step in the EBIPM

process emphasizes a series of concepts that

provide an ecological basis for consideration

in planning and then applied to specific

situations based on local knowledge. Each

step has a well-developed description, often

with worksheets, providing EBIPM

practitioners detailed descriptions of thought

processes, concepts, and ideas central to

making wise-decisions with respect to each

step.

Success in an EBIPM context is a

program that stimulates vegetation dynamics

toward desired species. Primarily we are

interested in increasing diversity and biomass

production by desired species over time.

EBIPM is based on the linkage

between ecological processes that direct

vegetation dynamics, ecological principles

which are the synthesized knowledge about

how these ecological processes need to be

repaired to positively affect vegetation

change, and the practices managers employ

to stimulate changes in ecological processes

to create desired vegetation trajectories. The

core of this decision-framework rests on

managers ability to manipulate ecological

processes to cause desired changes in

species diversity and biomass production.

This guideline provides an outline of

the steps of EBIPM to follow in order to

develop a working plan for the landscape. At

each step we provide a description and

examples of how to develop a plan tailored to

fit your specific management situation. When

finished you will have a plan that is ready to

implement.

EBIPM Plan –2

EBIPM Plan

Overall Vegetation Goals and Objectives:

What to do:

Developing goals for any given landscape can be as involved or as simple as land managers want

to make them so they will be useful. For a private ranch the goal might be as simple as to

maximize productivity and maximize diversity in order to have a functioning healthy plant

communities that are resistant to invasion. On public lands with multiple stakeholders developing

goals can be more involved.

Goals: What needs to be achieved or sustained?

EBIPM Plan –3

After goal setting, EBIPM planning begins with assessing the landscape and beginning to prioritize

where resources should be focused. The table below provides a flow chart on how to prioritize

invasive plant management efforts. Prioritizing can be made from detailed maps or simply from

firsthand knowledge of the landscape. This can be refined as management is implemented.

EBIPM Plan –4

Current Assessment

What to do:

Using maps and any survey/ inventory information available for the area of concern begin

identifying

locations that would fall under the management priorities:

Priority 1. Areas to prevent infestations from moving into. Typically land without weed infestation

and ecologically intact.

Priority 2. Areas under the second priority are “control areas” where at least 10% of the desired or

native plants are still growing.

Priority 3. Areas designated under priority three are areas that will require revegetation efforts.

Include in this section any critical considerations of the areas that should be taken into account

before going forward with planning efforts.

One way to gather assessment information is to conduct a rangeland health assessment. For

more information on how to use rangeland health assessment information to link to an EBIPM

program, consult our : EBIPM Assessment Guidelines at www.ebipm.org

EBIPM Plan – 5

Priority 1- Prevention Plan

Prevention Goals

What to do:

Under priority #1, land in good condition should be protected from infestations. When developing

a prevention plan, there are 3 main components: an education and awareness plan, an early

detection and eradication program and a program to interrupt the movement (dispersal of seeds).

The flow chart for priority #1 is below:

Examples of Goals:

1. Stop/ Slow the spread of invasive species to currently un-infested areas.

2. Stop any new invasive weed threats from becoming established

3. Eradicate yellow starthistle, knapweeds, and ventenata from Field 3.

4. Slow cheatgrass and medusahead from advancing to new areas.

EBIPM Plan– 6

Create priority list of species for prevention

Education and Awareness

What to do:

Determine what type of programs could work to education and increase awareness of the invasive

plant issues for this land? Programs that can lead to changes in behavior in dispersing species

are particularly useful. This is an important part for public lands.

EBIPM Plan– 7

What to do:

When making this list, you can breakout species by ones that are not yet in an area but are a

threat, ones that you are interested in eradicating and ones that you want to contain and not allow

to spread into an area.

Prevention priority cont.

Early Detection & Eradication

Identify protection, action, and sacrifice zones

What to do:

In this section the prevention planning focuses on identifying protection, action and sacrifice

zones and drawing “do not cross” lines for movement of invasive species.

Protection zones are areas free of weeds of concern but are at risk of future infestations.

Action zones are areas identified on maps as bordering existing infestations and are “active”

treatment zones.

Sacrifice zones are areas with larger well established infestations of invasive plants and are areas

where infestations are not to spread from.

Develop survey strategies for early detection in action and protection zones

Delineate boundaries for each of the zones on maps.

Examples of strategies for early detection in action and protection zones:

Repeated systematic surveys along action zone boundaries. Action zone boundaries

should be a minimum of 100 feet in grassland areas, and even lower 50-75 feet in diverse

vegetation areas (Figure to right ).

Surveys will be performed during peak flower periods for target plants. Areas where a high

likelihood of weeds might occur are targeted because the objective is to locate new infesta-

tions. More than one survey a year may be necessary.

Survey high risk areas (maybe moderate risk areas).

Surveying resources should be concentrated in the action zone areas.

A comprehensive program will be developed in action zones. A systematic survey, as is

used for Threatened and Endangered species is a suitable method to employ in the action

zones when searching for invasive species not yet known to be growing in the action zone.

This survey method is used when the likelihood of occurrence of a target species may be

anywhere within the action zone.

EBIPM Plan – 8

Determine strategies for establishing and maintaining containment around sacrifice

zones

What to do:

In these zones the goals is to never allow invasive plants to produce seed.

Example strategies might include: Herbicide spot applications when species are found, planting

barriers to create living block for seed dispersal.

Diagram of a survey strategy that can be conducted along action zone boundaries.

EBIPM Plan –9

Prevention priority cont.

Interruption of Movement

What to do:

In this part of the prevention plan, programs to interrupt dispersal of seeds of invasive plants are

developed. Being able to identify the vectors that species of concern are moving is the first step.

Once vectors are identified, programs to limit spread and determine if the plants are moving are

developed.

Identify spread vectors and corridors of movement

Survey strategies for action zones

Develop and implement comprehensive program for limiting the spread

See strategies in early dectection/ eradication

EBIPM Plan – 10

Eradicate all infestations within action zones, corridor areas, and high risk zones

GPS location in an

eradication program

Herbicide Suggestions for Comprehensive Eradication of Priority Species

Species

Herbicide choices

for eradication

treatment

Rate Timing

Medusahead Imazapic

Glyphosate

6 oz –12 oz.

16 oz.

Late fall, seedling

Spring, before bloom

Cheatgrass Imazapic

Glphosate

6 oz

16 oz

Late fall, seedling

Spring, before bloom

Yellow star thistle Aminopyralid

Clopyralid (less soil

residual)

.75-1.75 oz ai/acre

2-3 oz ai/acre

Late fall –seedling

stage

Knapweed species

Russian Knapweed

Clopyralid + 2,4-D

Picloram

Clopyralid +2,4-D

.59 lbs ai/ acre

1.19 lbs ai/ acre

.5-.75 ai/acre

1.8 lbs ai/ acre

Fall regrowth,

Bolt stage

Late bud/early bloom

Perennial pepperweed Imazapic

Metsulfuron

8-12 oz/ acre

1 oz/ acre

After full bloom

Before full bloom

Prevention Priority: Milestones/ Time schedule by location

Area/ Field Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

EBIPM Plan –11

Priority 2 - Control Plan

What to do:

In this section you will develop a plan to control invasive plants to eliminate competition to desired

plants so they can recover in an area, possibly without further restoration efforts. In priority 2,

resources will be devoted to areas where at least 15% desired plant species are remaining.

Consulting the EBIPM model will be helpful in developing this section.

EBIPM Plan – 12

Example: Succession is limited by site availability and species performance

Process to repair: Disturbance—The primary ecological process that can be managed to influence

site availability is disturbance.

Principles to apply: 1. Lower disturbance frequencies favor establishment of desired species

compared to higher frequencies, 2. Lower intensity disturbances favor establishment of desired

species 3. Small scale disturbances spread through time will be less likely to promote growth of

invasive species.

Practices to be implemented:

1. Reduce fire intervals, 2. Use prescribed grazing management, 3. Limit disturbances. (Provide

details for specific landscape situations.

Milestones/ Time schedule by location

Area/ Field Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Priority 2 - Control Plan continued

EBIPM Plan –13

Priority 3 - Revegetation Plan

What to do:

This section is similar to the previous section, but in this case you will be using the EBIPM model

to develop additional plans to restore areas with desired plant species. Restoration efforts are

designated as the last priority is not because they are not important, but when resources are

limited this land is expensive to restore and the likelihood of success is small. Nonetheless, it is

useful to fully develop this part of the plan, so that perhaps small tests of the plan could be

implemented and when more resources become available. Consult our publication “Revegetation

Guidelines for the Great Basin: Considering Invasive Weeds at www.ebipm.org for more details.

EBIPM Plan – 14

Example: Succession is limited by species availability, site availability and species performance

Process to repair: Seed dispersal —The ecological process that can be managed to influence

species availability.

Principles to apply: 1. Increasing the frequency of dispersal of desired species and decreasing the

frequency of dispersal of undesired species will allow communities to change in a favorable

direction. 2. Less competitive desired species can “win” a safe site from more competitive

invasive species by arriving at the safe site first.

Practices to be implemented:

1. Seed desired species multiple times at a site, 2. Reduce seed production of undesired species,

manage dispersal vectors of undesired species, 3. Plan timing of seeding of desired species to

arrive at safe sites earlier than undesired species.

Priority 3 - Revegetation Plan cont.

Milestones/ Time schedule by location

Area/ Field Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

EBIPM Plan -15

Adaptive Management

What to do:

In this section filling in the details of how the plan will be implemented, within an adaptive

management framework. When EBIPM plans have an adaptive management component, the

results that you can collect will be scientific and if called into court they will withstand legal

scrutiny as to the scientific basis of your plan. Include in this section how you plan to monitor to

collect valid data and how the treatments and strategies will be evaluated and how to make

necessary changes. Consider how you can replicate management strategies and have a “control”

plot to compare management alternatives. Consult our publication: “Adaptive Management for

Invasive Annual Grasses—A step by step user’s guide” available at www.ebim.org for more details.

EBIPM Plan - 16

EBIPM Plan- 17

EBIPM Plan- 18

Annual Operating Plan

What to do:

In this section you will want to develop the details on when and how you are going to implement

this plan. Important here is creating a timeline, supplies list, labor requirements—all the things

necessary to get the plan that you have developed implemented in the field.

Resources to help build an implementable EBIPM plan

EBIPM Plan- 19