A decision support framework for integrating species, pathways and area priorities for weed management in parks and reserves in Victoria
The impacts of invasive alien species are among the top threatening processes to biodiversity, and with increased globalisation, are going to increase. Effective management of invasion can be a complex and expensive task; however, prioritising invasion provides vital support for decisions about resource allocation and improving the effectiveness of management actions. Existing prioritisation frameworks focus on the important process of ranking invasive alien species according to potential for negative impacts and the pathways through which these species invade. Invasive species management programmes often also focus on specific areas, such as protected areas, to concentrate their efforts.
Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum), a weedy species in the Dandenong Ranges National Park
For this project, we are more formally categorising and integrating these three components of invasion (species, pathways and sites) to provide a decision support framework and set of invasion management priorities for planning and channelling resource allocation for park managers across Victoria.
In collaboration with park rangers we are integrating information on: priority weed species, important pathways of weed introduction and spread, as well as areas most exposed to invasion (for surveillance and early detection) and assets of highest conservation value. The project will support planning and strengthen the evidence base of invasion management in parks by providing a comprehensive and integrated set of priorities that are park specific. It will also develop a tool that could be applied to other parks and reserves.