Non-native Invasive Vegetation Monitoring Protocol

Akerson, James

Through the years, parks within the NER-Virginia Subcluster have recognized the presence and introduction of non-native (alien or exotic) vegetation. Many are notable because of their aggressive, invasive nature displacing native species and impacting whole ecosystems. Though many invasives have been documented, there has been little monitoring to determine whether they are expanding or otherwise increasing their impacts upon our resources. We recognize the need for survey/monitoring to follow those trends as well as determine whether control efforts are successful. The VIVMT (Virginia Invasive Vegetation Management Team) will conduct the following monitoring tasks.