Invasive species early detection and rapid response plan for the Cumberland Piedmont Network (protocol)
Keefer JS, Helf KL, Leibfried T, Kaye MW, National Park Service. 2014. Invasive species early detection and rapid response plan for the Cumberland Piedmont Network (protocol). Natural Resource Report. NPS/CUPN/NRR—2014/795. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Cumberland Piedmont Network (CUPN) Inventory and Monitoring Program was initiated in January 2001 to conduct biological inventories and examine the status and trends of ecosystem health for its cohort of 14 national parks, battlefields, monuments, and historic sites. The first phase of the monitoring program involved working with park managers to prioritize and select a core set of vital signs for long term monitoring. During this process, invasive plants and forest pests were ranked among the top priorities, due to concerns about the effects these organisms can have on park ecosystems (Leibfreid et al. 2005). The known ecological impacts of invasive pests include displacement of threatened and endangered species, altered structure and composition of terrestrial and aquatic communities, and reduction in overall species diversity. While long-term changes associated with invasive species are being monitored through the CUPN’s Vegetation Monitoring Protocol, it is also critical to detect new populations of invasive species early in their invasion of new and sensitive habitats. Only when invasions are detected early will the chance of eradication remain high. Early detection efforts for invasive species in the CUPN include three main objectives to: 1. Develop and maintain an annually updated list of high priority invasive species that occur in localized areas of parks, are extremely rare, or are not currently present within a park, but have the potential to cause major ecological, cultural, or economic problems if they were to become established. 2. Develop, maintain, and distribute appropriate target species identification information to all CUPN field crews and other interested cooperators, resource managers, and volunteers. 3. Coordinate information exchange on invasive species with other national and regional level partners, by maintaining digital records in the NPS species database (NPSpecies) and providing exports to others in a timely and efficient manner. The responsibility of implementing early detection objectives belongs to the CUPN-Network Program Manager. Accomplishments of these objectives will allow CUPN member park resource managers to assess each invasive species early detection record on an individual basis, and target limited management resources and coordination toward the highest priority risks.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Keefer, Jennifer; Helf, Kurt; Leibfried, Teresa; Kaye, Margot; National Park Service
- Date of Issue
- 2014-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ABLI , CARL , CHCH , COWP , CUGA , CUPN , FODO , GUCO , IMDP , KIMO , LIRI , MACA , NISI , NRSS , RUCA , SHIL , STRI
- Keywords
- Exotic, Invasive, Invasive Species Early Detection Protocol, Protocol, target species
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Invasive Species | Invasive/Exotic plants , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Insect Pests , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Plant Diseases , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Animal Diseases