Introduction
As I work on aquatic plant management research projects around the United States, the most frequent statement I hear is: "I hope you can figure out some way of getting rid of these weeds." When I was younger (and more patient), I would explain many of the available options. After a few years, I realized that the major obstacles to effective management of aquatic plants were sociological rather than scientific. In most instances, a motivated resource management group (whether they be a lake association or a local, regional, state or federal agency) could use a half-dozen of the available options to manage aquatic plants in their lake. The limitations to effective management are time, patience, and funds, not the lack of an effective management tool.
All aquatic plant management techniques have positive and negative attributes. None of the techniques is without some adverse environmental impact; all have both strengths and weaknesses. In selecting management techniques, selections need to be based on economic, environmental, and technical constraints.
Management decisions should be made on a site-specific basis (Madsen 1997). Management techniques should be considered on their technical merits. A truly integrated aquatic plant management approach will vary the use of techniques both spatially and temporally. Spatial variation in technique selection should be based on site use intensity, economic, environmental and technical constraints.
Management should be tailored to the priority and goals of each site. All areas within the lake should be categorized as to use, restrictions, and priority. Based on these categories, management techniques can be selected. For instance, swimming beaches and boat launches are high-use areas, and should have a high priority. Wildlife areas (e.g., refuges) have lower intensity use, and some restrictions to management. Based on these categories, management techniques can be selected. The high-priority, high-intensity use sites might justify high-cost management techniques such as benthic barriers or diver-operated suction harvesting. Low-intensity use areas might either remain untreated if resources are low, or would be categorized for less expensive techniques such as herbicides. Likewise, areas with higher concentrations of plants should receive more resources than areas with no plants or with acceptable levels of infestation. Dan Helsel’s article in this issue provides more detail about selecting the proper level of management through the preparation of an aquatic plant management and protection plan.
As dense colonies are brought under control, maintenance management approaches can be used (Deschenes and Ludlow 1993). After a target plant species has entered a system, continuous management will be required. However, under no circumstances should management be discontinued once plant densities are low. If management techniques are very successful, management may entail only monitoring the system and hand-removing individuals that are occasionally found. Scale the control technique to the level of infestation, the priority of the site, the use, and the availability of resources.
Several useful computer programs and other useful information systems are currently available on a CD-ROM format as the Aquatic Plant Information System (APIS). Some helpful websites are listed in Table 1. Another excellent source of information on target and nontarget plants and their management is the Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System, operated by the University of Florida's Center for Aquatic Plants. In addition to free bibliographic searches, the Center has a variety of educational materials available.
One important rule to remember is that no management technique is intrinsically superior to another, nor will one management technique (e.g., a single chemical, or herbicides as a group) be sufficient for all situations in a management program. Rather, all techniques should be considered tools in the manager's toolbox. Some are more expensive but will better control dense populations in larger areas. For small nuisance plant populations (<0.1 acres, 0.03 hectare) or new colonies, hand picking may actually be the best approach. Each site should be evaluated and management techniques selected based on the desired level of control, and environmental and economic constraints.
All aquatic plant management techniques have positive and negative attributes. None of the techniques is without some adverse environmental impact; all have both strengths and weaknesses. In selecting management techniques, selections need to be based on economic, environmental, and technical constraints.
Management decisions should be made on a site-specific basis (Madsen 1997). Management techniques should be considered on their technical merits. A truly integrated aquatic plant management approach will vary the use of techniques both spatially and temporally. Spatial variation in technique selection should be based on site use intensity, economic, environmental and technical constraints.
Management should be tailored to the priority and goals of each site. All areas within the lake should be categorized as to use, restrictions, and priority. Based on these categories, management techniques can be selected. For instance, swimming beaches and boat launches are high-use areas, and should have a high priority. Wildlife areas (e.g., refuges) have lower intensity use, and some restrictions to management. Based on these categories, management techniques can be selected. The high-priority, high-intensity use sites might justify high-cost management techniques such as benthic barriers or diver-operated suction harvesting. Low-intensity use areas might either remain untreated if resources are low, or would be categorized for less expensive techniques such as herbicides. Likewise, areas with higher concentrations of plants should receive more resources than areas with no plants or with acceptable levels of infestation. Dan Helsel’s article in this issue provides more detail about selecting the proper level of management through the preparation of an aquatic plant management and protection plan.
As dense colonies are brought under control, maintenance management approaches can be used (Deschenes and Ludlow 1993). After a target plant species has entered a system, continuous management will be required. However, under no circumstances should management be discontinued once plant densities are low. If management techniques are very successful, management may entail only monitoring the system and hand-removing individuals that are occasionally found. Scale the control technique to the level of infestation, the priority of the site, the use, and the availability of resources.
Several useful computer programs and other useful information systems are currently available on a CD-ROM format as the Aquatic Plant Information System (APIS). Some helpful websites are listed in Table 1. Another excellent source of information on target and nontarget plants and their management is the Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System, operated by the University of Florida's Center for Aquatic Plants. In addition to free bibliographic searches, the Center has a variety of educational materials available.
One important rule to remember is that no management technique is intrinsically superior to another, nor will one management technique (e.g., a single chemical, or herbicides as a group) be sufficient for all situations in a management program. Rather, all techniques should be considered tools in the manager's toolbox. Some are more expensive but will better control dense populations in larger areas. For small nuisance plant populations (<0.1 acres, 0.03 hectare) or new colonies, hand picking may actually be the best approach. Each site should be evaluated and management techniques selected based on the desired level of control, and environmental and economic constraints.
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