Login | Request Account (DAF staff only)

Management feasibility of established invasive plant species in Queensland, Australia: A stakeholders’ perspective

Share this record

Add to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to XAdd to WechatAdd to Microsoft_teamsAdd to WhatsappAdd to Any

Export this record

View Altmetrics

Osunkoya, O. O., Froese, J. G. and Nicol, S. (2019) Management feasibility of established invasive plant species in Queensland, Australia: A stakeholders’ perspective. Journal of Environmental Management, 246 . pp. 484-495. ISSN 0301-4797

[img]
Preview
PDF
3MB

Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.05.052

Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479719306620

Abstract

Managing and monitoring invasive alien species (IAS) is costly, and because resources are limited, prioritization decisions are required for planning and management. We present findings on plant pest prioritization for 63 established invader species of natural and grazing ecosystems of Queensland, Australia. We used an expert elicitation approach to assess risk (species occurrence, spread, and impact) and feasibility of control for each IAS. We elicit semi-quantitative responses from diverse expert stakeholders to score IAS on three management approaches (biocontrol, chemical and mechanical) in relation to cost, effectiveness and practicality, and incorporate uncertainty in expert inputs and model outputs. In the process, we look for promising management opportunities as well as seek general trends across species' ecological groups and management methods. Stakeholders were cautiously optimistic about the feasibility of managing IAS. Taking into consideration all factors, the overall feasibility of control was uncorrelated with the stakeholders’ level of confidence. However, within individual management criterion, positive trend was observed for the same bivariate traits for chemical control, and negative trends for biocontrol and mechanical controls. Utility and confidence in IAS management options were in the order: chemical > biocontrol = mechanical, with practicality and effectiveness being the main driver components. Management feasibility differed significantly between IAS life forms but not between habitats invaded. Lastly, we combined IAS risk assessment and management feasibility scores to create a risk matrix to guide policy goals (i.e. eradication, spread containment, protection of sensitive sites, targeted control, site management, monitoring, and limited action). The matrix identifies promising species to target for each of these policy outcomes. Overall, our general approach illustrates (i) the importance of understanding the feasibility of IAS control actions and the factors that drive it, and (ii) demonstrates how quantifying management feasibility can be used to enhance traditional risk assessment rankings to improve policy outcomes.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Biosecurity Queensland
Additional Information:Crown copyright
Keywords:Australia Expert elicitation Management feasibility Prioritization Stakeholders Weed control options Pest risk assessment
Subjects:Science > Invasive Species > Plants
Science > Invasive Species > Plants > Integrated weed control
Live Archive:03 Jul 2019 05:38
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:45

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics