PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 20: Invasive Species
Wednesday, August 10, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Framework for integrating non-indigenous plant, insect, and pathogen species management with forest management activities planning.

Johnson, Mara^*,1, Rew, Lisa¹, Maxwell, Bruce¹, Menalled, Fabian¹, ¹ Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

ABSTRACT- Forest Management activities have become increasingly complex, evolving from maximizing timber production to meeting diverse objectives including providing for biodiversity, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat. Not only have management objectives become more complex but so have the potential obstacles to achieving them, in particular the increase in non-indigenous species (NIS). Invasion of NIS has become a widespread problem throughout the forests of the United States, with potentially devastating ecological and economic consequences. However, information concerning the relationship between forest management activities and NIS varies from anecdotal to rigorous science and provides only parts of the picture required by managers to effectively manage them. To address this problem, we performed an extensive literature search for quantitative studies on the effects of forest management activities on non-indigenous plant, insect and pathogen species in the forests of the United States. We will present a synthesis of the current knowledge and identify areas for future research. We will also present a framework for integrating management of NIS based on current knowledge that addresses the different spatial and temporal scales for managing plant, insect, and pathogen NIS. We used general invasion steps (e.g. introduction, establishment, and spread) to identify which forest management activities may affect those steps and at which planning level (e.g. stand, watershed, or forest). We also reviewed parameters of management activities common to disturbances (such as frequency, severity, and extent) and how they may affect NIS as well as how they may be manipulated to minimize NIS occurrence and distribution. By presenting this information using these different frameworks we expect to facilitate the communication of the current science to forest managers as well as assist managers in integrating the best available science into their planning process.

Key words: invasive species, forest management