Using Weed Risk Management assessments to inform on-ground action for new and emerging environmental weeds in New South Wales

摘要

Weed management goals should be appropriate to the stage of invasion, e.g. eradication is suitable for small incursions and not widespread weeds. Once naturalised, three overarching management strategies exist for vvfeeds: eradication; containment; and/or asset protection. These can be used singly or in conjunction, depending on the scale of invasion. Weed risk assessments (WRAs) are commonly used for preventative or quarantine management (i.e. pre-border to prevent entry). When combined w ith assessments of the feasibility of control as part of a Weed Risk Management (WRM) system, WRA results can be used to develop appropriate management goals for weeds post entry, e.g. they can be used to prioritise management to eradicate weeds or prevent spreadat a range of scales. This is often part of a systematic approach for weeds that may be subject to containment or asset protection efforts elsewhere.Weed Risk Management assessments are undertaken at a pre-determined scale and land use. They require collation of biological, ecological and management information about the weed being assessed and the current and potential habitats invaded. We performedstate-level WRM assessments for 146 potential weeds of conservation lands within New South Wales. The results were used to prioritise management of these weeds as part of overall regional weed management plans. This paper outlines the process used to determine which new and emerging environmental weeds were of the highest risk and most feasible to control. An example of ongoing prioritisation and resulting management is outlined as are the most significant limitations encountered. Despite these, we remain confident that management of the highest-risk and most feasibly controlled weeds can be prioritised and managed.