What Is Integrated Pest Management?
Integrated pest management, or (IPM), is a process used to manage invasive species infestations. The goal of IPM is to maximize effective control and to minimize negative environmental, economic and social impacts. IPM is an adaptive ecosystem-based approach that focuses on multiple control options targeting invasive species to prevent, eradicate, contain, or suppress populations. IPM integrates best management practices across a broad spectrum while using a range of techniques.
Management practices utilized in a synergistic approach are derived from manual, mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical options to reduce non-native species infestations. Pesticides are used only after approaches with monitoring indicate that their use is needed according to established guidelines. Treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms, and the environment.(1) IPM means using control methods that reflect the values of a community, land use goals, and resources like time, labor, and finances. IPM requires years of dedication to monitor post treatment outcomes.
During the pre-planning process a full assessment of IPM strategies should include the prioritization of invasive species.
Consider the following items:
IPM programs combine management approaches for greater effectiveness.
The most effective way to manage pests is by using a combination of methods that work better together than separately. Approaches for managing pests are often grouped into the following categories:
Manual and Mechanical Controls
Cultural Controls
Biological Control
Chemical Control
Resources Links: Cornell College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 1UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
“Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program” https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/What-is-IPM/ 1996-2019
A Framework For Response
The purpose of the framework for response is to provide resource managers with a tool that can be utilized for a logical approach when responding to newly identified invasive species infestations. The framework is also designed to help resource managers prioritize their activities while considering all aspects of management known and possibly unknown.
Resource managers may want to consider using the following tool(s) to help prioritize their management activities based on their goals, objectives, and resources when responding to invasive species infestations. The Capital Region PRISM encourages you, as a conservationist, to consider and choose an option below prior to conducting invasive species management actions.
Does the organization with property have a land or lake management plan?
A management plan is a specific statement of goals and objectives followed by a series of activities that will take place in order to meet those objectives. Management plans consider an area’s mission, or purpose, and provide management prescriptions, which include desired resource conditions. Without a plan, decisions may be made based on short-term conditions but with long-term, undesirable consequences.(2) Depending on the scale of a parcel of property, a plan can be extremely comprehensive or limited with specialization. A management plan does not have to be a complicated document and there is no standard format for writing one. Consider developing an Invasive Species Management Plan as a stand alone document or part of a land or lake management document.
Please note the example management plan templates linked below that can be adopted for use.
Capital Region PRISM Framework for Response Capital Region PRISM Invasive Species Management Plan US Fish and Wildlife Service: A Simple Template
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior: Key Technical Concepts for an Invasive Plant Management Plan
California Invasive Plant Council December 2018: A Comprehensive Guide
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Rapid Response Guide
United States Environmental Protection Agency: Lake Management Planner
Consider using An Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool
The following is adapted from “An Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool” constructed by The Nature Conservancy and delivered through our partners to the north via The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program and St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species.
Note the tool is a model. The intent of the tool is to address unknown and known variables. The tool is designed to help the land manager to make a more informed decision regarding proposed actions. The tool may not be applicable to all projects and is for proposals seeking to conduct eradication, containment, and/or suppression techniques. The intent of the tool is to address unknown and known variables.
The key components of the Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool directs resource managers to consider and, where possible, address the following aspects prior to conducting active management strategies:
1. Ecological Impact and/or Harm to other Values
“Does the work benefit a conservation goal or target area, community, or audience?”
2. Distribution and Abundance
“What tier and what threat level does the species pose?”
3. Socio-Political Environment
“Are there invested stakeholders present or are there barriers?”
4. Control (Kill) Effectiveness
“Are there effective tools available to manage the infestation?”
5. Non-target Impacts and Unintended Consequences
“Are there rare or endangered species, what level of incidental harm is acceptable?”
6. Preventing Reinvasion and Spread
“Does the work being proposed have lasting effects and are restoration practices evident?”
7. Detectability
“Will eradication efforts be reassessed over time? What thresholds are acceptable for containment and suppression?”
8. Resource Availability
“Are there sufficient resources are available to complete the project. In the case of education, outreach, early detection, or research how will those
measures protect a conservation target?”
9. Return on Investment
“Are the goals and intended outcomes for the project realistic, cost effective, measurable...?”
10. Learning to live with invasive we cannot control
“What strategies are considered when eradication is not acceptable?”
Resource Links:
The Nature Conservancy Decision Tool:
Sources:
1. Jordan, Marilyn; Sargis, Gregg; Schwager Kathy; Smith, Hilary; Zimmerman, Chris; (2011) An Invasive Plant
Management Decision Analysis Tool. Version 1.1.; The Nature Conservancy, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
2. SS-FOR-14, School of Forest Resources and Conservation Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication
date August 2001. Revised May 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently
supported version of this publication.
3.Natural Reserve System University of California NRS Administrative Handbook 13- 5 Rev. June 2013
https://www.nps.gov/biso/learn/management/upload/chapter1.pdf
Integrated pest management, or (IPM), is a process used to manage invasive species infestations. The goal of IPM is to maximize effective control and to minimize negative environmental, economic and social impacts. IPM is an adaptive ecosystem-based approach that focuses on multiple control options targeting invasive species to prevent, eradicate, contain, or suppress populations. IPM integrates best management practices across a broad spectrum while using a range of techniques.
Management practices utilized in a synergistic approach are derived from manual, mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical options to reduce non-native species infestations. Pesticides are used only after approaches with monitoring indicate that their use is needed according to established guidelines. Treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms, and the environment.(1) IPM means using control methods that reflect the values of a community, land use goals, and resources like time, labor, and finances. IPM requires years of dedication to monitor post treatment outcomes.
During the pre-planning process a full assessment of IPM strategies should include the prioritization of invasive species.
Consider the following items:
- What would the cost to the environment and society look like if no treatment was executed compared to implementing a treatment?
- What are the risks associated with treatment(s) versus the threat posed by an invasive species?
- Are high threat low abundance/density infestations being considered that are cost effective to manage versus a low threat and widespread invasive species?
- Has a threshold of acceptable damage and risks to the native environment been set when considering a management approach?
- Have the predicted and likely pathways of introduction been examined? Are the vectors of spread and reintroduction from anthropogenic sources or is the species dispersed by wind, water, or animals? How are these vectors of dispersal accounted for in the decision process?
- What will restoration and post monitoring of treatment look like and cost?
IPM programs combine management approaches for greater effectiveness.
The most effective way to manage pests is by using a combination of methods that work better together than separately. Approaches for managing pests are often grouped into the following categories:
Manual and Mechanical Controls
- Manual and mechanical methods eliminate an invasive directly through removal. Practices include hand pulling, grubbing, cutting, girdling, grazing, hoeing, mowing, and/or excavating. Physical controls include barrier techniques by benthic or terrestrial mats, mulches for weed management, water drawdowns, or even steam sterilization of the soil for disease management. Fire is also a form of management.
Cultural Controls
- Cultural controls are practices that reduce pest establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and survival. Limiting exposed soil at work sites and restoring the environment with a natural seed bank can help limit re-infestations and keep populations of non-native plants to a minimum.
Biological Control
- Biological control is the use of natural enemies like predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors to feed on or disrupt an invasive species. Biocontrols are not expected to eliminate invasive species completely and it often takes years or even decades after repeated releases before their effects are substantial. When successful, biocontrol agents can provide long-term, widespread control with a very favorable cost-benefit ratio.
Chemical Control
- Chemical control is the use of pesticides. In IPM, pesticides are used only when needed and in combination with other approaches for more effective, long-term control. Pesticides are selected and applied in a way that minimizes their possible harm to people, non-target organisms, and the environment.
Resources Links: Cornell College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 1UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
“Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program” https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/What-is-IPM/ 1996-2019
A Framework For Response
The purpose of the framework for response is to provide resource managers with a tool that can be utilized for a logical approach when responding to newly identified invasive species infestations. The framework is also designed to help resource managers prioritize their activities while considering all aspects of management known and possibly unknown.
Resource managers may want to consider using the following tool(s) to help prioritize their management activities based on their goals, objectives, and resources when responding to invasive species infestations. The Capital Region PRISM encourages you, as a conservationist, to consider and choose an option below prior to conducting invasive species management actions.
Does the organization with property have a land or lake management plan?
A management plan is a specific statement of goals and objectives followed by a series of activities that will take place in order to meet those objectives. Management plans consider an area’s mission, or purpose, and provide management prescriptions, which include desired resource conditions. Without a plan, decisions may be made based on short-term conditions but with long-term, undesirable consequences.(2) Depending on the scale of a parcel of property, a plan can be extremely comprehensive or limited with specialization. A management plan does not have to be a complicated document and there is no standard format for writing one. Consider developing an Invasive Species Management Plan as a stand alone document or part of a land or lake management document.
Please note the example management plan templates linked below that can be adopted for use.
Capital Region PRISM Framework for Response Capital Region PRISM Invasive Species Management Plan US Fish and Wildlife Service: A Simple Template
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior: Key Technical Concepts for an Invasive Plant Management Plan
California Invasive Plant Council December 2018: A Comprehensive Guide
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Rapid Response Guide
United States Environmental Protection Agency: Lake Management Planner
- A QUICK GUIDE to Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters
- Introduction to Watershed Planning
Consider using An Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool
The following is adapted from “An Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool” constructed by The Nature Conservancy and delivered through our partners to the north via The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program and St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species.
- A framework for response is a recommended guide to help natural resource managers prioritize potential projects related to invasive species management. When executing integrated pest management programming, it is critical to develop a management plan to ensure the desired outcomes are achievable, cost effective, and measurable. “A framework for response helps to assess the relative threat of the species of management interest, determine the potential risks to conservation, economic, and social assets if the infestation is left untreated.” (Jordan, Sargis, Schwager, Smith, & Zimmerman, 2011)
- The first step in determining if a control project should proceed is determining if the invasive plant is or has the potential to cause significant ecological impact or harm to human health, the economy, or other values. The ecological impact of an invasive species is evaluated based on the severity and current/potential scope of the impact to a conservation target. High threat invasive species alter ecosystem processes and change native species composition and often have the potential to become widespread if not identified and managed appropriately. (Jordan et al 2011)
- Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool (IPMDAT) developed by the Nature Conservancy is a tool to help resource managers decide if an invasive plant management project is likely to be successful. “The primary focus of the IPMDAT is on the control of invasive species that have negative ecological impacts on native species, natural communities, and on the ecological processes essential for the health of those species and communities.” (Jordan et al 2011)
Note the tool is a model. The intent of the tool is to address unknown and known variables. The tool is designed to help the land manager to make a more informed decision regarding proposed actions. The tool may not be applicable to all projects and is for proposals seeking to conduct eradication, containment, and/or suppression techniques. The intent of the tool is to address unknown and known variables.
The key components of the Invasive Plant Management Decision Analysis Tool directs resource managers to consider and, where possible, address the following aspects prior to conducting active management strategies:
1. Ecological Impact and/or Harm to other Values
“Does the work benefit a conservation goal or target area, community, or audience?”
2. Distribution and Abundance
“What tier and what threat level does the species pose?”
3. Socio-Political Environment
“Are there invested stakeholders present or are there barriers?”
4. Control (Kill) Effectiveness
“Are there effective tools available to manage the infestation?”
5. Non-target Impacts and Unintended Consequences
“Are there rare or endangered species, what level of incidental harm is acceptable?”
6. Preventing Reinvasion and Spread
“Does the work being proposed have lasting effects and are restoration practices evident?”
7. Detectability
“Will eradication efforts be reassessed over time? What thresholds are acceptable for containment and suppression?”
8. Resource Availability
“Are there sufficient resources are available to complete the project. In the case of education, outreach, early detection, or research how will those
measures protect a conservation target?”
9. Return on Investment
“Are the goals and intended outcomes for the project realistic, cost effective, measurable...?”
10. Learning to live with invasive we cannot control
“What strategies are considered when eradication is not acceptable?”
Resource Links:
The Nature Conservancy Decision Tool:
- IPMDAT Online Form
- Analysis Tool Blank Form
Sources:
1. Jordan, Marilyn; Sargis, Gregg; Schwager Kathy; Smith, Hilary; Zimmerman, Chris; (2011) An Invasive Plant
Management Decision Analysis Tool. Version 1.1.; The Nature Conservancy, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
2. SS-FOR-14, School of Forest Resources and Conservation Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication
date August 2001. Revised May 2019. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently
supported version of this publication.
3.Natural Reserve System University of California NRS Administrative Handbook 13- 5 Rev. June 2013
https://www.nps.gov/biso/learn/management/upload/chapter1.pdf
