Studies of Alien Plants and Noxious Weeds
Migration of plants is not a new concept. However, the rate of movement and the range of distribution have significantly increased during the last century. When plant species colonize far from their native ecosystem they usually establish without their natural predators. This gives the alien plant an advantage over the native vegetation. This unbalanced relationship disturbs the natural processes in that ecosystem. Alien plants threaten biodiversity, degrade resource values, affect trophic levels, and are the second leading contributor to the endangerment and extinction of native species (Wooten and Morrison, 1995). For these reasons Pacific Biodiversity Institute is conducting, studies on causes of invasion, control of established weed populations, and the population dynamics of alien plant species.
The following projects are examples of Pacific Biodiversity Institute's studies of alien plant species invasions:
Weed Population Dynamics in the Chewuch Watershed (current project)
E-Paper: Biological Invasions of Alien Plants in the Interior Columbia River Basin
Study of Controlling Linaria dalmatica (Dalmatian toadflax) in a Shrub-steppe Ecosystem (on-going study)
Chewuch Pilot Project for Vegetation Management (on-going study with botanist and field work provided by PBI)
Study of the Distribution of Alien Plants in Relationship to Roads and Logged Areas