How will we manage non-native, invasive species on refuge lands?
Most people recognize that non-native, invasive plants and animals can displace native species, degrade wetlands and other natural communities, and reduce natural diversity and wildlife habitat values. Non-native plants out-compete native species by dominating light, water, and nutrient resources. We are concerned that, once established, invasive plants are expensive and labor-intensive to eliminate; they are able to establish easily, reproduce prolifically, and disperse readily, making eradication difficult. Preventing new invasions is extremely important for maintaining biological diversity and native plant populations. We started to systematically identify, locate, and map invasive plant species on refuge lands, and will use that information to develop an integrated pest management program to guide control, monitoring and evaluation projects. Twenty non-native invasive plant species that are affecting the quality of native habitats are documented for the refuge. In addition, hemlock
