1. Project Selection

Overview Diagram Steps Tools

STEP 1.1 Prepare an inventory of introduced plants

Purpose To provide a comprehensive list of introduced plants.
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Action Description
1 Review reports/literature of national/local plant surveys/information (e.g. quarantine reports, Space & Flynn, Whistler etc)
2 Conduct surveillance of modified areas (roads, botanical gardens, urban gardens, farms, plantations)
3 Prepare Inventory of introduced plants
 
At the end of this step: An Inventory of introduced plants will be completed. We recommend you store this information in a spread sheet or database for future use.
 

STEP 1.2 Identify the plants posing the greatest risk

Purpose To decide on the most serious introduced plants
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) <http://www.hear.org/pier/>
Plant Pono <http://plantpono.org/hpwra-search.php?&des=high>
Action Description
1 Rank the introduced plants in your Inventory in relation to their invasiveness, or their potential to become serious threats to biodiversity using Weed Risk Assessment (or modified Weed Risk Assessment) scores.
 
At the end of this step: A ranked list of Invasive plants will be completed.
 

STEP 1.3 Locate area(s) of most serious plant threats on map of country

Purpose To determine the distribution of the highest ranking invasive plants in your Inventory.
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Action Description
1 Get a good map of your country. Use GIS maps available to you or you can download maps from: The World Coordinate Converter <http://twcc.free.fr/#>  or Google Earth <http://www.google.com/earth/index.html>
2 Mark location of most serious threat plants from your Inventory on map (with area of infestation if known and preferably with GPS coordinates to produce a GIS overlay of distribution).
 
At the end of this step: Distribution of the most serious plant threats will be identified. However, this will need to be checked through surveys. This information will help you decide which management option is possible: eradication for infestations recently discovered or with limited distribution and control for common or widespread species.
 

STEP 1.4 Determine whether eradication is a realistic expectation

Purpose To decide if eradication is an effective approach or if another management option would be better
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Action Description
1 Decide if there is an effective treatment method for the most serious plant threats in your Inventory
2 If there is a treatment method available:
2.1 Complete the broad costing for eradication (see Guidelines for Project Selection)
2.2 Assess each plant against the “Deciding Species-led and Site-led Priorities” decision tree (see Guidelines for Project Selection)
2.3 Prepare priority list of eradication targets or a list of priority species to consider for control options in valued sites
3 If no treatment method is available then decide if you should investigate potential treatment methods or if no further action is required
 
At the end of this step: You will have a list of priorities for:
  • Eradication (species-led)
  • Control at protected area (site-led)
  • Investigation of treatment methods
  • No further action
 

STEP 1.5 Identify priorities for an invasive plant management strategy (note this should be transferred to NBSAP/NISAP once completed)

Purpose Identify priorities for an invasive plant management strategy based on most suitable option (eradication, control, further investigation, no further action) and resources available
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Action Description
1 Identify priority species for eradication (from Step 1.4) to be included in the strategy
2 Identify priority valued sites, and species to be controlled, to include in the strategy
2.1 Prepare a list of valued sites
2.2 Rank importance of valued sites
2.3 Identify values you want to protect in each site
2.4 Identify which priority invasive plants (from step1.4) are impacting those values and what level of control is required to protect them
2.5 Complete a broad costing for control action (same model as eradication costings)
2.6 Include the priority valued sites and the target species in the strategy
3 3 For those species where further investigation is required (from step 1.4):
3.1 Identify those with possible treatment methods already under investigation by others and keep up-to-date with progress  
3.2 For others, consider designing and undertaking trials (see Guideline-FieldTrials)
3.3 As methods become available re-prioritise the species as above
3.4 Include a list of these species in the strategy
4 For those species for which no further action is required, list in the strategy
 
At the end of this step: Priority invasive plants and sites have been clearly identified for an Invasive Plant Management Strategy:
  1. species to be completely eradicated from the entire country (species-led projects),
  2. species to be controlled within priority valued sites (site-led projects),
  3. species without a management treatment have been prioritised for further investigation
  4. species for which no further action is required
This information should be included in an Invasive Plant Management Strategy for the NSBAP/NISAP process.
 

STEP 1.6 Identify and inform the Stakeholders

Purpose To inform the stakeholders of the outcomes of the Project Selection Stage.
Useful Tools Guideline for Project Selection
Guideline for Stakeholder Engagement
Action Description
1 For each stakeholder, identify the appropriate format of communication.
2 Communicate the outcome and planned next steps.
Note: If appropriate, provide copies of Project Selection results.
 
At the end of this step: Stakeholders will understand the selection decision.