Evaluating NIS Management Alternatives
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Control/Management Alternatives
This type of evaluation allows you to determine if the abundance or area of target
NIS will be reduced by your different management alternatives. In order to determine
if your NIS management is having the desired effect, and if this, in turn, is meeting
your land management goals, you must record NIS abundance before management, and then
re-visit NIS management sites again after management has been applied. Initially,
management alternatives should be tested on a small scale (i.e., a small section of
the management area) to avoid spending unnecessary time and money applying ineffective
management to your entire management area.
As with invasiveness, management effectiveness may vary for different levels of PO.
For this reason, we recommend that you stratify your evaluation of control measures
in a similar way to how you stratify a monitoring plan for monitoring invasiveness. The process is the same as monitoring for invasiveness,
except that management will be applied after the initial monitoring session (i.e.,
between years one and two)
There are three main ways in which management effectiveness can be evaluated. The
methods described below must be completed before and after management (using the same
method) to evaluate if management is effective!
- Record the perimeter of NIS populations with a GPS.
- Record stem density or % cover of the NIS in plots within populations.
- Photo Monitoring *This procedures above should be completed at a time when the NIS
is easily identified and seasonal growth has reached its maximum.
The procedures above should be completed at a time when the NIS is easily identified
and seasonal growth has reached its maximum.
Comparing ‘before management’ and ‘after management’ documentation of abundance allows
you to evaluate if a management alternative has been effective. If a particular management
alternative has not reduced the abundance of the target NIS, you should try a different
approach. Also, be aware of the potential off target impacts that management may have.
Learn more about Off Target Impacts
Go on to Prioritization
