A review of the impacts and management of invasive plants in forestry

Abstract

While the impacts of invasive plants are commonly researched and described within the context of agriculture and restoration ecology, they receive less attention within the specific context of forestry. Forestry operations are both vulnerable to and could exacerbate the spread of invasive plants through all aspects of silviculture, all of which can lead to reduced profitability and negative impacts to the sustainability and resiliency of the ecosystems they operate within. The purpose of this review article was to synthesize the current academic and gray literature pertaining to invasive plants and forestry to inform prevention and management approaches and identify gaps in the research. We incorporated a case study from interviews with major forestry company professionals in British Columbia, Canada managing invasive species within their operations to provide critical and often overlooked perspectives and experiences. Our review provides key insights into the risks invasive plants pose to forest community and tree health, operations, economic value, and ecosystem health and identifies the need for research specific to the impacts of invasive plants and their management strategies within the context of forestry operations.