California Invasive Plant Research Needs Assessment

Abstract

This project summarizes the opinion of 52 experts on the future research needs in the area of invasive plants in California. Experts included academics at private and public universities, Cooperative Extension educators, land managers, members of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), employees of restoration companies, and federal, state, and local agency personnel. Surveys were conducted through in-person interviews, written questionnaires, and workshops. The objective was to identify high-priority needs for future research on issues related to invasive plants in California's wildlands. More specifically, the goals were to (1) create a forum for assessing high-priority research needs, (2) guide future research toward these high-priority needs, and (3) facilitate connections and interactions among academic disciplines and between researchers and practitioners by increasing awareness of the range of ongoing research on invasive plants. Priority needs were chosen for 10 broad research topic areas, with specific subtopics addressed within each of these areas. In addition to noting specific research areas, there was a general need expressed for a synthesis of existing scientific information, particularly about the biology and ecology of invasive plants and the ecological impacts, control and management tools, restoration activities, and related social issues surrounding invasive plants. A mutual exchange of information was also considered important among the academic researcher and the field practitioner, as was the development of more effective training programs for land managers.

Incorporating climate change into invasive species management: insights from managers

“…Prioritizing applied research on invasive species and climate change (Fig. 5) is one way to overcome the information challenges identified by managers (Robison et al 2010;Mihók et al 2015) and to ultimately increase the number of managers gaining ground against invasions. Managers are particularly interested in research on native species or ecological communities that are more resilient to the impacts of invasions and climate change (e.g., increasing natural biotic resistance; Levine 2000) and research to identify range shifting invasive species and future hotspots of invasion.…”

Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap in Invasive Plant Management: Accessibility and Interdisciplinarity of Scientific Research

“…; Robison et al . ). A study of invasive species researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders in Great Britain similarly found a strong reliance on field experience, expert opinion, and synthesized sources of literature such as literature reviews, as well as a preference for information that was freely accessible online (Bayliss et al .…”

“…More than a third of managers never read peer-reviewed journals, principally because they do not have library access or sufficient time. Other researchers have also noted that time and library access are strong barriers to conservation practitioners' engagement with current research (Pullin & Knight 2005;Renz et al 2009;Robison et al 2010). A study of invasive species researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders in Great Britain similarly found a strong reliance on field experience, expert opinion, and synthesized sources of literature such as literature reviews, as well as a preference for information that was freely accessible online (Bayliss et al 2012).…”

“…Even within the peer-reviewed literature, the choice of publishing venue may matter to managers' access: choosing an open-access option, or a journal that requires authors to provide a lay summary for interested nonspecialists, can help broaden a paper's reach. Another strategy is to convene workshops in which scientists, practitioners, and/or policymakers are expressly asked to exchange information or set priorities together (Gibbons et al 2008;Robison et al 2010;Shaw et al 2010;Liu et al 2011). Any opportunity to cross into each other's spheres can potentially improve interchanges between researchers and practitioners and understand their sometimes conflicting needs and motivations (Gibbons et al 2008).…”

“…More importantly, managers cannot divorce their research needs from the social and political context in which they work, and therefore require interdisciplinary research. There have been frequent calls in recent years for the social sciences to be better integrated into ecological restoration and invasive species management, and for restoration and management priorities to include local, social, and economic values, as well as biological values (Thresher & Kuris 2004;Bernhardt et al 2007;Hobbs 2007;Miller & Hobbs 2007;Robison et al 2010;McKinley et al 2012). When South African managers were asked to pose research questions to invasion biologists at a symposium, they spanned a wide variety of disciplines, touching on sociological, political, and regulatory issues in addition to invasive species biology and applied ecology (Shaw et al 2010).…”