Protocol for assessing invasive plant populations

Abstract

In Russian studies, a protocol for assessing the state of populations of invasive plant species is presented for the first time as a description form. Its development and application are important steps in systematic documentation of invasive plant species findings at the regional, national, or international level. The protocol takes account of the main criteria used for a comprehensive impact assessment: environmental impact, species distribution rate, and management complexity. The protocol comprises some additional information to be considered in the studies implemented at transport routes, in introduction institutions, agriculture, and protected areas (SPNAs). We provide the examples of the protocol application in the invasive plant species inventory along the Trans-Siberian Railway (Siberia, Russia) and in the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). The application of the proposed protocol will allow (1) to create the unified system for invasive plant monitoring, (2) to develop the general approaches and criteria for assessing the risk caused by invasive plants, and (3) to unify the data on the protocol application in assessing invasive species populations for their further use by different stakeholders.

Keywords

• alien species
• monitoring
• botanical gardens
• spna
• rail and highways
• environmental impact