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What are invasive plants?
Across Arkansas and the nation, invasive plants, animals and pathogens damage wildlands, displace or kill native plants, wildlife and pollinators, increase wildfire and flood danger, consume valuable water, degrade recreational opportunities, and destroy productive range and timber lands.

Origins
Both plants and animals that become invasive may be introduced purposely or accidentally. Most of the plants used in gardens and landscaping do not invade or harm wildland areas, but the potential is there for a small percentage of them to do so. Multiflora Rose and Privet, both problematic invasives in the understory of Arkansas forests, are still cultivated in gardens today.

Even native species, such as bark beetles, may sometimes turn into pests when ecosystems are under stress. Non-native species, like kudzu, were introduced for a specific purpose such as erosion control, but now have entire research programs aimed at their eradication. Many others may be accidentally introduced even with programs designed to prevent their entry. Examples of accidental introductions include aquatic invasives in ballast water, insects and seeds that arrive in packing material from overseas, or seeds and spores carried across state lines on the boots of hikers and the tires of trucks.

The Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth (IPAMS) provides information on the biology, distribution, and best management practices for a select number of weedy plant species. The IPAMS system has a regional focus, and therefore focuses on the species that are prevalent in the MidSouth region. However, volunteers and data collectors are not limited to the MidSouth region nor to the plant species listed here. Collectors are encouraged to report any invasive plant species they might find, wherever they may be found.

The Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth (IPAMS) is a project of the Geosystems Research Institute (GRI), Mississippi State University. Mississippi State University created the institutional-level Geosystems Research Institute to combine and integrate academic and operational units active in conducting and coordinating research and educational activities in geospatial technologies and resource management - particularly agriculture, forestry, water resources, computational modeling, and visualization. More information regarding GRI is available at www.gri.msstate.edu.

The Geosystems Research Institute brings together faculty from 22 departments within 6 colleges/units within Mississippi State University. The GRI also collaborates with many community colleges, and focuses on agriculture, water resources, state and local government, and economic development.

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Rod Pinkston, a former U.S. Army Master Sergeant and war veteran, may well be one of the world's best and most intuitive wild hog hunters in the world. Read More »


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White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Read More »


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Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) are nonindigenous species that threaten the diversity or abundance of native species, the ecological stability of infested waters, and/or any commercial, agricultural, aquacultural , or recreational activities dependent on such waters. ANS include  nonindigenous species that may occur within inland, estuarine, or marine waters and that presently or potentially threaten ecological processes or natural resources. The term ANS is often used interchangeably with aquatic invasive species, the preferred term of Federal and State managers. An aquatic invasive species is defined as a species not native to the ecosystem under consideration whereby introduction of this species does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or threaten human health.
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Many forest managers are unknowingly introducing and spreading invasive plants on their lands through management practices they implement. These practices, ranging from traditional silvicultural management to wildlife enhancement and land-use conversion practices, all influence invasive plant growth, reproduction, and dispersal. Recognizing and predicting the response of individual species to these practices will enable managers to take steps to prevent or reduce the impact of invasive plants on their land. Many of these species eliminate all productive uses on infested sites and are very expensive to control and/or eradicate. Knowing which invasive plants are common in your region and being able to identify them aids in quickly responding to new threats. Monitoring disturbed areas and proper sanitation of equipment helps prevent new infestations. Issues such as when and how to use prescribed fire and how different invasive plants will respond can be confusing and overwhelming. This publication integrates vegetation management guidelines and control techniques with silvicultural practices, such as prescribed fire, harvest  techniques, site preparation, timber stand improvement, and wildlife plantings, in a format that will help the manager understand the relationship of management  practices and invasive plants.


(Evans, C.W., D.J. Moorhead, C.T. Bargeron, and G.K. Douce. 2006. Invasive Plant Responses to Silvicultural Practices in the South. The University of Georgia Bugwood Network, Tifton GA, BW-2006-03. 52 p.) Read More »


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Invasions of nonnative plants into forests of the Southern United States continue to spread and include new species, increasingly eroding forest productivity, hindering forest use and management activities, and degrading diversity and wildlife habitat. This book provides the latest information on how to organize and enact prevention programs, build strategies, implement integrated procedures for management, and proceed towards site rehabilitation and restoration. Effective control prescriptions are provided for 56 nonnative plants and groups currently invading the forests of the 13 Southern States. A companion book, “A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests,” (Miller and others 2010) includes information and images for accurate  identification of these invasive plants. Read More »


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Invasive non-native plants are a serious threat to native species, communities, and ecosystems in many areas around the world. They can compete with and displace native plants, animals, and other organisms that depend on them, alter ecosystem functions and cycles significantly, hybridize with native species, and promote other invaders. The good news is that many plant invasions can be reversed, halted or slowed, and in certain situations, even badly infested areas can be restored to healthy systems dominated by native species. In most instances this requires taking action to control and manage those invasive plants. This handbook provides you with detailed information about the tools and techniques available for controlling invasive plants, or weeds, in natural areas. Whenever possible, language familiar to natural area managers is used, and unfamiliar terms and jargon borrowed from other fields are defined.
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program monitors, analyzes, and records sightings of non-native (introduced) aquatic species through-out the United States. The program is based at the USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville, Florida. Read More »


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Introduced species represent an accelerated global change, and current efforts to manage them, though effective in particular situations, are not controlling the general problem. In the US, this failure is the result of insufficient policy, inadequate research and management funding, and gaps in scientific knowledge.
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Injurious wildlife are mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, mollusks and their  offspring or gametes that are injurious to the interests of human beings, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, wildlife or wildlife resources of the United States. Read More »


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The negative consequences of invasive species are far-reaching, costing the United States billions of dollars in damages every year. Compounding the problem is that these harmful invaders spread at astonishing rates. Such infestations of invasive plants and animals can negatively affect property values, agricultural productivity, public utility operations, native fisheries, tourism, outdoor recreation, and the overall health of an ecosystem. Read More »


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Fire management can help maintain natural habitats, increase forage for wildlife, reduce fuel loads that might otherwise lead to catastrophic wildfire, and maintain natural succession. Today, there is an emerging challenge that fire managers need to be aware of: invasive plants. Fire management activities can create ideal opportunities for invasions by nonnative plants, potentially undermining the benefits of fire management actions. This manual provides practical guidelines that fire managers should consider with respect to invasive plants. Read More »


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Only a very small subset of species introduced to an area where they are not native will become invasive.  But when the invasion begins, it can be costly.  The best way to fight an invasion is to prevent one from happening. 
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Published by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. This 4-pager gives background on origins and control, along with a photo, of the “world class weed” that is headed to Arkansas. Read More »


This 40-page document provides detailed information on the biology of wild pigs, how to recognize their presence, the type of damage they can cause to agriculture and natural areas and a wide range of management techniques, including hunting.  It applies to just about anywhere in the U.S. where wild pigs are found. Read More »


This brief 2-pager tells which reptiles make good pets and which do not, as well as advice on care and an explanation for why responsible pet owners do not release their pets into the environment. Read More »


Describes cogongrass, tropical soda apple, sudden oak death, bacterial leaf streak in rice, hydrilla, Sirex wood wasp, Old World bollworm, channeled apple snail, rice nematode, and other problem species on the horizon in Arkansas. Read More »

Native species
Native species are both plants and animals that have evolved in an area so that they are adapted to the local conditions and other native species. Both animals and plants that are nonnative may sometimes become invasive, depleting, outcompeting, or otherwise weakening native populations.

Native plant appreciation is growing across the country, as a “backyard restoration” movement is making people more aware of the value of natives to pollinators, birds, and other wildlife as well as their generally low maintenance requirements. Native plants are usually better suited to local soils and do not require as much care or watering as introduced plants.

The potential invasiveness of introduced plants is largely a matter of location and climate. Most of the plants used in gardens and landscaping do not invade or harm wildland areas. But a few vigorous species can - and do - escape from cultivation into open landscapes and cause a variety of ecological problems. They crowd out native plants, insects and animals, and can lead to increased flooding, fire and crop losses.

Arkansas Wildlife As stated in its State Wildlife Action Plan, “Arkansas is a study in contrasts, with dramatic mountains in the Ouachitas, vast alluvial plains in the Mississippi River delta, and deep rich hollows in the Boston and Ozark Mountains.”

The state has identified 369 species of greatest conservation need in the context of 45 terrestrial habitats and 18 aquatic habitats across seven ecoregions. Eighteen varieties of threats are affecting wildlife and habitats in Arkansas.

Migratory Birds

In most years, Arkansas winters significant numbers of mallards and wood ducks across the state, particularly in southeastern Arkansas, or the Delta. Most habitat in the state is privately owned, and often managed to benefit wildlife. Historically, flooded bottomland hardwood forests of the Delta have provided reliable, high quality habitat for millions of mallards, pintail, and other dabbling ducks.

Those forests also serve a diverse array of migratory birds, including the Swallow-tailed kite, summer tanager, ruby-throated hummingbird, wood thrush, yellow-billed cuckoo, great-crested flycatcher, and a variety of warblers and vireos. In the early 2000s, purported documented sightings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, thought to be extinct, caused great excitement and numerous biological surveys, but no further evidence of the birds has been found.

Learn more about Native Species Learn more about Native Species


Most Mississippi alluvial forest restoration plantings have not performed well. The Center for Bottomlands Hardwoods Research has the answers.

Although about 370,000 acres of farmland in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) have been planted in bottomland hardwoods over the last decade, more than 90 percent of the planted sites have not performed well, failing to meet the criterion of 100 woody stems per acre. Attributing these failures to lack of information on how to analyze site conditions and overcome difficult conditions, SRS researchers provided the following guidelines based on research at the SRS Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research in Stoneville, MS.

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In recent years, there has been increased interest in establishing native warm season grasses (NWSG) and forbs as wildlife habitat. Commonly known as prairie or prairie grass, native grasslands and savannas, a forest/grassland complex with less than 50% tree coverage, historically dominated the landscape across much of the United States. These grasses and forbs grow during the warmer months of the year as opposed to cool season grasses such as fescue and brome. Read More »


A 2008 Farm Bill provision allows for a 25% Deduction for Endangered Species Recovery Expenditures. Read More »


This brief 2-pager tells which reptiles make good pets and which do not, as well as advice on care and an explanation for why responsible pet owners do not release their pets into the environment. Read More »


Bats, still a required decor component for Halloween, are increasingly recognized as the important creatures that they are.  Bats are important predators and pollinators in ecosystems throughout the world.  The benefits they provide humans are substantial - both in terms of controlling insect pests and pollinating economically important crops.
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According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, endemic species are native species that are confined to a certain region or having a comparatively restricted distribution.  For example, the Joshua Tree is endemic to the Mojave Desert.  In other words, endemics, wherever they are located, are unique to their region.  In general, the greater the isolation or specialized nature of the habitat, the more numerous the endemics.  Thus, according to Britannica Encyclopedia online, species on remote oceanic islands tend to be almost 100% endemic. Read More »


Unlocking Bird Conservation Plans to Create Education Programs that Work
Do you want to connect your audiences to conservation messages but don’t know where to start? Conservation plans, based on extensive biological research, will help prioritize your efforts. 

This resource sheet will help you:
  • Link your education programs to priorities in bird conservation plans; 
  • Find relevant bird conservation plans in your area of focus; 
  • Extract key information to guide education program development; and 
  • Involve scientists in the development of your education programs.


Best Management Practices
Best Management Practices, or BMPs, are developed by experienced practitioners or management and research organizations to improve land management outcomes. Although general wildlife, habitat, or agricultural or water quality BMPs may be helpful for many species of wildlife, some species have unique requirements that are highly limiting to their populations.

A good example is the Wood Duck, a species of waterfowl that declined in the late 18th century as a result of overhunting and declines in its preferred bottomland habitat. According to the US Geological Survey, “by the beginning of the 20th century, wood ducks had virtually disappeared from much of their former range.” The Wood Duck is a cavity nester and requires mature trees and snags for nesting. As this type of habitat develops slowly and can be rare under modern forest management regimes, the specific practice of placing and maintaining wood duck boxes began in the 1930s to artificially boost populations.

Specific guidelines for the correct dimensions, construction and placement of wood duck boxes has helped make the practice widespread, playing a key part in the comeback of the Wood Duck nationwide. Again, USGS states, “The story of the Wood Duck is an example of how active wildlife management techniques can have a tremendous effect on the overall success of an individual species.”

Best Management Practice Downloads

Thus, for landowners interested in particular species or taxa, the right BMPs can help. The following are a selection of BMPs culled from various national, regional, state and local sources. Each is available for download as a pdf.


This is an Invasive Species Element Stewardship Abstract, prepared by The Nature Conservancy to assist their land stewards and other land managers in managing invasive species. An Element Stewardship Abstract always contains information on the origins and range of the species, as well as its biology and, most importantly, options for management, control and habitat restoration. This abstract addresses the nuisance aquatic species hydrilla.

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Published by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. This 4-pager gives background on origins and control, along with a photo, of the “world class weed” that is headed to Arkansas. Read More »


The Arkansas Forestry Commission's guidelines for a prescribed burn and contract for burning. Read More »


A Prescribed Fire Association is a group of landown- ers and other concerned citizens that form a partnership to conduct prescribed burns. Prescribed burning is the key land management tool used to restore and maintain native plant communities to their former diversity and productivity for livestock production and wildlife habitat. Native prairies, shrublands, and forests supply the majority of livestock forage and much of the wildlife habitat in the U.S. Without fire, many native plant communities become dysfunctional and unproductive. Research has clearly shown that there is no substitute for fire. 

Many forest and grassland ecosystems are fire dependent and not burning is poor land management.  Why do not more people use prescribed fire to manage their land? First, fire was not part of the European culture that settled in post-Columbian America. Fire exclusion and fire suppression has been engrained in our society for years and popularized by the very successful Smokey the Bear ad campaign. The result has been a rapid decline in the quality of our natural resources, along with costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year to fight wildfires and the many other nega- tive consequences of fuel build up.

article adapted from Oklahome Cooperative Extension Association
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A summary of all the benefits of prescribed fire in southern forests. Read More »



As many Tennessee producers are aware, cool-season grasses, such as tall fescue and orchardgrass, suffer from poor forage production during the summer months. This has led to the search for cost-effective alternatives to bridge this summer “forage slump.” Native warm-season grasses (NWSG), bermudagrass and summer annuals
are potential alternatives that can provide ample forage during this period. 



However, economic analyses of NWSG in the Mid- South are limited to switchgrass, and only then for biofuel production. The Center for Native Grasslands Management has developed a Web-based, interactive, decision-support tool to examine various scenarios associ- ated with summer forage production. This tool can be used to examine the impacts of fuel cost, seed cost and planting rates, herbicide cost and application rates, and fertilizer price and application rates on the economics of grazing and haying NWSG, bermudagrass and summer annuals. The tool is based on UT budgets developed for forages (http://economics.ag.utk.edu/budgets.html). Using output from this decision-support tool and January 2011 current prices (Table 1), this publication offers insight into the economic implications of several inputs and outputs of NWSG as a forage in the Mid-South. Seed, fertilizers, her- bicides and fuel costs may vary greatly over time, so this publication is meant to serve only as a guide. Read More »


This 40-page document provides detailed information on the biology of wild pigs, how to recognize their presence, the type of damage they can cause to agriculture and natural areas and a wide range of management techniques, including hunting.  It applies to just about anywhere in the U.S. where wild pigs are found. Read More »


Gives an overview of prevention techniques for live fish, shellfish, ornamental fish and invertebrates, aquatic plants, marine shrimp and freshwater prawns.
A list of all Southern Regional Aquaculture Center factsheets (more than 150) are available at https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/viewAllSheets/ Read More »


Discusses pathogens and parasites, genetic alterations, and genetically modified organisms.
A list of all Southern Regional Aquaculture Center factsheets (more than 150) are available at https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/viewAllSheets/ Read More »


A must-read for any responsible aquaculturist contemplating non-native species production.
A list of all Southern Regional Aquaculture Center factsheets (more than 150) are available at https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/viewAllSheets/ Read More »


Strategies and cost estimates for various forms of frightening programs and exclusion ro barrier methods of control.
A list of all Southern Regional Aquaculture Center factsheets (more than 150) are available at https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/viewAllSheets/ Read More »


Describes cogongrass, tropical soda apple, sudden oak death, bacterial leaf streak in rice, hydrilla, Sirex wood wasp, Old World bollworm, channeled apple snail, rice nematode, and other problem species on the horizon in Arkansas. Read More »

BMPs oriented more specifically toward forest resources, energy efficiency, water quality, farms & agriculture and wildlife habitat are also available on this site.

Invasive Species News Items
The following news articles are provided by the Google News service and do not reflect the views or imply an endorsement by the Arkansas Conservation Center and its affiliates. We cannot guarantee the relevance of the content of this page or any links that may be followed from the articles herein.
Google News

UH-Hilo Wins US Imagine Cup, Trip to Finals in Russia
Big Island Now
Team Captain Mike Purvis said the idea grew out of a senior project to design software that could track native and invasive plant species. “We realized tracking that kind of information could be applied to a larger scale with more impact,” Purvis said ...

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Watershed moment: Touring the history and ecology of the big lake
Aitkin Independent Age
The Vineland historical marker was designed by architect A.R. Nicols and built by Mille Lacs Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, in the 1930s to recognize the historical significance of this site. It states: In this vicinity stood the great ... roots ...

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" Republicans Suddenly Decide to Care About Big Government Overreach "
Brad Blog (blog)
Plant operator apologizes, again; AP reports they 'all but disregarded 3,000 years of geological history' in designing safe-guards'... 3/27/11: Sign of .... In 2006, a contractor hired by the IRS collected party affiliation via a search of voter ...

and more »



Waterloo Record

Asian carp fish found in Grand River sparks alarm for conservation officials
Waterloo Record
Conservationists are sounding the alarm after a 40-pound Asian grass carp, an invasive species of monster fish that has wreaked havoc in U.S. waterways, was caught by an angler last week in the mouth of the Grand River near Dunnville. “They have the ...

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New York Times

Who Would Kill a Monk Seal?
New York Times
But the species quietly survived in the Leeward Islands, northwest of the main Hawaiian chain — a remote archipelago, including Laysan Island, Midway and French Frigate Shoals, which, for the most part, only Victorian guano barons and the military ...

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Browse We Recommend
Memphis Flyer
It is perhaps the most dynamic mixing place in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, an expansive, watery no-man's-land carved out by the meeting of three rivers: the White, the Arkansas, and the Mississippi. It creates one of the largest roadless areas ...




More fish to fight hydrilla problem
KXAN.com
AUSTIN (KXAN) - The City of Austin is ramping up its fight against the invasive plant, hydrilla . It's nuisance for boaters and ... 9,000 sterile asian grass carp from Arkansas were introduced to Lake Austin Thursday. "We went from 50 fish per acre to ...




Celandine Poppy - Fabulous Native Wildflower for the Woodland Garden ...
Press-Register - al.com
We have had this plant growing in our flower beds since we moved into the house over 7 years ago. I have asked several people if they know what ... The fear is that it is an invasive plant and it may be something that the gardener should remove from ...




Vanity Fair

Inside the Mud Premiere: Reese Witherspoon Attends Despite Disorderly ...
Vanity Fair
And they're an invasive species, and the hum of the boat motor attracts them,” he said. “And they'll literally leap out of the water and hit ... “She looked perfectly appropriate in the middle of the woods in Arkansas. She had boots,” Nichols said ...

and more »



Arkansas Weekend: Upcoming events
Northwest Arkansas News
“We Walk in Two Worlds: The Caddo, Osage and Quapaw in Arkansas,” “The Arkansas-Born Bowie Knife and Modern Bladesmithing,” interactive children's exhibits, puppet theater and more, all continuing. Hourly ..... Invasive plant and trash removal effort.


Google News
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Shop for Conservation
Robin Schiele, a dedicated conservationist and talented painter of exotic birds has generously agreed to donate 20% of the sale of his paintings to help support our conservation efforts.  Visit Resource First Foundation's Conservation Art Sale and put a life-size original watercolor of an endangered, endemic or rare bird from the Neotropical forests on a wall in your home or office.