Invasive Plants in PNW Ecosystems
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The Spread of Invasive Exotic Plants in Alaska.Michael Shephard, State and Private Forestry, USDA Forest Service, mshephard@fs.fed.us, Matthew L. Carlson, Alaska Natural Heritage Program, University of Alaska, Anchorage Alaska has remained relatively unaffected by non-native plants; however, the state is currently experiencing an influx of invasive non-native plants that the rest of the US experienced 60-100 years ago. With the increase in population, gardening, development, and commerce there have been more frequent introductions. Many of these species such as meadow hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense),and spotted knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii) have only localized populations in Alaska. Other taxa such as reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and white sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), both formerly used in roadside seed mixes, are now very widespread and are moving into riparian areas and wetlands. We display the results of surveys conducted over the last several years from Alaska’s state-wide invasive plant database (AKEPIC) with the information available when Alaska’s two floras were published 35+ years ago. This survey work highlights the need for more intensive detection and rapid response work if Alaska is going to remain free of many of the invasive species problems that plague the lower 48 states.
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