Photo: Potato fields, Driggs, Idaho. © 2018 Delena Norris-Tull
Why focus on just the Western States?
Summary and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Emerita Professor of Science Education, July 2020.
This project is focused on the Western United States for a variety of reasons:
Each State has its own website related to management of invasive species/noxious weeds within that State. In addition, there are many useful online resources, such as invasive.org and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, both of which are hosted by the University of Georgia “Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health” and several Federal Agencies and non-profit organizations. These websites include lists and photographs of invasive species found in North America, links to the Early Detection & Distribution (EDD) Mapping System, and valuable information about invasive species.
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Why focus on just the Western States?
Summary and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Emerita Professor of Science Education, July 2020.
This project is focused on the Western United States for a variety of reasons:
- The first coordinated efforts in the United States to tackle the issue of invasive plants were carried out in the Western States beginning in the 1930s.
- Due to frequent drought conditions and wildfires in the West, and the high altitudes and high latitudes of many of those States (resulting in very short growing seasons), managing invasive plants is arguably more challenging than in the Eastern States.
- In addition to vast amounts of agricultural land, Western States comprise rangelands that include prairies, forests, sagebrush steppe, and deserts, that present unique challenges to weed management.
Each State has its own website related to management of invasive species/noxious weeds within that State. In addition, there are many useful online resources, such as invasive.org and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, both of which are hosted by the University of Georgia “Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health” and several Federal Agencies and non-profit organizations. These websites include lists and photographs of invasive species found in North America, links to the Early Detection & Distribution (EDD) Mapping System, and valuable information about invasive species.
Next Sections: