Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Nonnative invasive plants of Pacific coast forests: a field guide for identification

Author: Gray, Andrew N.; Barndt, Katie; Reichard, Sarah H.

Date: 2011

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-817. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 91 p.

Station ID: GTR-PNW-817

Description: Nonnative plants affect the composition and function of natural and managed ecosystems and have large economic effects through lost or degraded land use and eradication costs. In spite of their importance, very little comprehensive information on the abundance, distribution, and impact of nonnative invasive plants is available. The objective of this study was to prioritize a list of nonnative invasive plants affecting forest lands in the Pacific coastal states of California, Oregon, and Washington, and provide enough detail in nontechnical language and photos of different stages of plant development to allow reliable identification in the field. Information was synthesized from a variety of national, regional, and state lists, assessments, and botanical guides. The final list was designed to capture species believed to be most prevalent or problematic and to be used for strategic forest inventories like the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. Identification of the several hundred nonnative invasive species present in the region requires substantial taxonomic experience; a prioritized short list of species with practical identification tips can be a good place for novice botanists and large-scale monitoring efforts to start.

Keywords: invasive species, nonnative plants

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Citation

Gray, Andrew N.; Barndt, Katie; Reichard, Sarah H.  2011.  Nonnative invasive plants of Pacific coast forests: a field guide for identification.   Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-817. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 91 p..