Invasive alien plants of national interest in New Zealand
Early action maximises the opportunity to eradicate pests and diseases or contain them within a particular area. In New Zealand, a decision-making scheme to elaborate a list of pests to be subject to new management programmes was agreed by the Central Regional Biodiversity Forum in October 2006. It includes general guidance, the overall process to be followed and criteria for decision-making.
MAF Biodiversity New Zealand (BNZ), regional Councils, Department of Conservation (DOC), Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) identified 20 pests, of which 15 are plants, to be subjected to a national management programme. For each species, an assessment of the pest consequences was made and management options were prepared and reviewed by a technical Advisory Group.
The 15 plants listed as national interest pests are listed in the table below in order of priority, with their family, origin, response goal in New Zealand and status in the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW) which indicates their invasive behaviour elsewhere in the world:
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Species
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Family
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Origin
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GCW Status
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Response goal in NZ
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Salvinia molesta
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Salviniaceae
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Brazil
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W, QW, NW, EW
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Eradication
|
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Eichhornia crassipes
|
Pontederiaceae
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S-Am.
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W, QW, NW, EW
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Eradication
|
|
Sorghum halepense
|
Poaceae
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Medit. to India
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W, QW, NW, EW
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Eradication
|
|
Homeria collina
(= Moraea flaccida)
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Iridaceae
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Af.
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EW
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Eradication
|
|
Ehrharta villosa
|
Poaceae
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S-Af.
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W, Nat W, EW
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Eradication
|
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Phragmites australis
|
Poaceae
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Cosmopolitan
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W, QW, NW, Nat W, EW
|
Eradication
|
|
Hydrilla verticillata
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Hydrocharitaceae
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Af., As., Australia
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W, QW, NW, Nat W, EW
|
Eradication
|
|
Ceratophyllum demersum
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Ceratophyllaceae
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Eur.
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W, SW, QW, NW, Nat W, EW
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Eradication and exclusion from South Island
|
|
Bryonia cretica subsp. dioica
|
Cucurbitaceae
|
Af., temp As., Eur.
|
W
|
Eradication
|
|
Zizania latifolia
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Poaceae
|
As.
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W, QW, EW
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Eradication of isolated populations, containment of large populations
|
|
Nassella neesiana
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Poaceae
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S-Am.
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W, QW, NW, EW
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Containment
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Lagarosiphon major
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Hydrocharitaceae
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Trop & southern Africa
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W, QW, NW, EW
|
Site-specific control
|
|
Egeria densa
|
Hydrocharitaceae
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S-Am.
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W, QW, NW, EW
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Site-specific control
|
|
Heracleum mantegazzianum
|
Apiaceae
|
Eastern Eur.
|
W, QW, NW, EW
|
No programme
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* Abbreviations for the Global Compendium of Weeds column:
W: weed; SW: sleeper weed; NW: noxious weed; Nat W: Native Weed; AW: Agricultural weed; EW: environmental weed.
The species in bold are listed on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants.
Sources
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Lamb V (2007) New response programmes for national interest pests. Biosecurity 76, 20-21.
More information available at: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pest-and-disease-response/pests-and-diseases-watchlist/
A Global Compendium of Weeds. http://www.hear.org/gcw/alpha_select_gcw.htm
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