Madison, WI (August 30, 2022)—The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) Classical Biocontrol Committee is excited to announce the publication of new, peer-reviewed weed biocontrol factsheets for use by managers and landowners. Subject matter experts are developing this series to cover invasive plants and their associated biological control agents in North America. Eighty factsheets for 40 weed systems will soon be published and freely available online. Factsheets for 15 weed systems are available now.
- Weed factsheets cover plant identification, history, distribution, ecology, habitat, and comparisons to look-a-like species.
- Biocontrol agent factsheets provide information on agent identification, life cycle, impact, habitat requirements, history and current status for all biocontrol agents or accidentally introduced species associated with their host plant species.
These factsheets are designed to help landowners and weed managers identify and understand weed species and learn about their biocontrol agents. Each factsheet has been peer-reviewed by experts in the field.
As the predominant organization for invasive species awareness, education, and networking for invasive species managers across North America, NAISMA is an ideal organization to publish these new factsheets to reach a broad audience. The Classical Biocontrol Committee consists of biocontrol professionals from local, state, university, and federal agencies who are committed to providing education on this important management tool. Funding for these factsheets is provided by the United State Forest Service. NAISMA is partnering with iBiocontrol.org, which will host the factsheets. Updates to iBiocontrol.org are underway, and this useful webpage will soon provide for a broad range of weed biocontrol information for practitioners, researchers, and the public.
There are currently 15 completed factsheet systems including: alligatorweed, Brazilian peppertree, Cape-ivy, common gorse, giant reed, hydrilla, knotweeds, Mediterranean sage, melaleuca, Old World climbing fern, rush skeletonweed, Scotch broom, tropical soda apple, waterhyacinth, and waterlettuce. To access these factsheets and see a list of others soon to come, please visit the new NAISMA Resources Biocontrol Factsheets page.
