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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(4)

An environmental weed risk assessment model for Australian forage improvement programs

Lynley M. Stone A C D E , Margaret Byrne A C and John G. Virtue B D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Environment and Conservation, Science Division, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, WA 6984, Australia.

B Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation, GPO Box 2834, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

C Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.

D Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: lynley.stone@dec.wa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(4) 568-574 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07117
Submitted: 24 April 2007  Accepted: 16 October 2007   Published: 7 March 2008

Abstract

Many plant species with agronomic potential have been introduced for livestock forage and have subsequently become weeds of natural ecosystems, or ‘environmental weeds’. Stringent border quarantine procedures introduced by Australia in 1997 ensure few high weed risk species are now imported into the country; however, there are no protocols for assessing and managing weed risk in use on a national scale ‘post-border’ (i.e. once a plant species is in the country). Environmental weed risk management in forage improvement programs aims to minimise the risk that new species and cultivar introductions will be invasive in natural ecosystems. We describe an environmental weed risk assessment (EWRA) model specifically aimed at assessing the weed potential of exotic and native forage species. The EWRA model predicts and ranks species for weed risk by assessing invasiveness, impacts and potential distribution. Assessments are based on published evidence, experimental observations and intuitive responses from experienced pasture researchers, in collaboration with weed experts. This model specifically addresses the need for environmental weed risk management in forage improvement programs.

Additional keywords: environmental weeds, weed risk management.


Acknowledgements

We thank many researchers in the CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity and the CRC for Australian Weed Management for their assistance in developing the EWRA model. The assistance of GIS staff at the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation is acknowledged. We also thank three anonymous referees for their assistance in improving the original manuscript.


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