Invasive Species in Pennsylvania

This booklet offers a survey of the efforts of a variety of groups that have mobilized volunteers in an effort to control invasive plants in natural areas. It is hoped that the case studies presented can provide motivation and methods for recruiting and deploying volunteers charged with the task of invasive plant control.

Fact sheet on controlling invasive plants.

Two-page fact sheet that includes a description of invasive vines; how they are introduced to an area; why they are a threat to forests, birds, and other wildlife; invasive vines in Pennsylvania; their impact on the ecology of natural areas; how landowners can control and eliminate them; and native alternatives.

Example of comprehensive state database of plants; where to turn to learn whether a species is native or introduced and where in the state it has been found. Also used for plant identification.

The PISC website covers the management plan for invasive species in Pennsylvania, agencies involved in the effort and meeting minutes for the council. It also lists invasive species known to be widespread, those of limited distribution, and those not yet found in Pennsylvania.

This website has lists of Pennsylvania invasive plants and landscaping suggestions that are alternatives to using invasive plants.

Invasive species management programs help minimize the harm of invasive species on natural lands and encourage the health of native plants and wildlife.

Formerly the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, this organization coordinates regional efforts by sharing information, hosting a biennial conference, and offers a tutorial for land managers on invasive plants.

Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is a robust, botanically based method for assessing the quality of ecological communities and natural areas. Integral to the method is that each native plant species in a state or region is assigned a Coefficient of Conservatism, or C value, based on its response to stressors. In the Northeast Region (including six New England states and New York), C values were completed at the state level in 2011, whereby every species in each state was assigned a C value based on statewide “average behavior.” But jurisdictional units are not optimal for addressing changes in species behavior. For this reason, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) have supported the development of ecoregional C values, including in the Northeast.