Minnesota loggers and invasive forest plants; attitudes, behaviors and concerns

Abstract

Invasive plants are non-native species that are likely to cause economic or environmental damage, or harm to the health of other organisms (Beck et al. 2008). Invasive plants aggressively compete with native plant species and often displace them in forested ecosystems. They can greatly impact the health and regeneration of forest lands through reduced forest productivity, degraded soil and competition (Holmes et al. 2009). Additionally, invasive plants can adversely impact wildlife habitat and decrease suitability for a variety of recreational opportunities. In a survey of landowners and public land professionals in Minnesota, concerns were raised about the potential impact of invasive plants on conservation and ecological values, forest regeneration efforts, recreational activities, and game species (Reinhardt et al. 2019).

Citation

Snyder, Stephanie; Blinn, Charles R.; Peterson, Rachel R. 2019. Minnesota loggers and invasive forest plants; attitudes, behaviors and concerns. ​​​​Staff Paper Series No. 257. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, ​Department of Forest Resources. 97 p. https://www.forestry.umn.edu/sites/forestry.umn.edu/files/loggerinvasivestaffpaper102019.pdf.