For more information on invasive and native plants, visit these sites:
Invasipedia houses information on invasive plants, animals, and pathogens, and especially how to best manage them. Its foundation is the large amount of species management information developed by the The Nature Conservancy’s Global Invasive Species Team.
Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas A web-based project of the Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group. Provides information for the general public, land managers, researchers, and others on the serious threat and impacts of invasive alien (exotic, non-native) plants to the native flora, fauna, and natural ecosystems of the United States.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States A collaborative project between the National Park Service, the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Assists users with identification, early detection, prevention, and management of invasive plants. The focus is on non-native invasive plant species impacting natural areas, excluding agricultural and other heavily developed and managed lands. Four main components are species information, images, distribution maps, and early detection reporting procedures.
IDNR Invasive Exotic Plants in Indiana Natural Areas A list of the most troublesome non-native plants that have been observed occurring in natural communities. Compiled by state botanist Mike Homoya and updated periodically to include newly discovered invasive species.
Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) A web-based mapping system for documenting invasive species distribution from databases, organizations, and volunteer observations. The aim is to create a national network of invasive species distribution data that is shared with educators, land managers, conservation biologists, and beyond. Includes county-by-county sightings.
Favorite Articles on Invasive Plants
Long-time Invasives Education chair Ellen Jacquart recommends these scientific articles for those interested in understanding and managing invasive plants. Her comments follow the article citations.
Brian F. Allan et al. (2010) Invasive honeysuckle eradication reduces tick-borne disease risk by altering host dynamics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(43): 18523–18527. View PDF
Dense bush honeysuckle areas have more deer and more disease-carrying ticks.
Kenneth A. Schmidt & Christopher J. Whelan (1999) Effects of exotic Lonicera and Rhamnus on songbird nest predation. Conservation Biology 3(6): 1502–1506. View PDF
Decrease in songbird reproductive success.
K. M. Hartman & B.C. McCarthy (2007) A dendro-ecological study of forest overstorey productivity following the invasion of the non-indigenous shrub Lonicera maackii. Applied Vegetation Science 10: 3-14. View abstract, download PDF
Bush honeysuckle decreases mature tree growth by over 50%.
Rachel E. McNeish, M. Eric Benbow, & Ryan W. McEwan (2012) Riparian forest invasion by a terrestrial shrub (Lonicera maackii) impacts aquatic biota and organic matter processing in headwater streams. Biological Invasions 14(9): 1881–1893. View abstract, download PDF
Bush honeysuckle can significantly change stream biota and organic matter processing in streams.
Kendra Cipollini, Elizabeth Ames, & Don Cipollini (2009) Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii): Management method impacts restoration of understory plants in the presence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginiana). Invasive Plant Science and Management 2:45–54. View abstract, download PDF
This is more of a management article, which points out that if you leave the dead stems standing it will keep deer from eating all the herbaceous native plants that try to reestablish (among other points).