Partnerships Against Pests: Minyip Weed Prioritisation Session

This activity is part of our collaborative Partnerships Against Pests project with neighboring Landcare Network Project Platypus.

The aim of the activity was to develop a priority list of weeds for the area informed by the community. It begins with a discussion on values: the group is asked to close their eyes and raise their hand in response to a number of value statements. For example, do they care if the weed in question affects human access to sites, or changes fire regime? Each participant is then asked to write down their own list of problem weeds in the area, and rank them according to their “gut feel” of impact. They are also asked to categorise the extent, and the habitat value impact of each weed.

The overall list of weeds is then compared to the values ranking session by using known information about the impacts of of each weed on those values. Where possible, this information is pulled from the Victorian Resources Online database of invasive plants. This then generates a ranked list of problematic weeds based on the impacts on values the community cares about, which can be compared to the ‘gut feeling’ rankings generated earlier to understand bias around weed control attitudes.

Taking things a step further, the process also has a way to incorporate ease of control for weeds into the prioritisation process. For example, very difficult to control weeds with a well-established extent may not be the most realistic for Landcare groups to tackle with limited funds, compared to emerging weeds that are less difficult to control.

This Project is funded by the Victorian Government under the Partnerships Against Pests grant program.

Priority weeds for Minyip

The weeds that came out on top for the Minyip community are listed below, in descending order of priority.

Gazania (Gazania rigens and G. splendens)

Native to southern Africa, this plant has become very popular as a garden plant in Australia and there are many cultivars available. Unfortunately, it also readily invades grassland and bushland, and is even being investigated by the GRDC for impacts on cropping.

Status:

  • Not a declared weed in Victoria

  • Listed as “Very High Risk” on the Advisory List of Envronmental Weeds in Victoria

More info:


Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)

Horehound is a Eurasian medicinal herb widely naturalised in Australia. It is a weed of agricultural areas as well as native vegetation, and spreads easily with its burr-like seeds. It is unpalatable to sheep and increases under heavy grazing. It especially thrives on poor soils.

Status:

  • Declared weed: listed as “Regionally Controlled” in the Wimmera

  • Listed as “High Risk” on the Advisory List of Environmental Weeds in Victoria

More info:


Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides)

Native to southern Africa, this species is now Very widespread in southern Australia, and has been widely cultivated as a garden plant. It is extremely invasive and its scrambling stems can smother native vegetation. It is difficult to control due to its dense layer of underground tubers that impede root growth and make the plant very resilient to drought and control efforts.

Status:

  • Declared weed: listed as “Restricted” in all regions of Victoria

  • Listed as “High Risk” on the Advisory List of Environmental Weeds in Victoria

  • Weed of National Significance

More info:


Amsinckia

Native to south America, it is now widely naturalised in southen Australia. It is primarily a weed of disturbed areas and can be found in winter cereal crops, pastures and natural areas. Several species or Amsinckia can be found in the Wimmera

Status:

  • Declared weed: listed as “Restricted” in the Wimmera

  • Listed as “Medium Risk” on the Advisory List of Environmental Weeds in Victoria

More info:


African Boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum)

Native to southern Africa, this species is widely naturalised in Australia, having been widely grown as a hedge in the past. It is mostly spread by seed when the fruit are eaten by birds and other animals, and can also spread by suckers from root fragments.

Status:

  • Declared weed: listed as “Regionally Controlled” in the Wimmera

  • Listed as “High Risk” on the Advisory List of Environmental Weeds in Victoria

  • Weed of National Significance

More info:

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