The Invasive Alien Species

Project

 

Invasive Alien Aquatic Plants Questionnaire

 

Contents

Introduction

Contact Information

Section 1- Defining the problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds

Section 2 - Management of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds

Section 3 - Computer accessibility

Section 4 - Perceptions of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds

 

Introduction

Invasive alien species can have devastating effects on the environment.  In freshwater ecosystems, invasion by alien aquatic weeds can block drainage channels, pose a nuisance to recreational waterways and have damaging effects on native biodiversity.

By completing this questionnaire, you will be providing information that will be used to develop a national directory of invasive alien species in the UK.  This resource will be freely available to environmental practitioners to assist in the development of management and/or control strategies

All responses will be treated with complete confidentiality, but if you would like to remain anonymous please leave Section 1 blank. 

Please fill all sections as completely as possible and follow the instructions at the end to ensure the form is returned.

 

Many thanks for your time and effort,

Dr Jon Huckle

Applied Vegetation Dynamics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences (Derby Building), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GS

Email: jhuckle@liv.ac.uk

Tel.: 0151 794 4775  Fax.: 0151 794 4940

Contact Information

Name:
Position
(Job title):
Organisation:
Interest in Invasive Alien Aquatic Plants
   
Address:
Email:
Telephone:
Fax:

Section 1 - Defining the problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds

1. Please indicate the level of involvement of your work with Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds in freshwater environments

Continuous

Frequent

Occasional

Rare
Not at all



2. How experienced are you with the following environmental problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds (please add others if applicable)?

Very experienced Quite experienced Some experience No experience
Blockage of land drainage
Blockage of waterways
Damage to recreation/amenity value
Adverse conservation/biodiversity effects
Other (please specify)



3. Please indicate up to three species of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed with which you have had the most involvement

i)
ii)
iii)



4. An important part of dealing with an Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed problem is recognising that a problem exists in the first place. In your experience, where does information regarding most problems originate from?

General public/ water users

Water Industry staff

Environment Agency

Other Environmental organisation
Other source (please specify)




5. Is there an organisation that should be informed or notified concerning new environmental problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds?

Yes
No
Don't know
If Yes, what is the organisation, if No, do you think it would be useful? Which organisation should it be?



6. Are there any guidelines for the diagnosis of environmental problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds?

Yes
No
Don't know
If Yes, plese give details, if No, please indicate whether you think these would be useful?




7. What ( if any) characteristics would be useful in diagnosing whether an Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed is causing an environmental problem?

1)
2)
3)



8. How would you ensure that the species of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed was correctly identified?

Consult field guide/ identification key
See advice of expert
Other
Please give specific details if possible:




9. Please indciate whether you consider the current status of these alien aquatic species to be problematic or beneficial to aquatic environments:

Species Extremely problematic Slightly problematic Neither Slightly beneficial Extremely beneficial Don't know
Azolla filiculoides
Crassula helmsii
Eichhornia crassipes
Elodea canadensis
Elodea nuttallii
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Lagarosiphon major
Lemna minuta
Myriophyllum aquaticum
Other species




10. Please indicate the three species. with reasons if possible, that you consider to have most potential to cause environmental problems in the future:

1.
2.
3.

Section 2- Management of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds

Once it has been recognised that a particular species of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds is causing an environmental problem, management strategies can be developed. This section aims to identify which information would be particularly useful in a web-based management resource.


11. From your experience, please suggest the three most useful sources of information that you would consult when developing a management strategy for invasive alien aquatic weeds?

1)
2)
3)



12. How useful would you consider the following information about individual species of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed species when developing management strategies?


 Essential Very useful Quite useful Not Useful Don't know

Identification charactersitics

Taxonomic information:
- details of family and genus
- related species
- details of hybrids/ genetics

Reproductive Ecology
 - methods of reproduction
  - ability to spread vegetatively
  - dispersal mechanisms
  - rates of spread

History of species
 - original native range
 - method/location of introduction

Biogeography
  - current distribution in UK
  - distribution elsewhere

Details of habitat requirements
Ecological effects of the species
Economic implications
Legal status/issues
Cultural implications
Other information



13. How useful would you find information about past environmental problems caused by Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds


 Essential Very useful Quite useful Not Useful Don't know
Details of previous invasions of alien aquatic weed species in the UK
Details of alien aquatic weed species that are non-invasive
Details of native aquatic plant species that are invasive in other parts of the world
Details of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weed problems in other parts of the world



14. How effectively do you think current management plans for dealing with Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds incorporate the following aspects of strategic planning?


 Very effectively Quite effectively Not at all effectively Varies considerably Don't know
Raising public awareness of problems involved
Providing information to interested parties
Using ecological information of the relevant species/habitats
Using surveys to establish baseline data
Establishing monitoring schemes
Liaison between different relevant authorities and organisations
Adoption of appropriate time-scales to the problem
Selection of appropriate control options
Inclusion of environmental restoration options




Section 3- Computer Accessibility

One of the key objectives of the Invasive Alien Species database is to ensure that all information is freely accessible to as many people as possible. The construction of an interactive web resource is a useful mechanism for accomplishing this task. This section of the questionnaire will provide information about how useful and practical you think such a resource may be.



15. How useful do you think a web-based database of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds would be for:


 Extremely useful Quite useful Not very useful Don't know
Assisting identification of invasive alien aquatic plant species
Selecting appropriate control methods for Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds
Assisting development of effective management strategies
Raising public awareness of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds
Increasing communication between the aquatic plant management community




16. How often do you use the following in your work regarding Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds and aquatic plant managment?


 Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never
Interactive web-based resources
Web-pages providing information
Newsgroups/ bulletin boards
Email mailing lists
Specialised computer applications
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Word processing/ spreadsheet/ database packages
Other computer/ Information Technology not listed


Section 4 - Perceptions of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds



17. Please indciate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements:

Strongly agree Partially agree Neither agree nor disagree Partially disagree Strongly disagreee Don't know
Current legislation is strong enough to deal with alien aquatic weeds
The Gardening Industry is taking adequate action to prevent introductions of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds
There needs to be stronger links between all parties involved with alien aquatic weeds
The terminology surrounding alien and native species is confusing to the general public
Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds are a serious threat to aquatic biodiversity
Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds are not taken seriously enough by the Water Industry
Economic constraints are the main obstacle to effective control of Invasive Alien Aquatic Weeds
Invasive alien species infestations are a result of poor management practices
Public awareness of the problems associated with invasive alien species is poor
The costs of control of invasive alien species often outweigh the benefits
Invasion by alien plant species leads to enhanced biodiversity
Invasive alien species are more of a problem now than in the past
Aquatic species often remain unidentified until they cause a problem
Garden Centres are the main source of invasive alien species
Tighter controls are needed to prevent further invasive alien species introductions
Eradication of invasive alien species should be the aim of management strategies
The public are continually becoming better informed about aquatic weed species


Once you have completed the form, it can be returned in one of three ways:

Either

a) Print out the form and post it to Dr J. Huckle, Applied Vegetation Dynamics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Derby Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK, L69 3GS

b) Print out the form and fax it to Dr J. Huckle on Fax NO. 0151 794 4940

c) Click on the Email form to send the form to Dr J. Huckle by electronic mail

Click on this button to clear all answers on the form:

Once again, many thanks for your time and effort!