Use herbicides to control invasive plant species

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

5%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Invasions by non-native species are considered a major threat to biodiversity. One way of controlling invasive plants is by using herbicides. This action may also affect the abundance of plants other than the targeted species, and as result influence the forest structure and composition.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, randomized, controlled study in the USA found no effect of invasive plant control using herbicide on the total native plant species richness.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2000-2005 in temperate broadleaf forest in Ohio, USA (Hochstedler et al. 2007) found no effect of control of invasive garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata on native plant species richness and diversity. Species richness was similar between treatments in both old-growth (sprayed: 8.7; unsprayed: 8.0 species/plot) and second-growth forests (sprayed: 10.6; unsprayed: 10.5). The same was true for species diversity (Shannon-Weiner index old-growth: sprayed 1.7, unsprayed 1.4; second-growth: sprayed 2.0, unsprayed 2.0). Data was collected in 2005 in 25 sprayed (garlic mustard individuals sprayed with glyphosate herbicide Roundup^© PRO at the start of winter in 2000-2004) and 25 unsprayed plots (1×1 m). Plots were randomly placed in each of 16 ha second-growth and 20 ha old-growth forest sections.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Hochstedler W.W., Slaughter B.S., Gorchov D.L., Saunders L.P. & Stevens M.H.H. (2007) Forest floor plant community response to experimental control of the invasive biennial, Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) . The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 134, 155-165.

Please cite as:

Agra, H., Schowanek, S., Carmel, Y., Smith, R.K. & Ne’eman, G. (2020) Forest Conservation. Pages 323-366 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Forest Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use grazing to remove invasive plant species Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Use herbicides to remove invasive plant species Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Use herbicides to control invasive plant species Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link