WEEDS, RAINFOREST: Habitat Management Guide, Rainforests: Ecological management principles for strategic management of weeds in rainforest habitats

Weeds in rainforest habitats have traditionally been considered as impacting only around edges and in highly disturbed areas. However more recently managers and researchers have discovered rainforest weeds can often occur in relatively intact rainforest habitat, greatly altering native community structure. Weed invasion is now becoming a major issue in the management and conservation of tropical forests.

A species-by-species approach to management becomes more difficult and costly with each new introduction, particularly as biological, ecological and spatial information is often sparse. The logistical difficulties involved in detecting, controlling and eradicating weeds in rainforest habitats means that resources are not available to deal with each species individually. Rather, a range of strategies are necessary for management, including focused management of high-risk single species, strategies that target suites of species, and strategies that target entire landscapes.

The CRC for Australian Weed Management Habitat Management Guide, Rainforests: Ecological management principles for strategic management of weeds in rainforest habitats focuses on the ecological processes that govern weed invasion in rainforest habitats and the ecological principles for strategically managing them so as to minimise weed introduction and spread.