Beating environmental weeds

Invasive weeds include exotic grasses, woody shrubs, vines and trees. They can outcompete and smother native plants. In the long term, weeds may alter hydrological regimes, disturb the flow of energy and nutrients, and change the structure and composition of native communities. We estimate that, unless current weed control is improved, weeds will threaten over 575 000 ha of high priority conservation land within 10 to 15 years.

Our research ameliorates the threats of weeds

The Beating Environmental Weeds research programme (funded currently through Core Funding to Landcare Research from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and previously by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and before that the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology) aims to reduce the threats of weeds in NZ by:

• Modelling to improve our understanding of the population dynamics of environmental weeds, and
• Action to improve the abilities of land owners to take effective and environmentally safe action against weeds.