What is the best method of control for an infestation of purple loosestrife?  worker cutting loosestrifefield of loosestrife

 

Sources for Information PCA Weeds Gone Wild definitions
ODNR Invasive plants of Ohio purple loosestrife fact sheet 
Purple loosestrife PowerPoint slide show (400K)
Exotic Aquatics on the Move web site
Michigan Sea Grant Purple Pages web site
Great Lakes Information Network- Purple Loosestrife in the Great Lakes Region
Questions

Using the PowerPoint slide show and web sites shown above, you should be able to discuss invasive species and purple loosestrife. Answer the following questions:
How did it get here? 
How does it spread? 
Where can it live? 
What impacts does purple loosestrife have on native plants, animals, and humans? 

Procedure Your instructor will hand out student worksheets for this activity. You will be assigned a group by your instructor. For this activity, you will role play a stakeholder. It is very important that you remain "in character" for this portion of the activity! Although you may not personally have the same values or interests as your stakeholder role, you need to understand and be able to defend your stakeholders' point of view! 

Your instructor will read a short description about a purple loosestrife infestation on a local nature preserve. The nature preserve and other affected stakeholders need to come up with a management plan for the purple loosestrife infestation. You will then receive a map of the area and a description of your stakeholders' values and interests that may affect the management plan you will support. 

You will be using a structured method of decision making. This method of decision making, abbreviated "PrOACT" follows these steps:

  1. Define the Problem. What is the problem we are trying to solve?
  2. Identify the Objectives. What are the goals? What should the outcome include?
  3. Determine probable Alternatives. In this activity, the main alternatives will be given to you.
  4. Identify Consequences of the options. What can happen in each case? Evaluate each method (alternative) for possible consequences.
  5. Consider the Tradeoffs. What is negotiable? What parts of the alternatives are you willing to give or take? Are some consequences negotiable?

 

 

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What is the best method of control for an infestation of Purple Loosestrife?
Developed by the Ohio Sea Grant Education Program, The Ohio State University. © 2003, updated 11/2010