| Are Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) Control and
Eradication Interventions Effective? |
What is the aim
of the review?
To systematically collate and synthesise published and unpublished
evidence in order to address the question: “Are Japanese
knotweed (Fallopia japonica) control and eradication
interventions effective?” The secondary objective was to
investigate whether effectiveness of control and eradication treatments
for Japanese knotweed is influenced by the following factors:
1. Environmental and geographical
factors;
2. Operational level variables; and
3. Hybridisation and species variety.
Who's in the review team?
At what stage is the review?
This review is now complete.
What is the rationale?
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is an invasive plant listed
as one of the IUCN’s top 100 invasive species of global
concern. It is vigorously competitive, regenerates readily, and
is difficult to control. Japanese knotweed control and eradication
is undertaken using a wide suite of mechanical and chemical techniques.
Many statutory and non-statutory agencies publish guidelines detailing
the effectiveness of various methods, but a critical appraisal
of empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of different
control and eradication methods has not previously been undertaken.
The need for a systematic review to
evaluate control and eradication methods under a variety of circumstances
and time periods was proposed by the UK Environment Agency, and
the question developed in conjunction with United Utilities PLC,
but is nonetheless of global relevance.
How were the results
obtained?
A number of electronic databases were searched for information
using a range of search terms. Internet searches were conducted
in order to retrieve any relevant grey literature. In addition,
the bibliographies of relevant articles were examined for useful
references. The websites of several major UK conservation organisations
were also searched for useful publications and subject experts
and practitioners were contacted. 886 references were identified
through the search strategy; 74 of these were accepted into the
final review having met all inclusion criteria.
What
did the review find?
To read more about this review, its findings, and the implications for conservationists and researchers, please see the Summary or Full Report.
Comments?
If you would like to comment on any aspect of this review, please email us. Your feedback is appreciated.
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