This site was developed by the Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management in Alaska (CNIPM).  Its goal is to heighten the awareness of the problems associated with non-native invasive plants and to bring about greater statewide coordination, cooperation and action to halt the introduction and spread of undesirable plants.  Alaska is in a unique position.  If action is taken Alaska may be able to avoid the negative economic and ecological impacts associated with invasive plants.  The most cost effective option for dealing with invasive plants involves detecting species as they are establishing and responding rapidly to their presence.  To achieve this, interested citizens and participating agencies must work collaboratively to eliminate the threat of invasive plant species in Alaska.

Invasive plants have many characteristics that allow them to compete with, and often dominate, native vegetation.  They grow rapidly, mature early and are able to reproduce both sexually and vegetatively.  In addition, invasive plants often lack predators allowing them to allocate energy toward growth instead of defense.  These factors, along with many others, enable invasive plants to out-compete native vegetation.  As plant communities change from native to nonnative entire ecosystems can be altered.  Nonnative invasive plants have been found to:  utilize large amounts of water and nutrients, alter soil and water nutrient availability and increase fire frequency.  The negative impacts associated with invasive plants are not limited to terrestrial systems.  Wetlands and waterways are particularly sensitive to invasion.  Aquatic invasive plants can alter water pH, turbidity and light availability, thus damaging fish habitat and impeding fish migration.  Aquatic invasive plants can also choke waterways, restricting recreational and transportation corridors.  Working collaboratively on invasive plant management we hope to avoid these negative impacts in Alaska.

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