Paul Champion - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Paul Champion

Wellington, New ZealandDOC Science Internal Series is a published record of scientific research c... more Wellington, New ZealandDOC Science Internal Series is a published record of scientific research carried out, or advice given, by Department of Conservation staff or external contractors funded by DOC. It comprises reports and short communications that are peer-reviewed. Individual contributions to the series are first released on the departmental website in pdf form. Hardcopy is printed, bound, and distributed at regular intervals. Titles are also listed in the DOC Science Publishing catalogue on the website, refer

Science for Conservation presents the results of investigations by DOC staff, and by contracted s... more Science for Conservation presents the results of investigations by DOC staff, and by contracted science providers outside the Department of Conservation. Publications in this series are internally and externally peer reviewed. All DOC Science publications are listed in the catalogue which can be found on the departmental web site http://www.doc.govt.nz

Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zeala... more Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). Manuscripts are internally and externally peer-reviewed; resulting publications are considered part of the formal international scientific literature. Individual copies are printed, and are also available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Science & technical.

Management of Biological Invasions, 2021

Several invasive submersed aquatic plant species have established in many waterways within New Ze... more Several invasive submersed aquatic plant species have established in many waterways within New Zealand, causing substantial economic, recreational, and ecological impacts. The herbicides currently registered for use for the management of submersed aquatic plants do not control all aquatic weed species under field conditions, and additional control methods are sought. This study evaluates the effectiveness of flumioxazin against four target submersed species (Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa, Lagarosiphon major, and Elodea canadensis) and three nontarget native species (Myriophyllum triphyllum, Potamogeton ochreatus, and Nitella sp. aff. cristata). Single applications of flumioxazin required high concentrations (400 lg ai L ) to reduce C. demersum and L. major biomass by at least 50% at pH 8.4, E. densa was not controlled effectively at any rate ( pH 8.4). However, low-rate applications (25, 50, 75, 100 lg ai L ) followed by high-rate applications (100, 200, 300, 400 lg ai L , re...

Aquatic Botany

Abstract Globally, freshwater ecosystems are under threat. The main threats come from catchment l... more Abstract Globally, freshwater ecosystems are under threat. The main threats come from catchment land-use changes, altered water regimes, eutrophication, invasive species, climate change and combinations of these factors. We need scientific research to respond to these challenges by providing solutions to halt the deterioration and improve the condition of our valuable freshwaters. This requires a good understanding of aquatic ecosystems, and the nature and scale of changes occurring. Macrophytes play a fundamental role in aquatic systems. They are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health, as they are affected by run-off from agricultural, industrial or urban areas. On the other hand, alien macrophytes are increasingly invading aquatic systems all over the world. Improving our knowledge on the ecology and management of both native and alien plants is indispensable to address threats to freshwaters in order to protect and restore aquatic habitats. The International Aquatic Plants Group (IAPG) brings together scientists and practitioners based at universities, research and environmental organisations around the world. The main themes of the 15th symposium 2018 in New Zealand were biodiversity and conservation, management, invasive species, and ecosystem response and restoration. This Virtual Special Issue provides a comprehensive review from the symposium, addressing the ecology of native macrophytes, including those of conservation concern, and highly invasive alien macrophytes, and the implications of management interventions. In this editorial paper, we highlight insights and paradigms on the ecology and management of native and alien macrophytes gathered during the meeting.

Proceedings of the New Zealand Plant Protection Conference

Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetl... more Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetland plants. The herbicides fluazifop, haloxyfop, clethodim, clopyralid, triclopyr, dicamba, dicamba/2,4-D and glyphosate were screened for control of 13 introduced and 17 native wetland plants in a pot trial. Initial assessments of the first three herbicides show good control of target grass weeds with no damage to most native species apart from the grasses. Clopyralid provided control of target broadleaf weed species without damage to many native grasses, sedges, rushes and some broadleaf species. Other treatments gave effective control of target species but generally caused high mortality of native species.

The aquatic weed risk assessment model (AWRAM) has been used as a decision support tool to preven... more The aquatic weed risk assessment model (AWRAM) has been used as a decision support tool to prevent the importation of potentially invasive aquatic weeds distributed in the international ornamental plant trade. The model has also been used to rank potential weeds already in Australia and New Zealand, supporting management tools such as banning from sale and distribution, and eradication programs. Competition experiments to evaluate the weed potential of aquatic plants where little information on weediness is available are discussed as an additional tool to assist with weed risk assessment.

The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an approach used in New Zealand to manage the problem of... more The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an approach used in New Zealand to manage the problem of invasive plants that are in the horticultural trade. It is a cooperative agreement between central government agencies, local government agencies and the Nursery and Garden Industry Association. Species included in the Accord list are legally prohibited from sale, propagation and distribution under provision of the Biosecurity Act 1993. There are hundreds of invasive or potentially invasive plants in New Zealand, but it is neither desirable nor feasible to include every invasive plant on the Accord list. A robust and transparent weed risk assessment process is required to support decision-making and prioritization for which taxa to include on the Accord list. Criteria for inclusion in the Accord list were developed and assessments were conducted by members of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Approximately 200 taxa were assessed and prioritized by the TAG in 2005. No current weed risk assessment tool was available to determine taxa for the NPPA list, although some existing systems were used to provide additional information. The criteria and process used are described, and future directions and improvements are discussed.

Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2015

Smith et al. (2015) recently proposed that weed risk assessment (WRA) systems "are unable to accu... more Smith et al. (2015) recently proposed that weed risk assessment (WRA) systems "are unable to accurately address broad, intraspecific variation and that species introduced for agronomic purposes pose special limitations." This conclusion is drawn from their application of the Australian (A-WRA) and U.S. (US-WRA) weed risk assessment (WRA) systems to evaluate proposed bioenergy crops, cultivated crops, and known invasive nonnative plants. We do not believe that this conclusion is robust and question the approach and outcome of their comparative study. Our view is that this study misrepresents the utility of WRA tools and, more broadly, might potentially hinder efforts to

Aquatic weeds are notoriously difficult to manage once established. This paper discusses a range ... more Aquatic weeds are notoriously difficult to manage once established. This paper discusses a range of proactive management actions undertaken by regulatory authorities based on the assessment of risk posed by those organisms using the Aquatic Weed Risk Assessment Model (AWRAM). AWRAM scores potential risk characters such as habitat range, ability to displace other species, seed and vegetative propagule output, dispersal mechanisms, potential economic and environmental impacts, potential distribution and ease of control. Species with the largest sum of risk character scores are regarded as the worst potential aquatic weeds and AWRAM provides a decision support tool for management agencies. Management actions include prevention of deliberate introduction into New Zealand and subsequent spread within that country, as well as eradication programs targeting high-impact, low-incidence aquatic weeds species. Progress to date has been the exclusion from sale and distribution of 29 potential aquatic weeds and the ban from importation of a further 10 species. Current regulations have effectively ceased legal importation of aquatic plants into New Zealand, but evidence of illegal importation provides concern. Six freshwater weeds have been eradicated nationally and central and regional government agencies have initiated eradication programs for a further 13 aquatic weeds, with additional species managed in this way at a regional or island level. These proactive management activities are effective methods to achieve elimination or reduction of both propagule and colonization pressure of high-risk aquatic weeds, thereby reducing the likelihood of those species becoming widespread problems in the future.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW ZEALAND PLANT …, 1998

Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetl... more Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetland plants. The herbicides fluazifop, haloxyfop, clethodim, clopyralid, triclopyr, dicamba, dicamba/2,4-D and glyphosate were screened for control of 13 introduced and 17 native wetland plants in a pot trial. Initial assessments of the first three herbicides show good control of target grass weeds with no damage to most native species apart from the grasses. Clopyralid provided control of target broadleaf weed species without damage to many native grasses, sedges, rushes and some broadleaf species. Other treatments gave effective control of target species but generally caused high mortality of native species.

Management of Biological Invasions

Risk assessment tools for non-native species can avert ecological and economic harm when they inf... more Risk assessment tools for non-native species can avert ecological and economic harm when they inform regulatory or voluntary management actions that seek to reduce the probability of introducing high-risk species. The Laurentian Great Lakes region contains many aquatic invasive plants, non-native species whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Additionally, new species continue to arrive, including through trade (e.g., aquarium, water garden). Currently, each Great Lakes jurisdiction manages a separate risk assessment program, leading to a regional situation with diverse assessment methods and large discrepancies in assessed and regulated species. Because the Great Lakes ecosystem crosses state and national borders, each jurisdiction will be best protected when all jurisdictions prevent the import of potentially harmful species. We have modified an existing risk assessment tool for use across the Great Lakes Basin to assess the invasion risks posed by aquatic plants. The tool comprises 38 questions, with points associated with each response that are summed to give a total score. We assessed all known established aquatic plant species in the Great Lakes (n=40) and found this score to be positively correlated with invasiveness, allowing thresholds to be identified that distinguish between invasive and non-invasive species with 84% to 90% accuracy. Assessing species proposed for introduction with this tool, and using these thresholds to determine acceptable risk, could reduce the number of future invasions. If widely adopted, this risk assessment tool would enable a common suite of species to be regulated and thus a more effective approach to reducing the risk of future invasions. Regional risk assessment approaches should reduce the threat of invasive species where environmental and climate conditions are relatively consistent across jurisdictional boundaries.

PloS one, Jul 13, 2012

We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States t... more We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealand's Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a total score for each species that indicates its risk of invasion. To calibrate and test this risk assessment, we identified 39 aquatic plant species that are major invaders in the ...

Wellington, New ZealandDOC Science Internal Series is a published record of scientific research c... more Wellington, New ZealandDOC Science Internal Series is a published record of scientific research carried out, or advice given, by Department of Conservation staff or external contractors funded by DOC. It comprises reports and short communications that are peer-reviewed. Individual contributions to the series are first released on the departmental website in pdf form. Hardcopy is printed, bound, and distributed at regular intervals. Titles are also listed in the DOC Science Publishing catalogue on the website, refer

Science for Conservation presents the results of investigations by DOC staff, and by contracted s... more Science for Conservation presents the results of investigations by DOC staff, and by contracted science providers outside the Department of Conservation. Publications in this series are internally and externally peer reviewed. All DOC Science publications are listed in the catalogue which can be found on the departmental web site http://www.doc.govt.nz

Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zeala... more Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). Manuscripts are internally and externally peer-reviewed; resulting publications are considered part of the formal international scientific literature. Individual copies are printed, and are also available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Science & technical.

Management of Biological Invasions, 2021

Several invasive submersed aquatic plant species have established in many waterways within New Ze... more Several invasive submersed aquatic plant species have established in many waterways within New Zealand, causing substantial economic, recreational, and ecological impacts. The herbicides currently registered for use for the management of submersed aquatic plants do not control all aquatic weed species under field conditions, and additional control methods are sought. This study evaluates the effectiveness of flumioxazin against four target submersed species (Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa, Lagarosiphon major, and Elodea canadensis) and three nontarget native species (Myriophyllum triphyllum, Potamogeton ochreatus, and Nitella sp. aff. cristata). Single applications of flumioxazin required high concentrations (400 lg ai L ) to reduce C. demersum and L. major biomass by at least 50% at pH 8.4, E. densa was not controlled effectively at any rate ( pH 8.4). However, low-rate applications (25, 50, 75, 100 lg ai L ) followed by high-rate applications (100, 200, 300, 400 lg ai L , re...

Aquatic Botany

Abstract Globally, freshwater ecosystems are under threat. The main threats come from catchment l... more Abstract Globally, freshwater ecosystems are under threat. The main threats come from catchment land-use changes, altered water regimes, eutrophication, invasive species, climate change and combinations of these factors. We need scientific research to respond to these challenges by providing solutions to halt the deterioration and improve the condition of our valuable freshwaters. This requires a good understanding of aquatic ecosystems, and the nature and scale of changes occurring. Macrophytes play a fundamental role in aquatic systems. They are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health, as they are affected by run-off from agricultural, industrial or urban areas. On the other hand, alien macrophytes are increasingly invading aquatic systems all over the world. Improving our knowledge on the ecology and management of both native and alien plants is indispensable to address threats to freshwaters in order to protect and restore aquatic habitats. The International Aquatic Plants Group (IAPG) brings together scientists and practitioners based at universities, research and environmental organisations around the world. The main themes of the 15th symposium 2018 in New Zealand were biodiversity and conservation, management, invasive species, and ecosystem response and restoration. This Virtual Special Issue provides a comprehensive review from the symposium, addressing the ecology of native macrophytes, including those of conservation concern, and highly invasive alien macrophytes, and the implications of management interventions. In this editorial paper, we highlight insights and paradigms on the ecology and management of native and alien macrophytes gathered during the meeting.

Proceedings of the New Zealand Plant Protection Conference

Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetl... more Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetland plants. The herbicides fluazifop, haloxyfop, clethodim, clopyralid, triclopyr, dicamba, dicamba/2,4-D and glyphosate were screened for control of 13 introduced and 17 native wetland plants in a pot trial. Initial assessments of the first three herbicides show good control of target grass weeds with no damage to most native species apart from the grasses. Clopyralid provided control of target broadleaf weed species without damage to many native grasses, sedges, rushes and some broadleaf species. Other treatments gave effective control of target species but generally caused high mortality of native species.

The aquatic weed risk assessment model (AWRAM) has been used as a decision support tool to preven... more The aquatic weed risk assessment model (AWRAM) has been used as a decision support tool to prevent the importation of potentially invasive aquatic weeds distributed in the international ornamental plant trade. The model has also been used to rank potential weeds already in Australia and New Zealand, supporting management tools such as banning from sale and distribution, and eradication programs. Competition experiments to evaluate the weed potential of aquatic plants where little information on weediness is available are discussed as an additional tool to assist with weed risk assessment.

The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an approach used in New Zealand to manage the problem of... more The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an approach used in New Zealand to manage the problem of invasive plants that are in the horticultural trade. It is a cooperative agreement between central government agencies, local government agencies and the Nursery and Garden Industry Association. Species included in the Accord list are legally prohibited from sale, propagation and distribution under provision of the Biosecurity Act 1993. There are hundreds of invasive or potentially invasive plants in New Zealand, but it is neither desirable nor feasible to include every invasive plant on the Accord list. A robust and transparent weed risk assessment process is required to support decision-making and prioritization for which taxa to include on the Accord list. Criteria for inclusion in the Accord list were developed and assessments were conducted by members of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Approximately 200 taxa were assessed and prioritized by the TAG in 2005. No current weed risk assessment tool was available to determine taxa for the NPPA list, although some existing systems were used to provide additional information. The criteria and process used are described, and future directions and improvements are discussed.

Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2015

Smith et al. (2015) recently proposed that weed risk assessment (WRA) systems "are unable to accu... more Smith et al. (2015) recently proposed that weed risk assessment (WRA) systems "are unable to accurately address broad, intraspecific variation and that species introduced for agronomic purposes pose special limitations." This conclusion is drawn from their application of the Australian (A-WRA) and U.S. (US-WRA) weed risk assessment (WRA) systems to evaluate proposed bioenergy crops, cultivated crops, and known invasive nonnative plants. We do not believe that this conclusion is robust and question the approach and outcome of their comparative study. Our view is that this study misrepresents the utility of WRA tools and, more broadly, might potentially hinder efforts to

Aquatic weeds are notoriously difficult to manage once established. This paper discusses a range ... more Aquatic weeds are notoriously difficult to manage once established. This paper discusses a range of proactive management actions undertaken by regulatory authorities based on the assessment of risk posed by those organisms using the Aquatic Weed Risk Assessment Model (AWRAM). AWRAM scores potential risk characters such as habitat range, ability to displace other species, seed and vegetative propagule output, dispersal mechanisms, potential economic and environmental impacts, potential distribution and ease of control. Species with the largest sum of risk character scores are regarded as the worst potential aquatic weeds and AWRAM provides a decision support tool for management agencies. Management actions include prevention of deliberate introduction into New Zealand and subsequent spread within that country, as well as eradication programs targeting high-impact, low-incidence aquatic weeds species. Progress to date has been the exclusion from sale and distribution of 29 potential aquatic weeds and the ban from importation of a further 10 species. Current regulations have effectively ceased legal importation of aquatic plants into New Zealand, but evidence of illegal importation provides concern. Six freshwater weeds have been eradicated nationally and central and regional government agencies have initiated eradication programs for a further 13 aquatic weeds, with additional species managed in this way at a regional or island level. These proactive management activities are effective methods to achieve elimination or reduction of both propagule and colonization pressure of high-risk aquatic weeds, thereby reducing the likelihood of those species becoming widespread problems in the future.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEW ZEALAND PLANT …, 1998

Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetl... more Weed invasion is seen as one of the major threats to many of New Zealand's endangered native wetland plants. The herbicides fluazifop, haloxyfop, clethodim, clopyralid, triclopyr, dicamba, dicamba/2,4-D and glyphosate were screened for control of 13 introduced and 17 native wetland plants in a pot trial. Initial assessments of the first three herbicides show good control of target grass weeds with no damage to most native species apart from the grasses. Clopyralid provided control of target broadleaf weed species without damage to many native grasses, sedges, rushes and some broadleaf species. Other treatments gave effective control of target species but generally caused high mortality of native species.

Management of Biological Invasions

Risk assessment tools for non-native species can avert ecological and economic harm when they inf... more Risk assessment tools for non-native species can avert ecological and economic harm when they inform regulatory or voluntary management actions that seek to reduce the probability of introducing high-risk species. The Laurentian Great Lakes region contains many aquatic invasive plants, non-native species whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Additionally, new species continue to arrive, including through trade (e.g., aquarium, water garden). Currently, each Great Lakes jurisdiction manages a separate risk assessment program, leading to a regional situation with diverse assessment methods and large discrepancies in assessed and regulated species. Because the Great Lakes ecosystem crosses state and national borders, each jurisdiction will be best protected when all jurisdictions prevent the import of potentially harmful species. We have modified an existing risk assessment tool for use across the Great Lakes Basin to assess the invasion risks posed by aquatic plants. The tool comprises 38 questions, with points associated with each response that are summed to give a total score. We assessed all known established aquatic plant species in the Great Lakes (n=40) and found this score to be positively correlated with invasiveness, allowing thresholds to be identified that distinguish between invasive and non-invasive species with 84% to 90% accuracy. Assessing species proposed for introduction with this tool, and using these thresholds to determine acceptable risk, could reduce the number of future invasions. If widely adopted, this risk assessment tool would enable a common suite of species to be regulated and thus a more effective approach to reducing the risk of future invasions. Regional risk assessment approaches should reduce the threat of invasive species where environmental and climate conditions are relatively consistent across jurisdictional boundaries.

PloS one, Jul 13, 2012

We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States t... more We tested the accuracy of an invasive aquatic plant risk assessment system in the United States that we modified from a system originally developed by New Zealand's Biosecurity Program. The US system is comprised of 38 questions that address biological, historical, and environmental tolerance traits. Values associated with each response are summed to produce a total score for each species that indicates its risk of invasion. To calibrate and test this risk assessment, we identified 39 aquatic plant species that are major invaders in the ...