Hemp Advocacy

Invasive non-native plant species (weeds) are one of the biggest threats to the successful management of our natural resources. Not only do weeds negatively impact our native species, communities, and ecosystems, but keeping track of weed data, such as the location, range and extent, and any management treatment actions taken can be challenging as well. In many instances, weed invasions can be reversed, halted or slowed, and in certain situations, even badly infested areas can be restored to healthy systems dominated by native species. Good record keeping of the location and extent of the weeds and the steps and processes used to manage and restore these sites are therefore essential in determining the pathway(s) of success and/or failure.

The TNC Weeds Information Management System (WIMS) is an integrated system of hardware and software that works to simplify the collection and management of weed data. The central piece of WIMS is the relational MS Access database that works to keep track of all weed occurrences, assessments (monitoring), and all management treatments, for all weeds in a defined area. This database can be used in combination with handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) with attached GPS units to facilitate field data collection. We (TNC) developed this database for our own use at the preserve/site-level, but decided that the larger natural resources community may want to utilize similar tools. We offer our version of a weed database, to encourage all natural resource managers to work to manage their current weeds and to prevent future invasions.


WIMS Required and Optional Hardware and Software
To run the MS Access WIMS files, the only requirement is that you have a PC compatible desktop or laptop computer that can run at least MS Access 2000. If you will be collecting field data, having a cheap GPS unit is necessary to keep track of weed locations and treatment information. You can use this GPS unit with paper forms. To use WIMS with an (optional) handheld computer unit, the software program ArcPad produced by ESRI is needed. WIMS 3 can use either ArcPad 6.0.3 or ArcPad 7.0.1, and your handheld must be able to run ArcPad using Microsoft Windows Mobile Operating System (not Palm-OS). Handheld units produced by HP, Compaq, Dell, or integrated units by Trimble, Thales, and some Garmin Pocket PCs can all run WIMS.

 

Click here for the Installation Guide

Click here for the User Manual

Click here for the MS Access File

1)CRP Model Weed Pan: MS Word -or- Adobe Acrobat
2)CRP Tables: MS Excel
3a)Optional Maps (.jpg format--high quality, 240K each)
	Blank Map A		Sample Map A
	Blank Map B		Sample Map B
	Blank Map C		Sample Map C
	Blank Map D
3b)Optional Maps (.gif format--lower quality, 40K each)
	Blank Map A		Sample Map A
	Blank Map B		Sample Map B
	Blank Map C		Sample Map C
	Blank Map D

Cox Island Preserve Plan 
This weed plan, written by TNC-Oregon's Debbie Pickering, is another guide you can use in creating a plan for your own site. Compared to the Cosumnes River Preserve Weed Plan, this is a much smaller plan (it treats a single small site with only a single serious invasive species threat). However, if this plan is successful it will protect a vastly greater area of Oregon & Washington coastal marshes from invasion by Spartina patens.
Cox Island Weed Plan: MS Word -or- Adobe Acrobat

WIMS is a tool that can be used to help you manage your weed data, specifically those data that pertain to weed locations, assessments, and treatments. WIMS does not, however, directly keep track of if you are achieving or making progress towards your overall conservation goals and targets. To be of most benefit, all weed management activities should be accounted for within the confines of a Weed Management Plan. To develop your own plan, we have a few weed management plans as well as a Template Plan online to assist you at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/products.html. To assess the characteristics of each weed species, there are a number of species-specific documents available at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs.html, and TNC’s Weed Control Methods Handbook at http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/handbook.html can introduce you to those tools and techniques most frequently used in weed management. Good luck!