Effective interactions between academia and government agency: the participation of volunteers allowed the control of an invasive ivy in Puerto Blest, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (Argentina)

Abstract

Background and aims: Development of management measures of invasive non-native species is priority in protected areas, particularly when actions are taken at early stages of invasion since it facilitates the recovery of natural systems. Here, we present a methodology to control an invasive evergreen vine, Hedera helix (Araliaceae). M&M: The proposal includes volunteers, which are within a research and outreach project from Universidad Nacional Comahue Bariloche in collaboration with Administración de Parques Nacionales. We removed manually the vine with garden tools, composted it in waste plastic bags in site and kept track of natural regeneration of the native forest. Results: Since 2019, 47 volunteers got involved and removed 870 kg of plant material (humid weight) from five of the six sites. Two of the five sites are at the stage of monitoring native species. Conclusions: The participation of volunteers resulted effective for plant manual removal, as the vine from invasion sites is being controlled. In this way, we are achieving successful results with minimum environmental negative impacts, at least in the plant community, as evidenced by the recolonization of the sites by native plant species and by the full removal of the ivy from intervened sites. In particular, this procedure allows to create awareness of the problem of biological invasions in the community and in future university graduates. It also reinforces inter institutional relationships linking academia with conservation management agencies, a connection sometimes difficult to achieve