Habitat loss to agricultural conversion, development pressure in the rural-urban interface, and expansion of conifer forest are among the significant threats facing prairie and oak habitats ( Floberg et al. Population declines are due in part to the reduction of available habitat and the continual degradation of what remains ( Lea 2006). A unique assemblage of plant and animal species occurs primarily in prairie and oak habitats, and many are threatened with regional extirpation or extinction. These habitats were largely maintained by anthropogenic fires that stymied encroaching trees and shrubs and stimulated growth of important plants used for food and medicine ( Turner 1999). Prior to Euro-American settlement, bunchgrass dominated prairies, savannas, and oak woodlands occurred throughout much of the Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin (WPG) ecoregion. Working cooperatively from an ecoregional perspective to track occurrence, develop and implement effective management, and monitor progress is the best platform for successful restoration of the prairies, savannas, and oak woodlands in the WPG ecoregion. Invasive plants will continue to be a management priority in the WPG for the foreseeable future. Much of the information presented is based on field observations from experienced land managers. When available, we document results from experimental trials. We provide technical descriptions for the most highly invasive shrubs, grasses, and forbs, current best management practices, and an outlook for the future. Here we provide a list of invasive plants that have extensive detrimental impacts on prairies, savannas, and oak woodlands throughout the ecoregion as a resource for land managers. Without management, native species diversity will continue to decline rapidly. Even with aggressive management, these unique habitats are severely impacted by nonnative plant invasions. Effects from non-native invasions have contributed to the decline of many native species found on Pacific Northwest prairie and oak habitats. Invasive plants can modify the diversity, structure, and function of natural habitats. Invasion by non-native plant species is one of the greatest threats to prairie, savanna, and oak woodland habitats of the Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Georgia Basin (WPG) ecoregion.
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