Does it Make Sense to Manage Purple Loosestrife in Rhode Island?
Addressing Gaps in an Invasive Plant Control Porgram

Norris Z. Muth

The control of exotic and invasive species has become one of the most important battles in the fight to maintain earth’s biodiversity. Despite the importance of control programs, many are unsuccessful because they fail to integrate what we know about the invasive species and the ecology of the impacted ecosystems with the policies created to protect these systems. If we are to bridge this gap, we must allow what we know about the ecology to guide and inform policy implementation.

The shortcomings of an invasive species control program that fails to integrate ecology and policy can be best illustrated through a case study. Examining the status of the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.) invasion in Rhode Island, and asking important questions about the nature of the invasive species and affected habitats, will allow us to address the efficacy of the existing control program and recommend changes.