About Us
The Australian Invasive Cacti Network formed in 2009 as a network of like-minded people working to reduce the impact of invasive cacti on our primary production and biodiversity.
The AICN works closely with land managers, natural resource management groups, biosecurity agencies and research institutions. It is open to all people or organisations with an interest in ridding Australia of weedy cacti, so if you would like to join us, receive our email updates, pose questions and access the knowledge of people from across the country and internationally, you can do so here.
The more than 100 members of the AICN are from all mainland states of Australia as well as internationally. We have made presentations to national conferences, and we've hosted visits to a number of areas where invasive cacti are a problem. The increased profile of invasive cacti prompted us to apply to have opuntioid cacti considered as Weeds of National Significance. The subsequent declaration was made in early 2012.
Also in 2012. the National Strategic Plan for Opuntioid Cacti was published. This plan identifies the priority activities needed to prevent new infestations from occurring, manage existing infestations and increase the capacity of people to manage opuntioid cacti.
Future Priorities
The AICN will continue to advocate for a nationally coordinated program focusing on:
Background
In 2009 there was no coordinated approach to an increasing cacti weed problem across the Australia's rangelands. This lack of coordination meant it was difficult to determine the distribution of invasive cacti and to make a case for greater investment in control. This concerned the National Rangelands NRM Alliance which undertook a survey of its members that showed invasive cacti, in particular the opuntioids (principally species of Opuntia and Cylindropuntia), were posing real challenges to primary production and biodiversity in all mainland states. In several regions, where there were extensive infestations, the costs of chemical control exceeded the value of the land. It was also found that for most species of cacti in the rangelands (80% of Australia) there were limited, or no currently effective, bio-controls.
The Rangelands Alliance contacted the South Australian State Opuntia Taskforce and agreed that a national meeting should be convened. The first National Invasive Cacti Forum was held in Adelaide in early December 2009. Representatives from the pest management community, scientists and biosecurity agency staff heard presentations on invasive cacti from most states of Australia along with information on taxonomy and biocontrol research both within Australia and South Africa. The South Australian State Opuntioid Cacti Management Plan consultation draft (2009) was released at the forum.
One of the outcomes of the forum was the agreement to form a national body, the Australian Invasive Cacti Network to raise awareness of cacti as a significant threat to biodiversity and production, and to provide a forum for exchanging information on the taxonomy, biology and control of invasive cacti.
The AICN works closely with land managers, natural resource management groups, biosecurity agencies and research institutions. It is open to all people or organisations with an interest in ridding Australia of weedy cacti, so if you would like to join us, receive our email updates, pose questions and access the knowledge of people from across the country and internationally, you can do so here.
The more than 100 members of the AICN are from all mainland states of Australia as well as internationally. We have made presentations to national conferences, and we've hosted visits to a number of areas where invasive cacti are a problem. The increased profile of invasive cacti prompted us to apply to have opuntioid cacti considered as Weeds of National Significance. The subsequent declaration was made in early 2012.
Also in 2012. the National Strategic Plan for Opuntioid Cacti was published. This plan identifies the priority activities needed to prevent new infestations from occurring, manage existing infestations and increase the capacity of people to manage opuntioid cacti.
Future Priorities
The AICN will continue to advocate for a nationally coordinated program focusing on:
- Refining species’ distribution, including areas at high risk of future invasion;
- Improving understanding of opuntioid weed biology, ecology and taxonomy to inform risk management and strategic control programs;
- Providing training and resources to improve species identification;
- Collating and distributing information on best practice management techniques;
- Controlling priority sites, including new infestations, outliers and containment approaches to reduce further spread; and
- Promoting further research into biological control agents for control of core infestations.
Background
In 2009 there was no coordinated approach to an increasing cacti weed problem across the Australia's rangelands. This lack of coordination meant it was difficult to determine the distribution of invasive cacti and to make a case for greater investment in control. This concerned the National Rangelands NRM Alliance which undertook a survey of its members that showed invasive cacti, in particular the opuntioids (principally species of Opuntia and Cylindropuntia), were posing real challenges to primary production and biodiversity in all mainland states. In several regions, where there were extensive infestations, the costs of chemical control exceeded the value of the land. It was also found that for most species of cacti in the rangelands (80% of Australia) there were limited, or no currently effective, bio-controls.
The Rangelands Alliance contacted the South Australian State Opuntia Taskforce and agreed that a national meeting should be convened. The first National Invasive Cacti Forum was held in Adelaide in early December 2009. Representatives from the pest management community, scientists and biosecurity agency staff heard presentations on invasive cacti from most states of Australia along with information on taxonomy and biocontrol research both within Australia and South Africa. The South Australian State Opuntioid Cacti Management Plan consultation draft (2009) was released at the forum.
One of the outcomes of the forum was the agreement to form a national body, the Australian Invasive Cacti Network to raise awareness of cacti as a significant threat to biodiversity and production, and to provide a forum for exchanging information on the taxonomy, biology and control of invasive cacti.