GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN

This guide by WWF South Africa provides technical instructions for preparing Invasive Alien Plant (IAP) control plans. It details field verification methods, species-specific clearing strategies based on growth forms and age, and a mathematical framework for calculating the person days and costs required for clearing operations.

• IAP control plans should prioritize areas where invasive plants pose a fire risk to infrastructure and houses, and prioritize riparian areas (wetlands, streams, and rivers) by clearing from the highest point (head) downstream to minimize seed dispersal.
• Specific clearing techniques are recommended based on terrain and plant type: on steep slopes, work should progress horizontally in 3m wide bands along contours with a 2m swathe of uncut material left between bands to prevent soil erosion. For trees away from roads or structures, ring-barking and herbicide treatment are suggested over felling to provide habitat for birds.
• The guide defines three age classes for IAPs based on diameter at ankle height: Seedlings (0–15 mm), Young (16–50 mm), and Adults (> 50 mm). Plants below shoulder height are generally controlled via foliar spray, while those above shoulder height require mechanical or integrated approaches.
• Control strategies must be adapted to the growth form (habit) of the species. For example, Eucalyptus requires a ring frill due to thick bark, while Acacia species have thin bark. Hakea requires mechanical cutting and stacking in round heaps to confine seeds and allow field mice to scavenge them, and Opuntia (prickly pear) requires stem injection because it can regrow from leaves or cladodes.
• Field verification is conducted using transects—walking in straight lines at regular intervals—to estimate species, density, and composition. Density is expressed as a percentage from 0% to 100%, which can be visually assessed by dividing an area into four quadrants to determine if stems fit into one (representing a 25% density rating).
• The guide provides a multi-step calculation process to determine working days. This involves calculating person days per hectare (PD/ha) based on species, age, and density, adding extra time for dead material (Step 2), riparian zone transport (extra 50% in Step 4), and stacking branches (extra 20% in Step 5), then dividing the total person days by the team size.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN. http://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/appendix_2_guidelines_for_the_preparation_of_an_iap_control_plan.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN. n.d. http://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/appendix_2_guidelines_for_the_preparation_of_an_iap_control_plan.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN |url=http://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/appendix_2_guidelines_for_the_preparation_of_an_iap_control_plan.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandguidelines, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {http://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/appendix_2_guidelines_for_the_preparation_of_an_iap_control_plan.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }