GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN IAP CONTROL PLAN

The guidelines outline a systematic approach to managing invasive alien plants (IAPs), emphasizing the importance of field verification through transects to determine species, age, and density. It provides specific operational strategies for different terrains—such as working horizontally along contours on steep slopes to prevent erosion and starting from the head of riparian zones to minimize seed spread. The document also details a quantitative framework for costing projects, using 'person days' (Pd/ha) based on infestation density and species characteristics to estimate total working days and herbicide requirements.

• Prioritization for IAP clearing should focus on areas posing fire risks to infrastructure and riparian zones, with the latter requiring a downstream progression to minimize seed dispersal.
• To prevent soil erosion on steep slopes, clearing should be conducted in 3-meter wide horizontal bands along contours, leaving 2-meter swathes of uncut material between them.
• Control methods are determined by plant age and stem diameter: plants below shoulder height are typically managed via foliar spray or hand pulling, while those with stem diameters greater than 150 mm are managed through frilling, ring-frilling, or ring barking.
• Field verification must be conducted using transects—walking in straight lines at regular intervals—to estimate species composition, growth forms, age classes, and density structures.
• The document establishes a specific formula for calculating herbicide costs based on treatment area, cost per litre, alien density, and a dilution factor.
• Labor costs are calculated using 'person days' (Pd/ha), with additional time allocations required for specific conditions: an extra 50% for carrying material out of riparian zones and an extra 20% for stacking branches.
• Different IAP species require tailored removal strategies based on their biological traits; for example, Hakea requires mechanical cutting and stacking in round heaps to confine seeds and allow for scavenging by mice.

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} }