Can Carbon Payments Support Invasive Plant Management on Private Forests?

Introduction

As a landowner, you may know that invasive plant species[i] pose significant risks to local ecosystems by outcompeting native species and changing how the ecosystem functions. Invasive plants not only disrupt ecological balance, but also create economic burdens, particularly for forest landowners. Effective management of invasive plants can be costly and labor-intensive, but it is necessary to preserve forest health under climate change. This article explores how carbon payments—financial incentives for capturing and storing carbon—could support landowners in funding efforts to manage invasive plants and improve forest health.

Why Managing Invasive Species Matters Under Climate Change

The combined effects of invasive species and climate change present significant challenges to forest health, as these stressors often interact and amplify each other's impacts. For example, warming temperatures can allow invasive plants to expand their range into areas previously unsuitable (Hellman et al. 2008). Invasive plants are adapting to changing temperature and precipitation regimes faster than our native species because of their broader climatic tolerances, rapid growth rates, and phenotypic plasticity (or the ability of an organism to adjust how it grows and functions in response to changes in its environment) giving them a clear advantage in a shifting climate (Bradley et al. 2024).

In the case of carbon storage, invasive plants can be highly efficient at storing carbon. However, invasive plants can also reduce the productivity of native species by competing for light and nutrients, altering the total carbon storage potential of a forest (Finch et al. 2021). For example, in Pennsylvania's mixed hardwood forests, invasive plants like mile-a-minute vine, garlic mustard, and multiflora rose create dense understories that shade oak seedlings, hindering their growth and survival. Other ways that invasive plants affect carbon sequestration[ii] in forests are through increasing fire frequency and intensity and amplified decomposition rates, which change the composition of the plant community (Hellman et al. 2008; Raheem et al. 2024). For example, forests invaded by Japanese stiltgrass experience higher fire temperatures, longer duration, and higher flame heights, which result in suppressed native tree seedling survival (Flory et al. 2015). These challenges complicate efforts to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Thus, it is crucial to manage both carbon storage and invasive species together to address climate change effectively.

Costs of Managing Invasive Plant Species

Managing invasive plant species involves various costs that depend on factors such as the type of invasive species, extent of infestation, and chosen control methods. The initial cost of removing invasive species can be quite high, often $200 to $500 per acre or more, depending on whether manual, mechanical, or chemical methods are required (Pimentel et al., 2005). Managing invasive species also demands a substantial time investment; it can be a long-term process that requires several retreatments over many years, limiting a landowner’s capacity for other land management activities. Monitoring and follow-up treatments, essential to prevent reinfestation, typically cost around $50 to $150 per acre annually, as they may involve targeted herbicide applications, labor for spot removal, or monitoring equipment costs (Pimentel et al., 2005). Many landowners find it challenging to cover these expenses, underscoring the importance of supportive programs and incentives that align economic benefits with conservation goals.

Carbon Payments: An Opportunity for Landowners

Carbon markets assign a monetary value to carbon sequestration by creating carbon credits, each of which represents the sequestration or avoidance of one metric ton of carbon dioxide. By following established management protocols, forest owners can generate carbon credits that can be sold to buyers who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Today, most carbon payments range between $10 to $20 per acre per year. This will likely fall short of covering the full costs of managing invasive species unless there is an increase in the price of carbon offsets. As such, aligning carbon contracts with invasive species management will depend on how forest owners set their financial goals and the structure of the carbon payment programs on offer.

For instance, some programs prioritize short-term carbon storage gains by delaying harvests of mature trees for 5 to 10 years, which increases overall carbon storage. Programs[iii] like Sky Harvest and Forest Carbon Works follow this model, where payments are directly tied to the amount of carbon stored and not invasive species control. Nevertheless, funds from these programs could support invasive species management in other areas of the forest or be saved to pay for treatments in recently harvested areas after the carbon contract ends. Other programs focus on supporting forest health and resilience as a way of protecting tree regeneration and carbon stocks in the long term. These programs may offer upfront payments (e.g., $200/ acre) to assist with initial invasive species treatments, along with smaller, ongoing payments to fund continued monitoring and control. Examples of these programs include the Family Forest Carbon Program and the Climate Smart Forest Stewardship initiatives by the U.S. Forest Service.

Conclusions

As you navigate the complexities of forest management in a changing climate, carbon payments represent a promising opportunity to support invasive species management and promote healthier ecosystems. Although few carbon market programs directly reward invasive species control, integrating these efforts with sustainable forestry practices offers a more holistic approach to land stewardship. Together, carbon markets and stewardship programs may assist you in adopting climate-smart practices, benefiting your goals for your land, your economic interests, and the environment. For further information and resources, consider reaching out to local extension services, conservation organizations, or forestry experts who can provide tailored guidance. The strategies outlined in the Integrated Forest Vegetation Management article from Penn State Extension can serve as an excellent resource for effectively managing your forest ecosystem.

If you have any questions or are interested in collaborating with FOCCE, please reach out to Melissa Kreye at mxk1244@psu.edu.

References

Bradley, B. A., Beaury, E. M., Gallardo, B., Ibáñez, I., Jarnevich, C., Morelli, T. L., ... & Vilà, M. (2024). Observed and Potential Range Shifts of Native and Nonnative Species with Climate Change. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 55.

Finch, D. M., Butler, J. L., Runyon, J. B., Fettig, C. J., Kilkenny, F. F., Jose, S., ... & Amelon, S. K. (2021). Effects of climate change on invasive species. Invasive species in forests and rangelands of the United States: a comprehensive science synthesis for the United States forest sector, 57-83.

Flory, S. L., Clay, K., Emery, S. M., Robb, J. R., & Winters, B. (2015). Fire and non‐native grass invasion interact to suppress tree regeneration in temperate deciduous forests. Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(4), 992-1000.

Hellmann, Jessica J., James E. Byers, Britta G. Bierwagen, and Jeffrey S. Dukes. "Five potential consequences of climate change for invasive species." Conservation biology 22, no. 3 (2008): 534-543.

Kreye, M. M., Adams, D. C., Soto, J. R., Tanner, S., & Rimsaite, R. (2021). Economic and ethical motivations for forest restoration and incentive payments. Society & Natural Resources, 34(8), 1093-1110.

Raheem, Abdulkareem, Paul Yohanna, Guanlin Li, Nam Jin Noh, Babar Iqbal, Jing Tang, Daolin Du, et al. "Unraveling the ecological threads: How invasive alien plants influence soil carbon dynamics." Journal of Environmental Management 356 (2024): 120556.

Sharma, S., & Kreye, M. M. (2022). Forest owner willingness to accept payment for forest carbon in the United States: A meta-analysis. Forests, 13(9), 1346.

Penn State Extension. (n.d.). How Much Should I Be Paid to Manage Forest Carbon? Retrieved from Penn State Extension.

Penn State Extension. (n.d.). Integrated Forest Vegetation Management. Retrieved from Penn State Extension.

Meyers, S. (2022). Carbon Sequestration in the Face of Invasion: Invasive Species as a Threat to UNC Asheville's Carbon Stock.

Nie, M., Shang, L., Liao, C., & Bo, L. (2020). Changes in Primary Production and Carbon Sequestration after Plant Invasions.

Pimentel, D., Zuniga, R., & Morrison, D. (2005). "Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States." Ecological Economics, 52(3), 273–288.

[i] Invasive species are organisms that have been introduced by human activities to new regions, have established and spread, and cause harm to the environment.

[ii] Carbon sequestration is the process by which trees and other plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass.

[iii] Penn State Extension does not endorse the business or programs presented as examples in this paper.