measures may also be affected by temperature, water chemistry, and other climate-related 
changes in the ecosystem (Ziska et ah, 1999). Finally, mechanical control may no longer be 
feasible when warmer winter temperatures allow invasive species to spread that are currently 
limited by hard freezes or ice cover and occur in limited areas. A re-evaluation of appropriate 
control measures may be necessary in order to make efficient use of state investments in AIS 
management. 
2.4.5. Adapting Restoration Activities 
Restoration of natural systems is critical to preventing re-introduction of an invasive 
species once it has been eradicated or controlled. Because healthy ecosystems can be less 
vulnerable to invasion (Vitousek et al., 1996), restored ecosystems also may be less vulnerable to 
future invasions, thus providing some insurance to investments in invasive species prevention, 
EDRR, and other control measures. One example of this use of restoration is Massachusetts’ 
Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan that calls for reintroducing native species as part of a 
restoration program for lakes and ponds (Massachusetts Aquatic Invasive Species Working 
Group, 2002). 
Given that climate change is expected to alter native species and habitats and other 
ecosystem attributes, restoration designs should emphasize restoration of ecosystem processes 
(e.g., sediment and nutrient transport, export of woody debris, river-floodplain connections) that 
were originally disrupted and may have facilitated the establishment of AIS. Restoration 
projects should include analyses of which native species may thrive in, or at least tolerate, future 
climate-change conditions and avoid those species that may not be as well suited to future 
conditions. Restoration plans that include the effects of sea level rise and the increased 
occurrence of extreme weather events are likely to produce projects that remain effective under 
future climates. For example, state coastal restorations are expected to be at risk from climate 
change because water levels are critical in marsh restorations, and sea level rise could render 
many current saltwater marsh restorations useless if this effect is not considered in plans. Based 
on these factors, states may modify long-term restoration strategies in order to make habitats 
more robust and less vulnerable to potential invasions as conditions change. 
2.4.6. Adapting Information Management Activities 
No state has adopted a formal information management system that documents, 
evaluates, and monitors impacts from invasive species (NISC, 2001). State agencies that are 
considering the development of an information management system will have to support rapid 
and accurate discovery of data, correlate and synthesize data from many sources, and present the 
results of data synthesis that meets the needs of users. In addition to data on species movement 
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