Suction weed harvesting is a process of aquatic plant removal, different from manual weed cutting. Divers identify the target plants, loosen the plants by their roots and guide them into a suction device. This process is known as Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting, or DASH. When targeting smaller areas such as lake frontages for private owners, it is often more productive and more effective than hand harvesting alone, where the diver faces limitations on the amount of vegetation that can me removed at any given time. Extraction of plants by their root systems as opposed to cutting the stems is critical. There is a much better chance of eliminating the unwanted vegetation by root removal, rather than only slowing growth temporarily and producing vegetative fragments that can propagate into another plant. Wisconsin D.N.R. has recommended this process as an alternative solution to chemical treatments, especially in smaller target area situations.