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Study on optimal chemical control of Fallopia japonica
This study on optimal chemical control of Fallopia japonica has recently appeared in Management of Biological Invasions
(www.managementofbiologicalinvasions.net)
Abstract
Effective management of invasions by Fallopia japonica are currently limited to repeated annual herbicide applications and research efforts are needed to determine integrated cost-effective treatments that result in greater management success. We evaluated several different herbicides for F. japonica control in the greenhouse and under field conditions and coupled chemical control with restoration activities at an invaded site. Results suggest that: 1) glyphosate applied at 4.21 kg ae/ha is the most cost effective treatment option, 2) the standard rate for F. japonica control with aminocyclopyrachlor is approximately equivalent to the 0.56 kg ai/ha, 3) restoration with grasses can be coupled with targeted chemical control.
The 2010 Stiltgrass Summit
was a huge success, we had over 90 people attend from 12 different states, had good discussions on our field trips, and listened to some great presentations on ecology, life history, impacts, and management of Japanese stiltgrass.
The presentations from the 2010 Stiltgrass Summit, held in Carbondale Illinois on August 11-12, are now available online at www.rtrcwma.org/stiltgrass.
We are working on getting the audio from the panel discussions available online as well. Look for more changes to the Stiltgrass Summit website in the future, as we will be placing a Summit Summary up as well as providing links to more great resources on stiltgrass ecology and management.
New analysis weighs lost trade, costs to control invasive species against economic damages
Economists provide qualitative guidance to policymakers for optimal response
How should a country respond to a biological invader that reaches its shores via cargo shipped as international trade?
Pesky invaders like Zebra mussels, Asian Longhorned Beetles, Kudzu, Triffid weed and others have wreaked billions of dollars in economic damage, destroying agriculture, harming human health and threatening biodiversity.
The answer: Policymakers must balance concerns about the damage and cost of controlling invaders against the economic necessity of free trade, say economists Santanu Roy, Southern Methodist University, and Lars J. Olson, University of Maryland.
Read more ...
Invasive Plant Medicine The Ecological Benefits and Healing Abilities of Invasives
by Timothy Lee Scott
The first book to demonstrate how plants originally considered harmful to the environment actually restore Earth's ecosystems and possess powerful healing properties.
* Explains how invasive plants enhance biodiversity, purify ecosystems, and revitalize the land
* Provides a detailed look at the healing properties of 25 of the most common invasive plants
Most of the invasive plant species under attack for disruption of local ecosystems in the United States are from Asia, where they play an important role in traditional healing. In opposition to the loud chorus of those clamoring for the eradication of all these plants that, to the casual observer, appear to be a threat to native flora, Timothy Scott shows how these opportunistic plants are restoring health to Earth's ecosystems. Far less a threat to the environment than the cocktails of toxic pesticides used to control them, these invasive plants perform an essential ecological function that serves to heal both the land on which they grow and the human beings who live upon it. These plants remove toxic residues in the soil, providing detoxification properties that can help heal individuals.
SDSU Has released a new Fact Sheet on PLS and Phragmites it is available from your extension educators or on line at http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/articles/FS957.pdf
The title is "PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE and INVASIVE EUROPEAN COMMON REED: Threats to South Dakota's Wetlands and Waterways"
Native Forb and Shrub Tolerance to Milestone® VM Herbicide
... Studies were established within diverse native plant communities in Montana, Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota to determine long-term response of native forbs and shrubs when Milestone VM was applied in early summer or fall, and to develop a tolerance/susceptibility ranking for native plants. ...
Read More ...
2010 Stiltgrass Summit
The agenda for the 2010 Stiltgrass Summit is now available online at www.rtrcwma.org/stiltgrass, where you can also register to attend and find more information on the summit. Also, if you haven't watched our stiltgrass video, check it out at the bottom of the summit page or at http://vimeo.com/12304384
Sand and Gravel Mishaps
"Thanks to all the weed workers that contributed to the collection of mineral material transfers mishap stories. The testimonial from all over the country provide the best support for Yosemite's decision to launch a gravel pit certification program. I think the document is compelling and easy to read. We plan to hand out the document to gravel pit operators and make it available on line somehow. Since I received feed-back in many different formats, I needed to edit or shortenend most contributions to some extent. If I misreprensented you in any way, please let me know. If your sand and gravel mishap story isn't there, please allow me to add it! -- Martin Hutten, Martin_Hutten@nps.gov,
Yosemite National Park" Download the PDF
Note: IPAW's very own John Exo is in it.
Permit requirements for herbicide use near water
Frorm email by Ellen Jacquart, The Nature Conservancy, MIPN
I’m not sure how many of you have been following this significant change in interpretation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). It’s a little complicated and I am not an expert on this, but as I understand it a January 2009 court decision found that CWA is the law that prevails over herbicide use near water, not FIFRA. This is not how it has ever been interpreted before. This changes jurisdiction over herbicide use near water at the state level – for instance, in Indiana jurisdiction falls to the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management instead of the Office of State Chemist. Use of herbicide near water would require a National Pollution Discharge Elimination permit for every such use, by every applicator.
The logistics of applying for and receiving such permits are not worked out yet, but there is great concern over the feasibility of handling the thousands of applications necessary in a timely manner. Nationally, EPA is trying to set up a General Permit that would cover aquatic weed treatment, mosquito control, and forest insect applications. Comment period for that General Permit just ended Monday (19th). It does not cover agricultural operations, ROW maintenance, or the kind of herbicide applications natural areas managers do.
All of the permitting – the General Permit at the national level and the state-level plans for how to implement this new requirement – are supposed to be in place by April 2011. Attached are comments from the organization of State Agriculture agencies on the General Permit. If the permitting system is not in place at that time, some are concerned no herbicide applications would be allowed near water. The concept of “near water” is also not clear – there are different definitions at the federal and state level. Comments from EPA have raised concerns that they will not bother to clarify things in policy, and instead will let litigation and further court decisions determine the scope.
There is a hope that reasonable people will figure out how to implement this by April 2011, but it is a huge task for agencies already underfunded and understaffed. For more information and to keep up to date on what’s happening with this issue, go to http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/pesticides/aquaticpesticides.cfm
Japanese Stiltgrass Fungus Disease Spreading Through Region
The fungus disease killing Japanese stiltgrass, a locally common annual weed, has been rapidly spreading through the region giving some hope that the toxic plant might someday become a pesky ditch weed instead the severe ecological threat it has developed into. Read more ...
Epipactis helleborine survey...
is almost ready!
You can see distribution maps in particular USA states and Canadian provinces (Quebec still not ready) at:
http://culturesheet.org/lib/exe/mediamanager.php?ns=wiki:user:wojciech:distribution_maps
Interested? Have an additional information?
Contact Wojciech on the wiki.
The University of Wisconsin Press has announced the addition of Native Plants Journal to its publishing program.
The Press will begin publishing the journal in 2011 with volume 12.
Native Plants Journal is a forum for dispersing practical information about planting and growing North American (Canada, Mexico, and U.S.) native plants for conservation, restoration, reforestation, landscaping, highway corridors, and related uses. It is edited by R. Kasten Dumroese of the USDA Forest Service at the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - MINNESOTA-WISCONSIN INVASIVE SPECIES CONFERENCE 2010:
Working Together to Control Invasive Species
http://www.minnesotaswcs.org/
November 8-10, 2010; St. Paul, Minnesota
The first collaborative Minnesota-Wisconsin conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging information on invasive species topics. This is an all-taxa conference covering invasive aquatic and terrestrial plants, animals, pests, and pathogens. The focus is to strengthen awareness of invasive species issues, prevention, and management. Expected audiences include researchers, land managers, natural resource professionals, university personnel, landscapers, nursery, agricultural or forestry employees, environmental specialists, lake association members, and agency and non-governmental organizations. More details (PDF)
An ISAM Challenge
In April high school students from around the state learned about invasive species impacts in our region at Trees For Tomorrow. In response to Invasive Species Awareness Month, a challenge was set up among several high schools in Wisconsin with a cash award. The challenge was to write (and sing) a short song on invasive species with an important message (no profanity). The cash award went to students from Oconto wrote this Invasive Species Rap:
Alright stop. please people listen. All these species think they can glisten. But they can't. We gonna stop them somehow.
Biological. Chemical.mechanical. right Now!. Yo, we gotta stop them --- I know
Grab your gloves and clippers and let's go. You know what we need? Come and see. Get on the ground and pull those weeds
Invasive species. We don't want them. Invasive species. We don't want them
Zebra muscles and gobys. Travel here on boaties
gotta put our foot down and end this now, Yo, this is what we do at Trees For Tomorrow.
So pull those weeds, leave the gobys on the shore, empty your boat and clean your shoes to the core.
We got this. Yo, take care of our earth and show everybody just what its worth
So get up now get up on your feet
Lets make these species face defeat
Invasive species. We don't want them. Invasive species. We don't want them
There were several other schools that participated including Mellen High School, that wrote a country twang lamenting on the impacts of invasive species.
Aquatic Invasive Plant Guide for Michigan
New aquatic invasive plant ID guide just published by our colleague Suzan Campbell at Michigan Natural Features Inventory. You can download and print the pdf of the guide for free, from the bottom of this page: http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/pub/publications.cfm
Drastic Measures: 8 Wild Ways to Combat Invasive Species
Employing everything from love potion to meat-eating ants, scientists try to stem the influx of new invasive species with some "creative" ideas
By Cassandra Willyard
http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=wild-ways-to-combat-invasive-species
Stewardship Network Garlic Mustard Challenge 2010
Stewardship network of Michigan has pulled OVER 100 TONS of garlic mustard! Their current total is a whopping ... 208,509 lbs!
About the Garlic Mustard Challenge
Each year, this project challenges folks to collaboratively remove, or pull, at least 100,000 pounds of garlic mustard between mid-April and mid-June. During “The Challenge” (as it has been
affectionately nicknamed), folks participate by pulling the invasive weed garlic mustard, and then reporting the number and size of refuse bags.
The Stewardship Network keeps tally of all bags reported for each Cluster, converts bags to pounds, and then adds them to the overall total. The Clusters and Out-of-Cluster group compete for the most pounds of pulled garlic mustard. The winning Cluster (or Out-of-Area group!) wins the Cluster Cup and restoration bragging rights for the year! Some Clusters rely on large reports of pulled garlic mustard from organized Cluster pulls, organizations' field crews, etc. while others rely mostly on the cumulative effort of individual garlic mustard reports.
15 Plants Make Portland's Invasive Species List
The City of Portland wants to make sure that 15 species of invasive plants don't get a chance to become established in the city. Beginning July 1st, Portland property owners will be required to remove from their property any plant species on the city's new "Required Eradication List". The rule is in 'City Code Title 29 Property Maintenance Regulations', and applies to both private and public landowners. Read more ...
In Battle of Bug vs. Shrub, Score One for the Bird
By KIRK JOHNSON Published: June 22, 2010
DENVER — Got an alien invader plant species? Unleash an alien insect invader to fight back. One invader eats the other, and then abracadabra: problem solved. That was the theory, anyway. Read more ...
USDA stops using beetles vs. invasive saltcedar
By MEAD GRUVER ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER Last updated June 21, 2010 5:20 p.m. PT
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Concern about an endangered bird has caused the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to declare a cease-fire in its biological war against saltcedar, an invasive tree that has taken over riparian areas across the West. Read more ...
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Cooperative Weed Management Areas host Invasive Plant Workshops for Right-of-Way Workers in northern Wisconsin
Non-native invasive plant species have not only made their way into northern Wisconsin ecosystems, they have also made their way into the minds of highway maintenance managers and workers. Wisconsin’s Invasive Species Identification, Classification, and Control Rule, Chapter NR40, gives right-of-way managers a new responsibility as they manage our state and county highways. Road crews are concerned that their mowing and construction practices may transport and spread invasive plants, therefore violating the new NR40 regulations.
Read more (PDF) ...
County Recruits Geocachers in Battle Against Invasive Weeds
Jun 15, 2010, By Russell Nichols, Staff Writer
Geocachers in Ada County, Idaho, have a new mission, should they choose to accept it: tracking down hidden containers that hold data on noxious weeds. Read more ...
Ailanthus wilt
There’s a Verticillium fungus causing wilt in some tree of heaven (Ailanthus) populations in the eastern US – it’s been found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and at one site in east central Indiana. Please keep a lookout for wilting/dying leaves on tree of heaven – typical symptoms are shown at:
http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/articles/files/wilt_handout.pdf
Harvard biologist comes to the defense of the much reviled tree of heaven
Harvard biologist comes to the defense of the much reviled tree of heaven
By Adrian Higgins Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, June 14, 2010
The misnamed tree of heaven has been outlawed in the District for more than a century. No one has planted it in decades. Still it grows.
Alongside railroad tracks, in the cracked blacktops of abandoned lots, in dark, stagnant alleys. Read more ...
Turning unwanted weeds into works of art
Turning unwanted weeds into works of art Oriental Bittersweet, an invasive weed, becomes elaborate sculpture in the hands of married couple Seth Goldstein and Paula Stone. Read more and see the video ...
Can you write a letter to the editor of Organic Gardening Magazine about this issue with Organic Gardening? In recent months, there have been editorial and design changes to the magazine. Every magazine experiences these changes, but the most recent issue recommends Reed Canary Grass as a landscaping plant! Ask them to print information retracting this recommendation and explain the extremely invasive nature of the plant. This publication comes from Rodale Press, which has long been considered a leader in the field, so this is extremely disappointing that Organic Gardening magazine would endorsement of such a harmful plant!
The Eastern Rivers and Mountains and Northeast Temperate Networks of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program just recently published the "Early Detection of Invasive Species: Surveillance Monitoring and Rapid Response Protocol." This document along with the 2008/2009 summary report and all species identification cards are public and available on-line.
Wealth and population key to invasive species risk, study shows
Wealth and population key to invasive species risk, study shows
[Date: 2010-06-08]
Wealth and population density are the main factors driving the rise of invasive species in Europe, new EU-funded research reveals. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the scientists warn that tackling the invasive species problem will not be easy. Read more ...
A New Way to Use Herbicides: To Sterilize, Not Kill Weeds
By Don Comis
May 5, 2010
Using herbicides to sterilize rather than to kill weedy grasses might be a more economical and environmentally sound weed control strategy, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and a cooperator. ...
The scientists decided to see if these herbicides had the same harmful late-stage application effects on the invasive weed Japanese brome. In greenhouse experiments, they tested dicamba (Banvel/Clarity), 2,4-D, and picloram (Tordon) at typically used rates. They found that picloram reduced seed production nearly 100 percent when applied at the late growth stage of the weed. Dicamba was slightly less effective, but still nearly eliminated all seed production, while 2,4-D was much less effective. ...
Read more ...
Invasive Plant Poisons Our Air
from /Discovery News/
http://news.discovery.com/earth/kudzu-ozone-global-warming.html
It's not only invading more landscapes with the help of global warming,
but invasive kudzu vines might also someday increase ozone pollution by
more than a third, say soil researchers.
"It's an impressive and dramatic plant," said Jonathan Hickman of The
Earth Institute at Columbia University. "But there a lot of things you
can't see. ... Air pollution hasn't really been a part of the
conversation when it comes to invasion."
Hickman is the lead author on a study, which appears in the May 17 issue
of the /Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/, looking at
what could happen to both urban and rural air quality if the kudzu
invasion continues unabated.
Here’s another, more thorough, article about the new study by Jonathan Hickman et al. on the effects of kudzu on ozone production.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-kudzu-20100522,0,4766936,full.story
A PDF of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is available for free at:
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/05/12/0912279107.full.pdf
U.S. Clears a Test of Bioengineered Trees
Federal regulators gave clearance Wednesday for a large and controversial field test of genetically engineered trees planned for seven states stretching from Florida to Texas.
The test is meant to see if the trees, eucalyptuses with a foreign gene meant to help them withstand cold weather, can become a new source of wood for pulp and paper, and for biofuels, in the Southern timber belt. Eucalyptus trees generally cannot now be grown north of Florida because of occasional freezing spells.
Read more ...
The series "The Biology of Invasive Alien Plants in Canada" provides some excellent literature reviews for a number of invasive species. It is published in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science most of which you can view for free online here:
http://pubservices.nrc-cnrc.ca.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/rp-ps/volumes.jsp?jcode=cjps&lang=eng&exp=89
State Invasive Species Programs Require Federal Support
(Washington) The Environmental Law Institute and the Union of Concerned Scientists announce the publication of “Status and Trends in State Invasive Species Policy: 2002-2009.” The new report reviews developments in state laws and regulations governing invasive species in eleven states. It finds that invasive species laws and regulations are often fragmented and incomplete and have developed primarily on a species-by-species basis in response to crisis. As a result, they often fail to address potential future invaders or close off known invasion pathways. Fortunately, states have begun regulating invasion pathways and identifying species that may become invasive in the future due to climate change or other factors. States are increasingly creating interagency councils and management plans to coordinate these novel invasive species responses.
According to the authors, states can benefit from forward-looking legal reforms that focus on preventing future invasions through known pathways. “In the next 10 years, states will need to improve and expand on the novel legal authorities that they have enacted in recent years,” said Dr. Phyllis Windle, senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Climate change and other evolving threats demand a prospective and adaptive response to ensure that regulatory decisions are made on the basis of the best available science.”
The report concludes that federal action is needed in the form of legal reform and increased funding. “States are a crucial link in addressing invasive species, but they cannot act alone,” cautioned Read Porter, director of the Environmental Law Institute’s invasive species program. “Where states lack legal authority to act – as for regulation of wildlife importation – the federal government has a responsibility to take action to safeguard the economy, environment, and public health.” Current federal funding for invasive species management also is insufficient and jeopardizes the effectiveness of the new councils and plans recently created by states.
The report can be downloaded from the ELI website, at http://elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=11399.
The Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa is hosting the 22nd North American Prairie Conference this year from August 1st-5th.
We are currently accepting abstracts and working on getting the word out to as many people as we can about this great event. We do have a conference website that people can go to for more specific information about the conference www.napc2010.org . We are on pace to have registration up and available online by the end of April begining of May as well as exhibitor/vendor information and sponsorship info for those that are interested. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to let me know.
Money from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is available through NRCS for some watersheds in the Midwest. More Info ...
2010 Invasive Plant Management Workshop Videos Online!
To help kick-off May 2010 as Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month, I wanted to let you know that the video recordings of the 2010 Invasive Plant Management Workshop held at the Chicago Botanic Garden in February are now available for viewing online!
You can view each presentation separately, so pick and choose your species or topic of interest.
Thanks Bob Kirschner and staff at CBG for recording and editing the videos. Although the product you see is seamless and easy to view, it took many hours and trouble shooting by Bob and others to get the files in the right format for online viewing.
The view the videos, click on the following link: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/research/workshop/index.php
Click on the agenda item you would like to view. Presentations covered chemical control of many widespread invasive plants in IL, Tansy, Leafy spurge, IPM for Reed Canary Grass, novel approaches to Buckthorn control, wick applicators, and general aquatic plant management.
Illinois is hosting an "Invasive Species Awareness Month" in May of this year.
We have set up a website (www.illinoisinvasives.org) for the effort along with a facebook page. You can get there from the "Find us on Facebook" link on our website homepage or search for "Illinois Invasive Species Awareness Month" on facebook. Feel free to share around with anyone that might be interested.
Feel free to post information or pictures about any invasive-species related events that might be going on in your neighborhood.
What is an innocuous species here can be an invasive species there
I recently received an e-mail from a woman in the U.K. who, as part of a larger discussion of nature, told me about the problem of American mink in her country. In a later e-mail the issue of invasive skunk cabbage was raised; she wasn't as excited about them as I was since they were destroying her local wetlands. It turns out that our backyard nature is showing up in other people's backyards and proving to be unwelcome. Read more ...
Counting the cost of alien invasions
Far too many governments have failed to grasp the scale of the threat from invasive species, warns UN Environment Programme's executive director Achim Steiner. In this week's Green Room, he issues a call to arms to halt the alien invasion. Read more ...
Another State Proposing Rules!
Unwanted, unloved and living here
If it slithers, stings, eats or just grows, the state wants invasive species gone
By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
First published in print: Thursday, April 8, 2010 ALBANY -- The state is compiling a hit list of invasive plants, animals and insects -- from exotic invaders like a voracious Chinese fish to ornamental shrubs available at the local nursery.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=919550
Courting Controversy with a New View on Exotic Species
A number of biologists are challenging the long-held orthodoxy that invasive species are inherently bad for ecosystems. In their contrarian view, many introduced species have proven valuable and useful and have increased the diversity and resiliency of indigenous environments.
by greg breining
When biologist Mark A. Davis talks about exotic species, he eventually comes to LTL, his shorthand for Learn to Love them. Flying in the face of the conventional wisdom among biologists that exotic species are harmful to native ecosystems, Davis and a small cohort of biologists espouse a heretical viewpoint: Exotic species are here to stay, so get used to them, and forget about ripping out the fast-spreading shrub, buckthorn, on a large scale or throwing Asian carp on the bank to die. More ...
They Came from Climate Change
Here's an amusing video on climate change and how it is expected to favor several noxious invasive sp. from the National Wildlife Federation http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Climate-Invaders.aspx
National Biodiversity Network's Gateway.
Use it to explore UK biodiversity data, as contributed by participating data providers. See information about the spread of Japanese Knotweed in Europe.
Includes a nice video on garlic mustard!
Pretty Amaaazing story below--if this article is factual (it's hard to believe--even for an invasives guy like me...)!
But note why we have become somewhat alarmed at JK beginning to spread here. And why the emphasis on prevention at all new sites:
"Knotweed is now so prevalent in the UK that according to official records there is now not a single 6 mile square in the country where it is not present and it is only considered to be absent from the Orkney Islands.
The cost of trying to eradicate the plant in the UK has been estimated to be more than £1.25 billion and it is going to cost more than £70 million to clear the weed from 10 acres of the London Olympics site."
And "Typically it can cost between £50 and £300 to clear just three square feet of land of knotweed."
However, FYI--and some light at the end of the tunnel?:
"Last week the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans to release psyllids, a type of jumping louse from Japan, at three sites around the country over the next couple of months in a pilot to control Japanese knotweed.
The insects are a natural enemy of knotweed in Japan and experts hope it will provide a cheap, long term solution to controlling the plant.
But gardeners and wildlife experts have expressed concern about introducing another foreign species into the British countryside amid fears it may attack native plants.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, however insists extensive tests have been carried on 100 British plants to ensure the psyllid will not also become a pest.
Psyllids attack knotweed by laying their eggs on the plant, which then hatch and their young, nymphs, suck the sap of the knotweed. The resulting damage prevents the plants from growing and causes them to become stunted."
We should be able to profit from their experience with this biocontrol, and be ready to do the necessary research for possible use here, if successful. (They had been considering this step for some time--and, in fact, some had once used our successful North American PL biocontrol as a trend-setting example for why they should try it!) There are some interesting side articles to access (below the picture) if you want more info about the biocontrol insects.
Brock Woods
Wisconsin Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Program Manager
608-221-6349
Mortgages refused over invasive weed
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Published: 9:00PM GMT 13 Mar 2010
Home buyers are being denied a mortgage by banks and building sites because the property they are trying to purchase has been affected by an invasive garden weed.
Sellers [in the UK] have been forced to spend thousands of pounds eradicating Japanese knotweed from their land after finding their homes had become virtually unsellable because potential buyers were being turned down for mortgages.
More ...
Windfall needed to wipe out invasive species
By Stephanie Tavares Thursday, March 11, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Everyone agrees that Southern Nevada needs to get rid of the quagga mussels that threaten to ruin Lake Mead, the foreign grasses that fuel wildfires and salt cedars that steal precious water and choke out native wetland vegetation. ...
Because of the massive price tags that come with battles against invasive species, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking another run at establishing a federal program to provide low-interest loans for the efforts.
He introduced the Invasive Species Emergency Response Fund Act on March 3. ...
More ...
New publication available: "Adapting to Climate Change: A Short Course for Land Managers"
Adapting to Climate Change: A Short Course for Land Managers. Furniss, M.J.; Millar, C.I.; Peterson, D.L.; Joyce, L.A.; Neilson, R.P.; Halofsky, J.E.; Kerns, B.K. 2009. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-789DVD. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Description:The U.S. Forest Service’s western research stations have released an interactive short course that presents current scientific knowledge on adapting to climate variability in wildland management. Titled “Adapting to Climate Change: A Short Course for Land Managers,” the course is available as a DVD.
Also online at the Climate Change Resource Center: http://www.fs.fed.us/ccrc/hjar
There is NO charge for this publication and to order single or multiple copies:
Email: rschneider@fs.fed.us (include full mailing address)
FAX: (970) 498-1122
Phone: (970) 498-1392
Mail: Send your name and address in block format (as if you are
addressing an envelope) to:
Publishing Services
Rocky Mountain Research Station
240 West Prospect Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098 USA
The U.S. Forest Service has a new publication entitled, “A Guide to Nonnative Invasive Plants Inventoried in the North by Forest Inventory and Analysis.” You can download a copy at http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/34183.
Butler, Jack; Pearson, Dean; Kim, Mee-Sook. tech. eds. 2009. Invasive Species Working Group: Research Summary and Expertise Directory. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 20 p.
Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) personnel have scientific expertise in widely ranging disciplines and conduct multidisciplinary research on invasive species issues with emphasis in terrestrial and aquatic habitats throughout the Interior West, Great Plains, and related areas (fig. 1; Expertise Directory; appendix). RMRS invasive species research covers an array of diverse ecological and environmental gradients, from southwestern deserts to northern temperate rain forests and from low-elevation plains and basins to alpine summits (fig. 1).
It is online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2009_butler_j001.pdf
There is NO charge for this publication and to order single or multiple copies:
Email: rschneider@fs.fed.us (include full mailing address)
FAX: (970) 498-1122
Phone: (970) 498-1392
Mail: Send your name and address in block format (as if you are
addressing an envelope) to:
Publishing Services
Rocky Mountain Research Station
240 West Prospect Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098 USA
Restored Prairies Resist Non-Native Grasses
Access to the entire article is free through March 10th. See below for the link.
Invasive species continue to pose a threat to ecosystem restoration. Prairies, already reduced to 1% of their original area, face competition from non-native cool-season turfgrass species (short grasses with two growing seasons-one in spring and one in fall) used for lawns, sports fields or golf courses. Although these non-native species have been reported in remnant and restored prairie, it is yet unclear how they got there.
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin, led by John C. Stier, investigated the ability of turfgrasses to compete against established prairie vegetation. Ten different species of turfgrass were transplanted into two restored prairie sites in Wisconsin. Colonies of non-native turfgrasses either declined in size or remained constant in size over two years. One native turfgrass colony tripled in size. The results demonstrate an inability of non-native species to compete in established prairies. The study was published in the January-February 2010 edition of Crop Science.
Non-native grasses tended to show strong evidence of herbivory, likely by small rodents, rabbits, and turkey, and had to be protected by wire downspout guards. Native grasses also showed a competitive edge due to their deeper and more developed root systems. The shade from the native grasses was also a factor in limiting the growth of the sun-loving turfgrasses.
Although most of the turfgrasses didn't grow enough to produce seeds, the researchers did compare the viability of seeds of the non-native turfgrasses to the native prairie grasses. Non-native turfgrasses showed survival rates of 12% to 30% over 22 months, with rates for native grasses only about 1%. The researchers suggest that the existence of non-native grass species is most likely the result of inadequate prairie restoration and human disturbance.
The results of the research suggest that non-native cool-season turfgrasses can't compete with native grasses in prairie ecosystems. Their presence can be explained by their lengthier seed survival rates and insufficient controls during restoration efforts. Turfgrasses could become more prevalent with a consistent source for seed recruitment, such as a seeded roadside. The researchers suggest the study will help develop invasive species regulations and control measures. Funding was provided by University and Federal Hatch fund sources.
The full article is available for no charge until March 10, 2010. View the abstract at crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/50/1/345.
New publication: Herbicide Effectiveness on Invasive Plants in Wisconsin (A3893)
Herbicide Effectiveness on Invasive Plants in Wisconsin (A3893)
by Mark Renz
Based on research and field observations, this new publication highlights the effectiveness of 32 herbicides on 32 different invasive plants commonly found in fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Wisconsin, all in a sturdy fold-out poster form for easy reference.
Plants listed include: burdock, Canada goldenrod, Chinese lespedeza, common tansy, crown vetch, curly dock, dames rocket, field bindweed, garlic mustard, giant hogweed, giant ragweed, hawkweeds, hill mustard, Japanese hedge parsley, Japanese knotweed, knapweeds, multiflora rose, phragmites, poison hemlock, purple loosestrife, Queen Anne’s lace, reed canary grass, spurge (leafy and cypress), sweet clover (white and yellow), teasel (cutleaf and common), thistle (bull, Canada, marsh, musk, and plumeless), wild chervil, and wild parsnip.
To view the PDF or to order copies, visit the Learning Store at: http://bit.ly/9SkXjg
Oregon bans sale of English ivy, butterfly bushes
By Eric Mortenson, The Oregonian
The Oregonian, February 10, 2010, 5:19PM
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has banned the transport, sale or propagation of English ivy, which threatens to smother trees in Portland’s Forest Park. Sandy Diedrich would be clacking her loppers in approval. The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it is banning the sale, transport or propagation of English ivy, a creeping scourge that threatens to smother much of the late Diedrich's beloved Forest Park.
In announcing the ban of English ivy and butterfly bushes, the agency officials called them invasive, noxious weeds that are a threat in Oregon because they out-compete native plants.
English ivy is particularly pernicious. It tolerates shade, allowing it to cover the ground, smother the competition and hog water and soil nutrients. Once it's won the ground war, it climbs trees or buildings, where it matures, spreads its seeds and can kill host trees. In the Portland area, volunteer ivy pullers scour parks and trails to keep it under control.
Diedrich, who worked for the Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation, formed the "No Ivy League" in 1994 with the intent of protecting Forest Park, which covers 5,000 acres in the city's northwest hills. The Forest Park Conservancy estimates that nearly half the park is infested with English ivy, and school, church and scout work parties are a common sight.
Diedrich, who died in 2007, was a colorful campaign leader with a cold-eyed opinion of English ivy. "Sometimes I think it's the devil," she told The Oregonian in 2004. "It's a very cunning, ruthless plant."
"I think she'd be jumping up and down, extremely excited" about the ivy ban, said Kevin McWhirter, a city employee who helps coordinate No Ivy League events.
"The main problem with ivy is that, as with any invasive species, it out-competes native plants for sun, water and soil resources," he said.
The state ban takes effect June 1, giving plant stores time to sell stock on hand. They won't be allowed to restock, or to sell English ivy after that. The ban also applies to potted plants and to plants used in floral arrangements.
The sales, transport and propagation ban also applies to butterfly bush plants with the exception of sterile varieties that produce little of no seed.
Before its impact on native species was widely recognized, English ivy was a popular landscaping choice as a ground cover because it grows and climbs so readily.
The agriculture department's action to ban it won't solve the problem but is "absolutely" welcome, said Stephen Hatfield, stewardship director with the Forest Park Conservancy.
"One of challenges, of course, is that it's well-established in private homes surrounding the park," he said. "But stopping its distribution in the state of Oregon is going to be a positive long-term impact."
Invasive Plants Are Beneficiaries of Climate Change in Thoreau's Woods
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203111626.htm
Invasive Plants Are Beneficiaries of Climate Change in Thoreau's Woods ScienceDaily (Feb. 3, 2010) -- Invasive plants could become even more prevalent and destructive as climate change continues, according to a new analysis of data stretching back more than 150 years.
Phragmites Partners With Microbes to Plot Native Plants' Demise
ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2009) -- University of Delaware researchers have uncovered a novel means of conquest employed by the common reed, Phragmites australis, which ranks as one of the world's most invasive plants. Read more ...
Researchers learn why invasive plants are spreading rapidly in forests
University Park, Pa. -- Invasive plants are advancing into Eastern forests at an alarming rate, and the rapid spread has been linked by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences to forest road maintenance and the type of dirt and stone used on roads. Read more ...
New Invasive Plant Species Education Lessons Website
University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, announces a new Invasive Plant Species Education Lessons website. It has all the lessons, videos, PowerPoints, and many other resources related to the Lessons. This project was funded via a WEEB forestry education grant. LEAF lesson guides were used in the development of this resource. http://www.uwstout.edu/faculty/jamesk/Invasive_Plant/Invasive_Plant.htm
The Alien Plant Working Group's Invasive Plant Calendar for 2010 is now done and available online for you to download & print. Take a look at it at http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/calendar.htm
HBT™: Herbicide Ballistic Technology
Watch You Tube video
Streamlining 'search and destroy': cost-effective surveillance for invasive species management
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122381542/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
To sample or eradicate? A cost minimization model for monitoring and managing an invasive species
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119878129/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Milfoil is foiled by herbicide on Minnetonka bays
Milfoil is foiled by herbicide on Minnetonka bays As milfoil spread, so does interest in using chemicals to control it on Lake Minnetonka.
By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune
Last update: December 1, 2009 - 5:11 PM
Two years into a five-year test of herbicides to control Eurasian water milfoil on Lake Minnetonka, results are so encouraging that more shoreline property owners are asking for the chemical treatment in their bays.
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/78155112.html
FREE Web Seminars on Inventory and Survey Methods for Invasive Plants
Six FREE interactive web seminars on inventory and survey methods for invasive plants are offered by the Center for Invasive Plant Management (CIPM) during January and February 2010. There is no fee for the seminars, but advanced registration is required. Participants will be provided with reading materials in advance of each seminar. To learn more and register visit http://www.weedcenter.org/outreach/project-webseminar.html.
CIPM received a grant from the Western Integrated Pest Management Center to develop and present the web seminar series based on chapters from from Inventory and Survey Methods for Nonindigenous Plant Species (LJ Rew and ML P! okorny, editors. 2006. Montana State University Extension). CIPM coordinated and funded the development and printing of the publication, which presents practical inventory and survey methods for successful application over large areas and provides guidance for selecting methods that best meet the objectives of an integrated pest management strategy.
Kudzu Found in Ontario!
Kudzu has been discovered on the north shore of Lake Erie in southern Ontario. See related articles:
The vine that ate the south is here! (PDF)
Fact Sheet from Ontario (PDF)
It's that time of year again - Microstegium (Japanese Stiltgrass) is going to seed!
Good for research, bad for just about everything else.
Last year many of you were very helpful in collecting seed from populations on properties you manage or visit. That seed is being used in multiple experiments that should shed light on variation in invasiveness across populations and the population genetics of this nasty invader. We are continuing to look at variation among invading populations so more collections are needed.
Please let Luke know if you are willing to collect seed from populations near where you live or work. If so he will send you a short doc with instructions. He could use seed from populations throughout the invasive range but he particularly needs populations from GA, TN, OH, KY, PA, SC, MS, AR, and from New England states.
It would also be very good to have collections from the leading edge of the invasion - has anyone found it in WI, MI, northern IL or IN, or farther north and west than what we typically see on range maps?
Thanks for all your help! And please check out Luke's web page at www.lukeflory.com for current publications on Microstegium and other invaders.
S. Luke Flory, Ph.D.
Indiana University, Department of Biology,Bloomington, IN 47405 Cell: 518-774-4649
Office: 812-855-1674
Strengthen plant import screening
While many countries have adopted protocols that protect their environment without unduly limiting free trade, the US system remains weak (see the National Plant Board's 2006 assessment. -PDF) The USDA, which bears responsibility for screening plant imports, has released new "Q-37" guidelines for review, with comments due Oct. 21, 2009. Some will resist this proposal, so it is critical that natural resource managers voice their perspectives. Please look at http://www.cal-ipc.org/policy/federal/Q37.php for more info.
Photoguide of Ailanthus Wilt Symptoms
prepared by Dr. Don Davis, Forest Pathologist, Penn State University. Don and graduate students have done extensive research on the Ailanthus Wilt in PA. The vascular wilt is caused by the fungus, Verticillium albo-atrum
Ailanthus Wilt Photoguide.ppt (PowerPoint, exit this site)
Ailanthus Wilt Etiology.pdf (PDF, exit this site)
ScienceDaily (Sep. 3, 2009) — Like most invasive plants introduced to the U.S. from Europe and other places, garlic mustard first found it easy to dominate the natives. A new study indicates that eventually, however, its primary weapon – a fungus-killing toxin injected into the soil – becomes less potent.
ScienceDaily (July 27, 2009) — A promising biocontrol agent for garlic mustard, one of the most problematic invaders of temperate forests in North America, has been identified by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators.
By JESSICA LEBER of ClimateWire
Published: August 12, 2009
U.S. policies are subsidizing new energy crops that are likely to spread off the farm and wreak economic and ecological havoc, a federal advisory board cautioned yesterday.
The Invasion of Genetically-Engineered Eucalyptus
Here’s a great idea: Let's bring into our country a genetically-engineered, non-native tree that is known to be wildly invasive, explosively flammable, and insatiably thirsty for ground water. Then let's clone thousands of these living firecrackers and plant them in forested regions across seven Southern states, allowing them to grow, flower, produce seeds, and spread into native environments. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18881.cfm
The Center for Invasive Plant Management in Bozeman, MT sells life-like models of invasive plants for educational purposes. They allow you to show groups what a particular invasive plant looks like without spreading around seeds from live plants in the process. They have four new species available now. These are great for educational programs.
Life-like replicas of four more invasive plants are now available: garlic mustard, perennial pepperweed, purple loosestrife, and saltcedar. These species complement the already famous spotted knapweed, yellow starthistle, leafy spurge, and Dalmatian toadflax produced by the Center for Invasive Plant Management. All can be ordered by the box (12 stems) or as part of an educational or display bouquet.
Visit the CIPM Store (www.weedcenter.org/store/index.html) or contact CIPM at 406 994 5557 or weedcenter@montana.edu for more information.