P.O. Box 5274 Madison, WI 53705-0274 Info@IPAW.org
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Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Forest Service - State & Private Forestry, the Midwest Invasive Plant Network has recently completed an updated version of our “CWMA Cookbook: A Guide on How to Develop a Cooperative Weed Management Area in the Eastern United States.” A PDF of the new Cookbook is available on our website at http://mipn.org/MIPN%20Cookbook%202011%20Final,%20low%20res.pdf. Thanks to all who contributed photos for the new version.
RACINE - Two gardening groups have quit volunteering at the Racine Zoo because zoo officials will not stop planting invasive species. Read more ...
Bamboo and Russian olive . . .
I am coordinating the Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey (www.garlicmustard.org ), a unique large-scale collaborative project in invasion biology, and probably the largest demographic survey of any invasive plant species in the world. I am writing to you because we would very much like to be able to include more data from Italy, and since you are an expert on Invasion Biology we thought you might be interested in this project and able to contribute one or a few populations from your area. One of the most common assumptions in invasion biology is that invasive plants perform better in their introduced range than in their native range. However, even though this assumption is underlying several key hypotheses in plant invasion biology, there are still surprisingly few hard data to support this claim. The aim to the Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey is to collect comprehensive field data to test this assumption for garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a European plant that is currently one of the most problematic plant invaders in temperate North America. We have designed the Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey as a "citizen science" project with a simple standardized sampling protocol (see website). The protocol takes a few hours per population, it can be easily completed by scientists, students and non-scientists, and it can also be included in undergraduate courses. So far, we have received data from almost 200 populations, with more than 50 contributors (scientists and non-scientists) from many countries (see map on website). The project started in 2009, and 2011 is planned to be the final year, after which we will start analysing and publishing the data. Our goal is that academics who contribute data will also have the opportunity to contribute as a coauthor on scientific papers. If this project sounds good to you, then please take a look at www.garlicmustard.org and consider sampling in your area. If you know other people or groups at your institution or in your area that could be potential contributors to this project, then it would be great if you could pass on this email to them. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or comments. Kind regards, Oliver --------------- Dr. Oliver Bossdorf The Global Garlic Mustard Field Survey http://www.garlicmustard.org AND Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Altenbergrain 21 CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland Phone: +41 31 631 4926 bossdorf@ips.unibe.ch https://sites.google.com/site/obossdorf/
The phrase "invasive plant species" typically evokes negative images such as broad swaths of kudzu smothered trees along the highway or purple loosestrife taking over wetlands and clogging waterways.and as such, invasive plants are largely viewed as major threats to native biodiversity. However, research has shown both that invasive species may be one of the most important threats to biodiversity and that plant invasions are rarely the cause for native species extinctions. How can these conflicting pieces of evidence be reconciled? Read more ...
Join the National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils on Facebook where we can all post breaking news, upcoming events, pictures, questions, and opinions. It's our page to stay in touch!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Association-of-Exotic-Pest-Plant-Councils/182418701795420
Summary
1. The factors associated with plant species’ endangerment and (conversely) invasiveness are of broad interest due to their potential value in explaining the causes and consequences of population status. While most past work has focussed on ecological variables, recent work suggests that genetic attributes may be strongly associated with plant species status.
2. We collated data on chromosome numbers for 640 endangered species (worldwide) and their 9005 congeners, and for 81 invasive species and their 2356 congeners. We related ploidy (diploid versus polyploid) to endangerment and invasiveness. We also related chromosome number (absolute number and relative to the minimum recorded for the genus) to endangerment and invasiveness with a randomization test, taking the variation of reported chromosome numbers into account. All analyses considered the relatedness of the taxa.
3. We found that endangered plants are disproportionately likely to be diploid and to have lower ploidy ratios, whilst invasive plant species are generally found to have high chromosome counts and to be polyploid.
4. While considering the effect of relatedness, being endangered is c. 8% less likely as ploidy ratio doubles and 14% less likely for polyploids compared with diploids. Being invasive is 12% more likely as chromosome number doubles and 20% more likely for polyploids compared with diploids. There was no significant effect of raw chromosome number on endangerment or of ploidy ratio on invasiveness.
5. Our findings demonstrate the importance of genomic attributes as risk factors of vulnerability to endangerment or invasiveness in higher plant species, and raise interesting questions as to potential causes of the pattern.
6. Synthesis. Our findings generate new hypotheses on plant rarity and invasiveness influenced by genomic attributes and further our understanding of the role of ploidy in rarity and invasiveness in higher plants. The cause of these relationships are potentially complex, requiring further research; ultimately, understanding the mechanistic basis of population status could aid conservation programs seeking to identify potentially endangered or invasive species. Comments http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110406/full/news.2011.213.html
The Central Hardwoods Invasive Plant Network (or Chip-N) has recently completed a collaborative survey of invasive species along the lower Ohio River Valley and the results are now available online at: www.rtrcwma.org/chip-n) Chip-N is an informal partnership between Cooperative Weed Management Areas in the southern portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio (River to River CWMA, Southern Indiana CWMA, Iron Furnace CWMA and the Southeast Ohio NNIS Interest Group). This project, with funding from USFS State & Private Forestry, USFS Eastern Region and several other sources, worked with The Nature Conservancy, Notre Dame University and the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health to design and implement the surveys and make the results available online. This project resulted in the discovery of many new infestations of invasive species along the Lower Ohio River, its tributaries, and some nearby reservoirs. Most notably was the discovery of widespread infestations of Hydrilla along the Ohio River adjacent to Indiana and Ohio. To see maps based on the results, go to www.rtrcwma.org/chip-n
ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2011) -- Kudzu, the plant scourge of the U.S. Southeast. The long tendrils of this woody vine, or liana, are on the move north with a warming climate. Read more ...
Herbicide ban discarded to battle invasion By Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald March 27, 2011 CALGARY -- Noxious weeds took advantage of city hall.s 2008 moratorium on herbicides and are now forcing the city to revive its chemical battle against nasty invasive plants in parks and along roads. Read more ...
Many of the presentations from National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2011 have been posted on the NISAW website at http://www.nisaw.org/2011/presentations.html. Take a look at what you missed!
17 March 2011 by Andy Coghlan MORE than half of the world's most invasive plant species spread into new habitats from botanic gardens, an analysis of historic "alien" escapes has concluded. Although most cases analyzed happened between the 1800s and the mid-1900s, there are reports of more recent releases which merit a tightening up of biosecurity, researchers warn. Read more ...
A couple hundred of the inveterate munchers are eating their way through invasive weeds in a burned portion of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, clearing the way for native plants and insects to move back in. Read more ...
See what you can do with black locust and honeysuckle as a filler. Click on the photo album at the bottom of the page.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) is distributing free copies of a new guide that provides information on controlling and removing invasive plants in the South. See the full article text. The guide mentioned is available in PDF format at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/36915.
We'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about an innovative and interactive project regarding invasive species in the Great Lakes. Invasive species are non-native critters that compete with native wildlife and are a threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy. The Great Lakes SmackDown! Terrsterial Terror is a contest modeled after the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. At Great Lakes Echo, an environmental bio-regional news site, we'll be pitting 16 of the most formidable terrestrial invasive species against each other in “land brawls" throughout the month of March. We’ll ask scientists, resource managers, invasive species experts and Echo readers to weigh in on each battle. Fill out a bracket and find about the contenders, vote in polls and make sure you discuss and root for your favorite (or most disliked) contender. Your participation and input would be greatly appreciated to help discuss this serious Great Lakes issue in a new way. All the information you'll need to participate you can find at this website: http://greatlakesecho.org/2011/03/02/meet-the-great-lakes-smackdown-terrestrial-terror-invaders/ Sincerely, The Great Lakes Echo Team greatlakesecho@gmail.com www.greatlakesecho.org www.facebook.com/greatlakesecho@greatlakes_echo
Here's one that sparked quite a bit of chatter on the listservs:
University Park, Pa. -- A team of Penn State scientists has discovered that human-introduced, invasive species of plants can have positive ecological effects.Tomás Carlo, an assistant professor of biology, and Jason Gleditsch, a graduate student, have studied how invasive fruiting plants affect ecosystems and how those effects, contrary to prevailing ideas, sometimes can be beneficial to an ecological community. The team's research, which will be published in the journal Diversity and Distributions, is expected to affect the way environmental resource managers respond to ecosystem maintenance. Read more ...
Trees are the backbone of a forest, but in tropical forests throughout the Americas, trees appear to be losing ground to the woody vines that climb them in a race to reach the sunlight above. This shift could have important implications for tropical ecosystems and for the globe, according to researchers. Read more ...
The first comprehensive baseline knowledge on North America’s plant conservation efforts just published
Washington, D.C. – Only 39 percent of the nearly 10,000 North American plant species threatened with extinction are protected by being maintained in collections, according to the first comprehensive listing of the threatened plant species in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Seed banks or living collections maintained by public gardens and conservation organizations across North America provide an insurance policy against extinction for many threatened species. Read more ...
January 31, 2011 (PhysOrg.com) -- A number of introduced plant species have become more like natives, suggesting rapid evolution could happen far more frequently than previously thought, according to new research from UNSW. On the upside, the result suggests plants may be able to adapt to climate change. On the downside, it means that invasive plants will become even more problematic over time. Read more ...
An interesting fact sheet on the effects of invasive plants on native pollinators from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign: http://www.pollinator.org/Resources/NAPPC%20Invasive%20Species%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Angie Shelton at Indiana University has created a new website on predicting the spread of invasive species, with a focus on her research on Japanese stiltgrass. The information will be of interest to both land managers and researchers. Take a look at http://www.indiana.edu/~preserve/InvasiveSpread
To hear Angie’s talk on the topic from the Stiltgrass Summit, hosted by River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area last summer, visit http://www.rtrcwma.org/stiltgrass/.
Presentations from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Invasive Species Conference are now available on the MIPN website at http://mipn.org/MNWIISC_2010_Conference.html.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in consultation with other Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, State agencies, local governments and non-governmental organizations, is conducting a feasibility study named the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). For GLMRIS, USACE will explore options and technologies, collectively known as aquatic nuisance species (ANS) controls, that could be applied to prevent ANS transfer between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins through aquatic pathways. Scoping comments will be accepted through March 31, 2011. USACE is scheduling additional scoping meetings in other cities. Refer to the GLMRIS Web site: www.glmris.anl.gov<http://www.glmris.anl.gov/>.
Pesticide new container and repackaging seminars Below you will find a link to information regarding a series of seminars jointly produced by Wisconsin Crop Production Association, Cooperative Network, and the WASA dealing with the new USEPA pesticide container and repackaging rules. If your operation handles or repackages pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides, please make sure you get to one of these important educational opportunities. The program will cover what your operation needs to do in terms of the handling of containers and repackaging pesticides. In addition, attendees will learn what paperwork and recordkeeping requirements are involved with the new regulations. Please see the attached forms for registration information including dates and locations. CLICK HERE for more information
... This problem, which is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss around the world, was ignored for a long time. Recently, the Mexican government took on the challenge and through the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), called upon distinguished members of over twenty academic and government institutions and representatives of organized civil society. This group assembled to form the National Advisory Committee on Invasive Species and developed the National Strategy on Invasive Species in Mexico, which was needed for our country. ...
http://www.afpmb.org/downloads/invasive.pdf
By JAMES GORMAN Published: December 31, 2010 There's a new shift in the politics of food, not quite a movement yet, more of an eco-culinary frisson. But it may have staying power; the signs and portents are there. Vegans, freegans, locavores -- meet the invasivores. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02gorman.html?_r=2&src=tptw
County's Weed Management Plan Seeing Success
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY – In the war against noxious weeds, San Miguel County has gained considerable ground over the past few years, and the number of acres needing weed treatment is decreasing, marking a shift from containing out-of-control weed populations to more of a cleanup program that eliminates plants and seeds that are transported into the county. Read more: Watch Newspapers - County’s Weed Management Plan Seeing Success
The Alien Plant Working Group's Invasive Plant Calendar for 2011 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 It highlights this year's updated version of Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas.
... is now available online at: http://www.rtrcwma.org/striketeamreport2010.pdf
This reports covers the species, methods, and locations used in all strike team management activities during FY2010. We think the strike team approach is a great way to conduct regional invasive plant management strategies.
An effort to fight an invasive plant with insects that eat it has drawn opposition from beekeepers who worry it will leave them without an adequate source of nectar and pollen for their honeybees. Read more ...
Franz Essl, Stefan Dullinger, Wolfgang Rabitsch, Philip E. Hulme, Karl Hülber, Vojtěch Jarošík, Ingrid Kleinbauer, Fridolin Krausmann, Ingolf Kühn, Wolfgang Nentwig, Montserrat Vilà, Piero Genovesi, Francesca Gherardi, Marie-Laure Desprez-Loustau, Alain Roques, and Petr Pyšek (2010) Published online before print December 20, 2010, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1011728108 PNAS December 20, 2010 http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/12/10/1011728108.full.pdf+html Abstract Globalization and economic growth are widely recognized as important drivers of biological invasions. Consequently, there is an increasing need for governments to address the role of international trade in their strategies to prevent species introductions. However, many of the most problematic alien species are not recent arrivals but were introduced several decades ago. Hence, current patterns of alien-species richness may better reflect historical rather than contemporary human activities, a phenomenon which might be called “invasion debt.” Here, we show that across 10 taxonomic groups (vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, terrestrial insects, and aquatic invertebrates) in 28 European countries, current numbers of alien species established in the wild are indeed more closely related to indicators of socioeconomic activity from the year 1900 than to those from 2000, although the majority of species introductions occurred during the second half of the 20th century. The strength of the historical signal varies among taxonomic groups, with those possessing good capabilities for dispersal (birds, insects) more strongly associated with recent socioeconomic drivers. Nevertheless, our results suggest a considerable historical legacy for the majority of the taxa analyzed. The consequences of the current high levels of socioeconomic activity on the extent of biological invasions will thus probably not be completely realized until several decades into the future.
Forecasting Weed Distributions using Climate Data: A GIS Early Warning Tool Catherine S. Jarnevich, Tracy R. Holcombe, David T. Barnett, Thomas J. Stohlgren, and John T. Kartesz The number of invasive exotic plant species establishing in the United States is continuing to rise. When prevention of exotic species from entering into a country fails at the national level and the species establishes, reproduces, spreads, and becomes invasive, the most successful action at a local level is early detection followed by eradication. We have developed a simple geographic information system (GIS) analysis for developing watch lists for early detection of invasive exotic plants that relies upon currently available species distribution data coupled with environmental data to aid in describing coarse-scale potential distributions. This GIS analysis tool develops environmental envelopes for species based upon the known distribution of a species thought to be invasive and represents the first approximation of its potential habitat while the necessary data are collected to perform more indepth analyses. To validate this method we looked at a time series of species distributions for 66 species in Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountain counties. The time series analysis presented here did select counties that the invasive exotic weeds invaded in subsequent years, showing that this technique could be useful in developing watch lists for the spread of particular exotic species. We applied this same habitat-matching model based upon bioclimatic envelopes to 100 invasive exotics with various levels of known distributions within continental U.S. counties. For species with climatically limited distributions, county watch lists describe county-specific vulnerability to invasion. Species with matching habitats in a county would be added to that county.s list. These watch lists can influence management decisions for early warning, control prioritization, and targeted research to determine specific locations within vulnerable counties. This tool provides useful information for rapid assessment of the potential distribution based upon climate envelopes of current distributions for new invasive exotic species. Download a PDF of the article
The 2011 North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Short Course (NAIPSC) is 3 days of intense instruction and learning for those interested in the basics of invasive plant ecology and management.
To provide the most in-depth, comprehensive education on these principles and topics, the NAIPSC combines
For information about the course, please contact Steve Young. Email: syoung4@unl.edu or Phone: (308) 696-6712.
See the website for details
See http://www.glc.org/ans/phragmites/symposium2011.html for more information.
Symposium Overview The Great Lakes Commission (Commission) is working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) and other partners to plan and conduct a regional symposium on management and control of the non-native, invasive plant, Phragmites australis. The objectives of the symposium are to:
The symposium is being held as part of a broader initiative to develop a strategic framework to advance implementation of a comprehensive phragmites management and control plan in Michigan with relevance to the Great Lakes region. See the Great Lakes Commission AIS Initiatives page for more information.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — Foreign pests are eating their way through our national forests, destroying majestic scenery and costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Read more...
The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species Unveils New Web-based Resource on Invasive Species
The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species, a coalition of 17 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to fighting invasive species, has launched a newly redesigned website and resource on invasive species. The site, necis.net, is a dynamic source of news and information about invasive species, featuring updates on current NECIS initiatives and timely information on how to help improve invasive species policies across the nation. NECIS hopes that the new site will enhance cooperation and communication between member groups and the public, and will better support the Coalition's mission to promote sound policy to prevent harmful invasive species from being introduced, becoming established, and spreading across the United States.
ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2010) -- A new field study confirms that an invasive weed called medusahead has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions of acres of grazing land almost worthless. Read more ...
By DAVE SKOLODA
Read more ...
A federal grant is helping fund a project that will look for ways to turn unwanted, invasive plant species along the Missouri River Basin into biofuel . Andy Kim | October 18, 2010
Farmers are struggling to coexist with the overabundance of invasive plants making their way across the Missouri River Basin. The unwanted plants have the potential to cause ecological problems that could become serious economic problems for the agriculture industry. Montana State University’s Center for Invasive Plant Management is leading a pilot program that will try to create fuel out of the invasive plants found in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. The project will focus on converting Russian olive and saltcedar trees, which can negatively affect the local water supply and habitats for local wildlife and livestock, into biofuel. These two trees are present in over a million acres of land in the West. The three-year pilot will also analyze the environmental effects of current plant-controlling methods and create a strategy to communicate effective techniques and approaches to managing invasive plant species. The CIPM recently received a $1 million federal grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to fund this pilot project.
Deadly Drivers of Change: Invasive Species and Climate Change Coming to an Ecosystem Near You Separately, climate change and invasive species are two of the greatest threats to biodiversity and the ecosystem services upon which humanity relies. Combined their impacts will be compounded, potentially resulting in negative feedback loops with increasingly dire consequences. The latest publication from GISP* by Stas Burgiel & Adrianna Muir highlights recent efforts to identify the underlying dynamics linking these two global change drivers and the optimal responses for the policy-making and research communities. A PDF copy of the report is available at http://www.gisp.org/index.asp
... The researchers are using genetic bar-coding — sequencing several key genes — to construct a phylogenetic ("family") tree for all 2,500 native and introduced plant species growing in Wisconsin. The tree will contribute to a wider "tree of life" for all North American plants and give the Wisconsin team a tool to analyze how genetic connections and diverging physical characteristics affect the distributions of plant species over sites. Several hundred species are being scored on up to 50 significant traits, allowing the researchers to judge their relative importance in determining plant distributions and changes in abundance. ...
Honeysuckle Increase Risk of Tick-Borne Disease in Suburbs ScienceDaily (Oct. 11, 2010) - "You don't have to go out into the woods anymore," says tick expert Brian F. Allan, PhD, who just completed a postdoctoral appointment at Washington University in St. Louis. "The deer are bringing tick-borne disease to us." Read more ...
MSU, partners in six states consider converting invasive plants to fuel October 06, 2010 -- By Evelyn Boswell, MSU News Service BOZEMAN -- Invasive plants make life tougher for farmers and ranchers who live in the six headwater states of the Missouri River Basin, so why not turn the plants into fuel and make some money at the same time? Read more ...
This'll crack you up and it gets the message out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWXX_0zLOI. Steven's contact info is below for talent scouts. Stephen H. Brown Horticulture Program Leader University of Florida/IFAS 3406 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916
By Anne Marie Chaker They come to hiking trails and abandoned lots armed with shovels, chain saws and souped-up farm equipment--all in the name of wrestling weeds. Read more ...
Garlic mustard has been shown to produce compounds that inhibit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal associations. We published a paper in the Open Ecology Journal in June 2010 that demonstrated removal of garlic mustard for five years resulted in an increase arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP). We found that removal of garlic mustard resulted in an increase in soil MIP and cover of native species; however, there is not a complete loss of MIP associated with garlic mustard invasion. Following removal of garlic mustard, our data suggest that mycorrhizal plants recover more slowly than non-mycorrhizal species, apparently due to a delay in the establishment of a well-functioning mycorrhizal association. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the MIP of native soils and cover of native species increase following reduction in the cover of garlic mustard. Download the PDF
It is the garden invader that can crack brickwork and drill holes through three inches of Tarmac. Now Japanese knotweed, the bane of horticulturists everywhere, is inflicting damage of a different kind - to Scotland's property market. Homeowners whose properties are blighted by the fast-growing vegetation are struggling to sell their houses as banks refuse to offer mortgages on 'contaminated' plots. Read more ...
Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s 16th Annual Wetlands Conference Wetlands in the Landscape February 16-17, 2011 Baraboo, WI
Conference website: www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2011conference.htm Abstract submission deadline: Monday, November 15, 2010
Reporter: By Crystal Tatum, Staff Reporter Posted: 10:06 PM Sep 16, 2010 COVINGTON -- There's a problem at Lake Varner. A big one. The lake has been infiltrated by a fast-growing invasive aquatic plant called hydrilla, and it's wreaking havoc, affecting everything from the water treatment process to the fishing to the bird population. Read more ...
Connecticut nurseries move to eradicate invasive plants Michael P. Mayko, Mmayko@ctpost.com Published: 05:20 p.m., Wednesday, September 8, 2010 They tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions. They offer contrasting colors to the landscape. They control erosion and are resistant to most green eating animals. But many varieties of the Japanese barberries so popular with Connecticut gardeners and professional landscapers also tend to crowd out other plants, earning them the status of "invasive" plants. Read more ...
A stand of trees on Goose Island looks a little naked.
It’s part of a pilot project to remove unwanted species such as black locust, which have taken over about 100 acres of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ land — without pesticides and in a way that the trees can be used in construction. Read more ...
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.
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.
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.
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"
... 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 ...
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
"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.
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
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 ...
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 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.
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)
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.
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
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 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.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 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 [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 ...
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. ...
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
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.
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
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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
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 ...
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
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
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 ...
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. ...
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
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.
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
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."
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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
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 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
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 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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Narrowleaf bittercress (Cardamine impatiens) is a new, invasive plant species to Minnesota. Since there are a limited number of narrowleaf bittercress colonies in Minnesota, eradicating this species is the objective. Narrowleaf bittercress has been found in several parks along the Mississippi. Early detection and rapid response will stop this species before it spreads. The flier is posted at: http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/2EEDC6EF-D2FF-450D-B9F5-C45275FF37B8/16724/NotWantedNarrowleafBittercressFlier.pdf We have also posted new fliers for yellow iris and wild parsnip (under "What's That Blooming Weed"): http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cd/cwma.htm Feel free to contact me with any questions, or if you have experience controlling narrowleaf bittercress. Thank you, Paul Erdmann Conservation Technician Ramsey Conservation District 1425 Paul Kirkwold Drive Arden Hills, MN 55112 (651) 266-7277 fax (651) 266-7276 paul.erdmann@co.ramsey.mn.us
For more information on Narrowleaf bittercress, go to the following the link below or just click on the 'New File' button on the main page to see the flier about narrowleaf bittercress. http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/2EEDC6EF-D2FF-450D-B9F5-C45275FF37B8/16781/NotWantedNarrowleafBittercressFlier1.pdf (PDF file)
Abstract:
Identification of factors that drive changes in plant community structure and contribute to decline and endangerment of native plant species is essential to the development of appropriate management strategies. Introduced species are assumed to be driving causes of shifts in native plant communities, but unequivocal evidence supporting this view is frequently lacking. We measured native vegetation, non-native earthworm biomass, and leaf-litter volume in 15 forests in the presence and absence of 3 non-native plant species (Microstegium vimineum, Alliaria petiolata, Berberis thunbergii) to assess the general impact of non-native plant and earthworm invasions on native plant communities in northeastern United States. Non-native plant cover was positively correlated with total native plant cover and non-native earthworm biomass. Earthworm biomass was negatively associated with cover of native woody and most herbaceous plants and with litter volume. Graminoid cover was positively associated with non-native earthworm biomass and non-native plant cover. These earthworm-associated responses were detected at all sites despite differences in earthworm species and abundance, composition of the native plant community, identity of invasive plant species, and geographic region. These patterns suggest earthworm invasion, rather than non-native plant invasion, is the driving force behind changes in forest plant communities in northeastern North America, including declines in native plant species, and earthworm invasions appear to facilitate plant invasions in these forests. Thus, a focus on management of invasive plant species may be insufficient to protect northeastern forest understory species. Full article - fee required
Britain is considering the introduction of a tiny plant-eating insect to tackle the spread of Japanese knotweed in the first such use of a biological controlin Europe, officials said on Thursday.
The government has launched a public consultation on whether to grant a licence to introduce the Aphalara itadori psyllid which naturally controls the invasive weed in its homeland in Japan.
The knotweed, which can grow more than a metre a month and was brought to Britain in the 19th century as an ornamental garden plant, is considered one of the most damaging invasive weeds in Europe and North America. Read more ...
Predators battle bugs, become pests themselves By SUDHIN THANAWALA (AP) - SAN FRANCISCO - Imported insects have been deployed as foot soldiers in the fight against invasive bugs and plants that cause billions of dollars in damage each year. But some of those imports are proving to be pests themselves that upset the balance of nature and threaten native species. Read more ...
By Jan Suszkiw July 16, 2009 Kudzu, "The Vine that Ate the South," could meet its match in a naturally occurring fungus that Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have formulated as a biologically based herbicide. Read more ...
Aldo Leopold Foundation - Since 1996, garlic mustard control on Aldo Leopold Foundation property has consumed a great deal of staff time and foundation resources. Beginning in 2004, a systematic approach to mapping and treating populations has been implemented and continued to evolve in response to field experience.
This step-by-step guide is intended as an introduction and guide to ALF’s approach to garlic mustard control. Here, we provide the basic steps for fieldwork and data sheets for your use in garlic mustard control on your own property.
The concept of the Invasive Free Zone (IFZ) was introduced in 2004. The name would seem to speak for itself—an Invasive Free Zone is an area that is free of invasive species. Yet, if you have worked with invasive species, you know it is not that simple. Invasive species are very mobile, pervasive, and persistent. Therefore, we liken the goal of the Invasive Free Zone to the Zero Discharge targets set forth by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Although it may not be possible, the ultimate goal is virtual elimination.
http://www.anstaskforce.gov/experts/search.php
This is to alert everyone to the availability of a national experts directory developed by the ANS Task Force to assist with identification of and rapid response to invasive species. Tier 1 experts are public contacts -- the folks in each state you should contact if you find something that may be invasive. Tier 2 contacts are available to registered users -- these are the folks who can provide expertise in identifying species and responding to new invaders.
The system currently includes more than 30 Tier 1 and more than 65 Tier 2 Experts.
If you have relevant expertise and are interested in being listed in the system, please contact Rochelle.Sturtevant@noaa.gov.
ScienceDaily (July 6, 2009) -- Biologists know that when plants battle for space, often the actual battle is for getting the nitrogen. Read more ...
There has been some discussions lately about glyphosate and frog deformities and this should shed more light on the subject. Read more ...
Last year, several BYGLers [Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine] reported observing significant injury to CANADA THISTLE (Cirsium arvense) caused by the THISTLE TORTOISE BEETLE (Cassida rubiginosa). This week, Curtis Young and Joe Boggs reported the beetles are again active on their namesake host in western and southern Ohio, respectively. The beetle is native to Europe and northern Asia, and it was imported into North America specifically as a biological control for thistle. The weed-whacking beetle is also known as the "thistle defoliating beetle." It feeds on other non-native thistle nasties including musk (Carduus nutans) and plumeless (C. acanthoides) thistles.
Like other tortoise beetles, the thistle tortoise beetle adult has a body shaped like a pith helmet or WWI army helmet. The body color of the adult is pale green, which allows it to blend with its host's leaves. The head and legs of the adult are typically hidden under the flare of the helmet. The antennae can be hidden as well or extend out from underneath the body.
The larvae are oval shaped and have a ring of spiny spikes sticking out of the rim of the oval like a crown. They also have twin spike-like appendages (cerci) at the posterior tip of the abdomen. The larvae use their cerci to practice a bizarre behavior. They first impale an odious collection of their excreta (feces) and exuviae (shed exoskeletons) with their cerci. They, then carry their repugnant package almost umbrella-like over their backs by arching their abdomens upwards. They look like tiny, walking poo-balls. It is assumed this is a defense against predation.
Both the adults and larvae feed on the leaves of thistle as skeletonizers. Feeding scars are irregularly shaped ovals with one leaf epidermis still intact, producing what looks like a window pane. Most feeding occurs on the upper leaf surface. Feeding can be heavy enough to reduce or completely prevent the host plant from blooming and producing seed. BYGLers were thrilled with the anti-thistle beetle!
by Brock Woods, WDNR
Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is an Asian plant that has invaded and degraded miles of riparian areas and wetlands in the East. It should come as no great surprise, but unfortunate news for Wisconsin regarding JK is that I have recently documented its ability to produce viable seed in our upland settings, seed that readily germinates here (at least in the Madison area) and can spread to otherwise "clean" nearby streamsides. Consequently, JK will likely be much harder to control than we'd hoped since seed dispersal gives it the ability to appear anywhere in the landscape where it's damp enough for germination. New, distant upland sites will increase the chance of it spreading to more wetland and riparian sites. I've been noting new upland clones in woodlands in several counties the last couple seasons, and it's likely that these have come from dispersed seed.
In any invasive control planning that you do, or may advise on, consider that all JK should be enough of a concern that its ability to produce seed should be determined, and quicker removal (of at least any female plants) than we thought may be required to protect other areas on the watershed, especially lower, riparian sites where JK growth can be especially rampant and destructive, and from which vegetative spread downstream is highly likely.
Keep in mind: JK is still low on everybody's radar screens, but that means it's still one of those plants we can relatively easily keep out of most of our wet areas. We should all make an effort to recognize it and take steps to control it, especially female plants, at least where it seems likely to get into riparian areas. It's a distinctive plant, given its height, bamboo-like stems, clonal habit, and incredibly fast growth, though in summer it can be missed until blooming in August. It's especially recognizable in winter (even early spring) as the very rusty color of its dead stems stand out against the white snow (or gray backgrounds). It's still sold in local shops under a variety of names, such as "dinosaur plant" (large, fast-growing exotic look?) and "French lace" (based on its lace-like sprays of cream-colored flowers?). (Other reported names: Fallopia japonica, Pleuropterus zuccarinii, Polygonum japonicum, P. zuccarinii, P. sieboldii de Vriese, Reynoutria japonica, Japanese bamboo, Mexican bamboo, Japanese polygonum, Japanese fleeceflower, false bamboo, Kontiki bamboo, bombascus.) NR 40 should help with the sales problem, but keeping it from taking over large stretches of streamsides (as in the East) will be more of a challenge for us all. See Wisconsin's brochure at http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/publications/pdfs/japanese_knotweed_brochure.pdf Report its locations at ninvasiveplants@mailplus.wisc.edu
Here are more of the details about local seed production and spread if you want to read more about it: This news may not come as much of a surprise to you, but much research on JK has suggested that it does not spread through sexual reproduction and seed. Emphasis has instead been on its vegetative spread, either by rhizomes (that can extend 60 feet and grow under paved roads) or by pieces of the plant that sprout new roots wherever they lodge on moist soil (such as where flood damaged plant parts root downstream). All JK plants in Europe and Britain are (or have been) female (in fact, genetically the same plant!) so research findings from there logically dwell on asexual spread. (Vegetative dispersal along riparian areas will almost certainly remain our biggest concern.)
To our detriment in North America we have both genders and fertilized female plants here can produce typical, winged seeds. Research at the University of Pennsylvania and in Washington State has shown that the plant's seeds are viable there, germinating both in research plots and natural sites. Reports of seedlings are still few, and I know of no previous reports of JK seed production or seedlings here in Wisconsin (or the Midwest).
My recent sighting of the plant in upland sites suggested likely spread through seed, especially considering U Penn's work. Consequently, I located JK plants in Madison that produced seeds last fall, harvested some, and have successfully germinated them in near natural conditions. Scouting specifically for seedlings this spring under some of these plants has also shown that seeds can germinate totally unaided. Finally, I have also located JK seedlings at least 10 meters away from one parental clone, totally out of its shadow, and growing along the sides of a nearby stream--our worst fears confirmed!
See the seeds at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpurrin1/2244040247/ and learn to recognize the seedlings and other life stages at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=230
The fate of JK seedlings has not been well studied, and it's probable that most die under the severe shading produced by the huge JK clones growing above most of them, but those that escape this shading may do well, even under the heavy shading typical at ground level in many of our mesic forests and highly competitive wetlands. Seeds from one Washington State clone that germinated near the clone resulted in several healthy, three year old seedlings. It's been suggested that a seedling needs 4 to 6 leaves to make it through its first winter. How they fare in our climate is unknown, so I will watch those I've documented here, but also encourage you to keep an eye out for them and let me know if you see seedlings that appear to be successfully overwintering and establishing new clones where you live in the state.
(BTW, a location reported to me where an established clone does not seem to be "moving downhill" as one might expect with seed, does not necessarily suggest JK doesn't spread by seed. Rather, seed production or its viability may be nonexistent or low since fertilization is probably still rather uncommon. JK is not yet well spread throughout our landscape and finding both genders in close proximity is probably still rare. Let's try to keep it that way...)
By Don Comis, April 30, 2009
New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion--escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources--act in concert. This result helps to explain the dramatic invasions by exotic plants occurring worldwide. It also indicates that global change is likely to exacerbate invasion by exotic plants.
See a comparable study by van Kleunen and Fischer (and accompanying Editor’s Choice summary) on invasives and fungal pathogens in the Journal of Ecology at: http://www.journalofecology.org/view/0/editorChoice.html.
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan-European, cross-taxa assessment(PDF, 748 KB)
Montserrat Vilà, Corina Basnou, Petr Pys˘ek, Melanie Josefsson, Piero Genovesi, Stephan Gollasch, Wolfgang Nentwig, Sergej Olenin, Alain Roques, David Roy, Philip E Hulme, and DAISIE partners
The Nature Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Team (GIST) was disbanded in March 2009. The GIST web site along with many useful documents on invasive species control, numerous invasive species images and the recently created INVASIPEDIA were in danger of becoming lost.
The Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at The University of Georgia, in collaboration with the Global Invasive Species Team, is pleased to announce that the GIST web site and INVASIPEDIA are now available through Invasive.org (www.invasive.org). All of Barry Rice’s 240 images and John Randall’s 911 images that were on the GIST web site have been incorporated into the Bugwood Image Database (www.ForestryImages.org and www.Invasive.org)
The GIST web site on Invasive.org is a static system with the content current to March 2009. Over time, the GIST web site content will be merged into the existing Invasive.org framework. INVASIPEDIA is fully integrated into Bugwood Wiki under Invasive Species at http://wiki.bugwood.org/. WIMS will be hosted by iMapInvasives and the Remote Sensing Tutorial will be hosted on Barry Rice’s sarracenia.com.
The Rocky Mountain Research Station has the following publication available in single or multiple copies:
1. Zouhar, Kristin; Smith, Jane Kapler; Sutherland, Steve; Brooks, Matthew L. 2008. Wildland fire in ecosystems: fire and nonnative invasive plants. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 6. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 355 p.
This state-of-knowledge review of information on relationships between wildland fire and nonnative invasive plants can assist fire managers and other land managers concerned with prevention, detection, and eradication or control of nonnative invasive plants. The 16 chapters in this volume synthesize ecological and botanical principles regarding relationships between wildland fire and nonnative invasive plants, identify the nonnative invasive species currently of greatest concern in major bioregions of the United States, and describe emerging fire-invasive issues in each bioregion and throughout the nation. This volume can help increase understanding of plant invasions and fire and can be used in fire management and ecosystem-based management planning. The volume's first part summarizes fundamental concepts regarding fire effects on invasions by nonnative plants, effects of plant invasions on fuels and fire regimes, and use of fire to control plant invasions. The second part identifies the nonnative invasive species of greatest concern and synthesizes information on the three topics covered in part one for nonnative invasives in seven major bioregions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Central, Interior West, Southwest Coastal, Northwest Coastal (including Alaska), and Hawaiian Islands. The third part analyzes knowledge gaps regarding fire and nonnative invasive plants, synthesizes information on management questions (nonfire fuel treatments, postfire rehabilitation, and postfire monitoring), summarizes key concepts described throughout the volume, and discusses urgent management issues and research questions. This is online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr042_6.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: Publications Distribution Rocky Mountain Research Station 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098 USA
The Garlic Mustard Educational Video (Stemming the Tide) is now available on DVD. It includes an educational video on phragmites. Each are about 13 minutes long.
For a preview and ordering information, please go to the blog site: Garlic Mustard Educational Video Project
As a result of budget cutbacks announced last week, The Nature Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Team (GIST) is being disbanded and will close down much of its work over the next few weeks and months. Please read more about the shutdown with a list of website items needing new homes at http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/listarch/arch159.html
The whir of brush saws echoes daily through Kelleher Park in Burnsville as workers cut down the invader: buckthorn. Cropping up in thickets of prickly shrubs and small trees, this pest has been slowly choking off the undergrowth of plants and wildlife in this rare bur oak savannah. So with the help of a state grant and volunteers, an unusual forest restoration project is under way to chop down and chip up the buckthorn and haul it to St. Paul, where a biomass plant will burn it to produce electricity. Read more ...
With its craggy green cliffs and mist-laden skies, Macquarie Island — halfway between Australia and Antarctica — looks like a nature lover’s Mecca. But the island has recently become a sobering illustration of what can happen when efforts to eliminate an invasive species end up causing unforeseen collateral damage. Read more ...
Please visit and use Stemming the Tide: Garlic Mustard Identification and Control Also, there is another film on invasives, phragmities, and that is here: Invasive Phragmities: What it is, What we can do
Beck, K. George, Kenneth Zimmerman, Jeffrey D. Schardt, Jeffrey Stone, Ronald R. Lukens, Sarah Reichard, John Randall, Allegra A. Cangelosi, Diane Cooper, and John Peter Thompson. 2008. Invasive species defined in a policy context: Recommendations for the federal Invasive Species Advisory Committee. Invasive Plant Science and Management 1(4):414-421. Download a PDF copy (209KB).
It's sold before it's made: kudZunol! All you need is a garage, some plastic barrels, an old milk can, a big blender and plenty of kudzu. Since the plant has already made it to Massachusetts, more and more of us can get into the kudzu "moonshine" business! Better come up with a different name for your product, however. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#28243281
The Center for Invasive Plant Management is pleased to announce the second of two learning websites developed in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System and beneficial to other natural resource managers. The website, Managing Invasive Plants: Concepts, Principles, and Practices, provides an overview of invasive plant management and planning supported by case studies, quizzes, scientific literature, and web-based resources. The website is best viewed in Internet Explorer. View website at: http://www.fws.gov/invasives/staffTrainingModule/index.html
ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2008) -- Plants that range northward because of climate change may be better at defending themselves against local enemies than native plants. So concludes a team of scientists including a University of Florida geneticist. The team's findings, reported online in the journal Nature, suggest that certain plants could become invasive if they spread to places that were previously too cold for them. Read More ...
The Institute for Applied Ecology is collaborating with the USDI Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the extent to which exotic species are impacting rare, threatened and endangered plants. We have developed a brief online survey to document 1) the nature of impacts of exotic species on listed plant species, 2) the methods that are currently being used to control exotic species in habitat occupied by listed species, and 3)additional information and/or tools that are needed for land managers to address this potential threat to listed species. This information will be synthesized into an online database available for the general public.Please follow the link below to participate in our study, and feel free to forward this information to any interested colleagues. Our deadline for survey responses is November 21. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=GterPE_2bpl9h0J66SQB5UUQ_3d_3d
By PAMELA J. PODGER Published: October 26, 2008 MISSOULA, Mont. -- Chilled by an autumn wind, Enrique Marquez watched from horseback as the sheep gamboled down the mountain. A border collie nipped the heels of wayward ewes. All summer and into the fall, the flock grazed on noxious weeds infesting about 1,000 acres of public lands above the Missoula Valley as part of this city's effort to restore its native prairie grasses.
The links below are for 5 short (~2 min.) videos put together by the USDA on how hunters and anglers are getting involved with invasive species prevention and control. They highlight the problems with invasive plants and animals from all over the country and could be a nice tool for outreach.
URL: mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/bmtc/vnr/places_part1.wmv URL: mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/bmtc/vnr/places_part2.wmv URL: mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/bmtc/vnr/places_part3.wmv URL: mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/bmtc/vnr/places_part4.wmv URL: mms://ocbmtcwmp.usda.gov/content/bmtc/vnr/places_part5.wmv
Tina Arons, Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: La Vida Experts say plant seeds hitch rides on our shoes like free taxis that take them to places where they may not be welcome. But how far can they go? Some may find the answer surprising.
This state-of-knowledge review of information on relationships between wildland fire and nonnative invasive plants can assist fire managers and other land managers concerned with prevention, detection, and eradication or control of nonnative invasive plants.
Indiana ramps up its control efforts against kudzu By RICK CALLAHAN, Associated Press Writer Thu Aug 21, 3:40 AM ET INDIANAPOLIS - A fast-growing vine that's left parts of Indiana beneath tangles of greenery is coming under assault as the state ramps up its efforts to kill the leafy invader.
The database contains 280 of the most common weeds/invasive plants found in agricultural, urban, and natural settings in Wisconsin. The database can be accessed (for free) by going to the website http://weedid.wisc.edu. Once you arrive at this website click on the Weed ID Tool in the left column. Enter information about the unknown plant, and the website will produce a list of plants (scientific and common names) along with thumbnail images that match the information entered.
Maine Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plants and their common native look alikes
PowerPoint presentations *with audio* from “People-Powered Projects: The National Cooperative Weed Management Area Conference” can now be viewed at http://www.weedcenter.org/CWMAconf/CWMA_conf_home.html (click on “Presentations”).
By Ian Johnston Monday, 5 May 2008
An army of jumping plant lice is to be released into Britain in the hope that they can save the countryside from the ravages of Japanese knotweed. ...
Presentations from the January 2008 workshop, "Integrating Invasive Plant Species Data in the Midwest: Solutions for Data Collection and Management," have been posted on the MIPN website at: http://www.mipn.org/Conference%20Presentations.html
... Using a new type of remote sensing technology on aircraft to create a three-dimensional structure of more than 220,000 hectares of rain forest on the island of Hawaii ...
Welcome to the first release of the Encyclopedia of Life portal. This is the very beginning of an exciting journey to document all species of life on Earth.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says Wisconsin counties can enact their own ordinances to stop invasive species ...
The Weed Science Society of America has just started publishing the Invasive Plant Science and Management Journal. The first issue is for January-March 2008. I think there will be four issues per year. This issue has articles on western juniper, common reed, perennial pepperweed, leafy spurge, invasive knotweed, Invasive species assessment protocol, sulfur cinquefoil to name a few.
The National Park Service's Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network has developed an invasive plant monitoring protocol. See "Protocol" section heading at http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/htln/innp.cfm. Click on"PDF". The file is large (17.35 MB). As with any protocol, the proposed methods have strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion, the strengths of this protocol are its simplicity and speed of implementation over relatively broad areas. The protocol has been field tested in 11 parks. Two weaknesses, perhaps among many, are low ability to detect change in plant abundance and lack of information on individual plant occurrences. Questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome - but may not be immediately incorporated in the draft.
Craig C. Young Botanist National Park Service Heartland I&M Network and Prairie Cluster Prototype Monitoring Program
The first National Invasive Species Management Plan was published in 2001 and has recently been revised. The National Invasive Species Council staff is now accepting public comments on this revised version of the plan.
Link to the Revised Plan http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/
The USGS has put out a great new fact sheet on Asian bittersweet that provides a very useful key for distinguishing Celastrus orbiculatus from Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet). More (PDF)...
Weed Science Society of America
(LAWRENCE, Kan.) -- It's a Cinderella story. Weeds, scorned and trod on for years and persistently excluded from the manicured gardens and uniform crops of respectable horticultural and agricultural society are fast becoming the darlings of a burgeoning biofuel industry. But not all fairytales have a happy ending. See the PDF of the press release for the full text.
slide show: http://www.fws.gov/invasives/volunteersTrainingModule/swf/invasives/dog_detector/engage.html
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) released a Commentary, Biofuel Feedstocks: The Risk of Future Invasions, as part of the joint annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov. 5, 2007. The concern raised is that several of the candidate biofuel feedstock species being considered for commercial production in the United States are invasive pests in other regions where they have been introduced. Therefore, the objectives of this Commentary are to describe the potential risk of dedicated lignocellulose biofuel species becoming weedy or invasive, and to provide a process to quantify and, subsequently, minimize this risk.
Critical questions this Commentary will address include the following:
Breeding and genetic engineering for enhanced environmental tolerance, increased harvestable biomass production, and enhanced energy conservation through fermentation may have unexpected ecological "consequences outside the agronomic framework,"says Task Force Chair Dr. Joseph M. DiTomaso, Extension Non-Crop Weed Ecologist, University of California, Davis. "The potential societal benefits of a biologically based energy crop supply are great, but the introduction and development of biofuel crops should be conducted to minimize the risk of these proposed feedstock species escaping cultivation and causing economic or environmental damage."
The full text of Biofuel Feedstocks: The Risk of Future Invasions (CAST Commentary QTA 2007-1) is available online at the CAST website (www.cast-science.org).
This topic is similar to the symposium that will occur during the Weed Sci. Soc. of America meeting in Chicago on Feb. 4-7: "Invasive plant species and the new bioeconomy."
by Tom Brock 7/20/07
At present it is listed in only a few counties. Unfortunately, one of these is Dane County, and at Pleasant Valley Conservancy we now have quite a bit of it. We have been hand pulling for the past two weeks. It seems to favor savanna, open woods, or woodland edges. In this way its habitat is similar to garlic mustard. According to research by Carol and Jerry Baskin in Kentucky, it is a winter annual. The seeds germinate in the fall of the year they are formed, grow to form ground-hugging plants, and then continue the following year to finish their life cycle. Before flowering, the plants are not only hard to see, but the stems are weak, making them difficult to pull. Right now is the time to pull them. Hedge parsley has become a major problem for us in the past few years, and we are budgeting more effort on it. So far, we have been able to control it by hand pulling. The UW Herbarium web site has some good photos. Keep an eye out for it in your neck of the woods!
Search for registered pesticide products, the companies that sell and use pesticides and the people that apply them.
Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species By Sylvan Kaufman and Wallace Kaufman
This easy-to-use, wide ranging guide to invasive plants in North America features full-color photos and descriptions of more than 175 alien species.
More information on invasive plants and the authors can be found online at www.invasiveplantguide.com. To order books from Stackpole, visit http://www.stackpolebooks.com/ or call 1-800-732-3669.
Data-driven weed phenology tool that draws some different graphs from Jerry Doll's emergence/flowering data. Now it extrapolates to new locations (using Hopkins' Law) and, by request, draws multi-species Gantt charts. A new and easy to remember URL... http://weedometer.net Educators - there is a link on the intro/explanatory page to download a spreadsheet which, from an input city, computes the Hopkins Deviation to 36,000 other US cities.
The Michigan State University IPM Program has three new IPM scouting field guides produced through NC IPM funding and state Project GREEEN:
1) A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Herbaceous Perennials by Jan Byrne (MSU) and Raymond A. Cloyd (KSU).
2) An IPM Pocket Guide for Weed Identification in Nurseries and Landscapes by Steven A. Gower (MSU) and Robert J. Richardson (NCSU).
3) An IPM Pocket Guide for Weed Identification in Christmas trees by Steven A. Gower (MSU) and Robert J. Richardson (NCSU).
Ordering information is posted at this address (Call 517-353-6740 to get a discount for purchasing 10 or more):
http://ipm.msu. edu/pdf/pocketGuidesLandsc07. pdf
Invasive Species Cookbook
weed curriculum for grades K-12 is now online. So if you know any educators who might want to use this, or if you need information for your organization's education/outreach activities, check it out! http://www.weedinvasion.org/weeds/weed_home.php
The Nature Conservancy, Sping 2007
Starting this spring, shoppers at Meijer, a Midwestern chain of home and garden centers, can purchase for their yards regionally native plants such as purple coneflower, red bud and silver maple. In a groundbreaking partnership, The Nature Conservancy helped Meijer select 119 trees, shrubs and perennials that will carry a new"Recommended Non-Invasive" tag, along with the Conservancy's logo. The stores will also remove two invasives from their inventories: the Norway maple and Lombardy poplar.
The application of livestock grazing to suppress unwanted plants has been around for centuries. Today, targeted grazing by livestock is being rediscovered and honed as an amiable and effective tool to address contemporary vegetation management challenges, like controlling invasive exotic weeds, reducing fire risk in the wildland- urban interface, and finding chemical-free ways to control weeds in organic agriculture. A new handbook was released in December that outlines the basics of applying targeted grazing for vegetation management. This handbook includes 18 chapters and represents a compilation of the latest research on harnessing livestock to graze targeted vegetation in ways that improve the function and appearance of a wide variety of landscapes. The handbook was create through funding from the National Sheep Industry Association and the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). The handbook is available on-line at: http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/rx-grazing/Handbook.htm. Printed copies of the handbook will be available through ASI (info@sheepusa.org) for $25 in March 2007.
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_47776.shtml Screening for Invasive Species Could Save U.S. Billions By: Union of Concerned Scientists Published: Dec 19, 2006 at 07:18 A new study shows that screening for potentially harmful foreign plant species before they are imported is more economically beneficial than fighting them after they take root in new areas. Because the United States has no screening program for invasive species, the study focuses on Australia and finds that their prevention efforts pay for themselves with reduced economic damage in just over ten years and result in up to $1.8 billion in savings over 50 years. See the link above for the full article text.
The Roundup Myth from WildOnes an opinion by Maryann Whitman
... It has become abundantly evident that something other than pure manpower and brute pulling force is necessary to control these interlopers. We do need to control them for the sake of a large number of natives that are being displaced by these plants, and ecosystems that are being disrupted. In order to gain control of these culprits we may need to consider the thoughtful and careful use of herbicides. ...
Congress passes bill for research on eradicating invasive plants By The Raton Range staff RATON, New Mexico (STPNS) -- The U.S. Senate last week gave final approval to legislation developed by New Mexico Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman and Rep. Steve Pearce to establish a federal program to find the best means of eradicating salt cedar and Russian olive vegetation . nonnative plant species that have overtaken most western riparian areas.
New interface for the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) http://www.issg.org/database. The world's premier source of free, authoritative information about introduced species that threaten native biodiversity and livelihoods now has improved content and functions.
An article in New Scientist (11 March 2006, vol 189, No. 2542, p. 52, also published in Biological Conservation 121:207) described a study conducted by in Australia showing that Velcro closures on outdoor gear are a major source of seed dispersal. This is of course ironic, as the invention of Velcro was based on seed adaptations for animal-mediated dispersal. But it's something all of us should be aware of, as we all wear field gear with Velcro!
New Garlic Mustard flyer from Wild Ones (PDF)
New research on Buckthorn Control
Oliver Pergams and Jim Norton and recently did a study to determine the best way to kill buckthorn. The study was just published in the Natural Areas Journal, and the following is a link to the paper: http://home.comcast.net/~oliver.pergams/PergamsNorton.pdf (PDF, 2.9MB)
U.S. invasive species assessments on NatureServe Explorer website: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/ You'll find assessments for a total 452 non-native plants of the U.S., searchable by name, location, invasive impact rank (I-Rank), or a combination of these criteria. Additional assessments will be available in the fall. The assessments are the result of applying a systematic protocol (Morse et al. 2004) to determine the degree of impact an individual non-native species has on the native plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States. Our hope is that these objective and transparent assessments will build consensus and galvanize action.
Invasive Plant Suppresses the Growth of Native Tree Seedlings by Disrupting Belowground Mutualisms
The impact of exotic species on native organisms is widely acknowledged, but poorly understood. Very few studies have empirically investigated how invading plants may alter delicate ecological interactions among resident species in the invaded range. We present novel evidence that antifungal phytochemistry of the invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, a European invader of North American forests, suppresses native plant growth by disrupting mutualistic associations between native canopy tree seedlings and belowground arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Our results elucidate an indirect mechanism by which invasive plants can impact native flora, and may help explain how this plant successfully invades relatively undisturbed forest habitat. More ...
Invasive Exotic Plant Management Tutorial (Pennsylvania, USA) The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has recently made available a new tool for land managers dealing with invasive plant problems. The "Invasive Exotic Plant (IEP) Management Tutorial for Natural Lands Managers: A Comprehensive Tool for Addressing Your IEP Needs" is designed as a "one-stop-shop" for users and includes information available on the world-wide web and other forms of media. The information has been organized in a standard format for easy access. Users are provided with sufficient background information on the specific IEP problem that they face along with guidance in the form of a standard management approach so that they can more effectively apply the information to their specific problem. The tutorial was developed with support from the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council and the DCNR-Wild Resource Conservation Fund and can be found on-line at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/index.htm or www.ma-eppc.org
The Changing Flora of the New York Metropolitan Region We statistically analyzed 100 years of herbarium specimen data for woody plants in the New York metropolitan region in order to measure the floristic changes of this area. Change index values were computed for 224 of the region’s 556 woody species to provide a specific measure of whether these species are expanding, contracting, or stable. The results show that, in general, nonnative invasive species are spreading rapidly in the region, while native species are in slight decline.
The First Video of a Series on Invasive Species Prevention Best Management Practices: January 2006, the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the Department of Transportation Federal Highways Administration, the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and others have produced and released the first video of a series on invasive species prevention best management practices. This video targets road maintenance personnel and equipment operators and is called, "Dangerous Travelers — Controlling Invasive Plants Along America’s Roadways". This video is available on DVD or via the internet. The website to view the 26-minute program is http://www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/news.shtml. For additional information, please contact Mike Ielmini, the National Invasive Species Program Coordinator at the USDA Forest Service at (202) 205-1049
TNC’s Weed Information Management System (WIMS)
Reed Canary Grass Management Table - on the Reed Canary Grass page
The Missouri Department of Conservation and the NRCS in that state have developed a web page with photos of seeds, seedlings, juvenile and adult plants of some of the species used in prairie plantings: http://mdc.mo.gov/grownative/plantID/
Wildflower seed mixes include some wicked bloomers The seed packets have labels with romantic-sounding names such as meadow mixture and wedding wildflowers, while others tout backyard biodiversity and make reference to Earth Day. When growing 19 such packets of wildflower mixes, however, University of Washington researchers found that each contained from three to 13 invasive species and eight had seeds for plants considered noxious weeds in at least one U.S. state or Canadian province. ...
Aquatic Invasives Education Handbook
Includes a compilation of information on statewide programs, resources, contacts, case studies, and action strategies, along with a resource CD filled with articles, fact sheets, presentations, etc. It also provides some suggested approaches for designing successful local education efforts. The handbook was designed to serve as a resource for those who might be interested in taking on this issue but don’t know where to begin, or for individuals working in communities statewide who might be called upon to provide support. The entire handbook and accompanying resource CD contents are available online under "Resources" at: www.uwex.edu/erc/invasives.htm
For those who work with Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven), please read this letter that describes the medical conditions likely brought on by exposure to the sap. Also attached is the fact sheet that Jil Swearingen and Phil Pannill wrote about Ailanthus. This very rapidly growing tree has been primarily an urban weed in S. WI to date, but it is rapidly invading forests further east and south and should be considered a serious potential (or existing) invasive in deciduous forests.
GARLIC MUSTARD DISPOSAL Having trouble getting your garlic mustard bags picked up?? WDNR staff just sent a letter to all landfills and waste haulers to tell them to go ahead and pick up bags of garlic mustard and send them to the landfill. Currently putting yardwaste in landfills is illegal, but an exemption is being made for garlic mustard and other invasive plants that might survive composting. Just label the bags as "Invasive Plants - Approved by WDNR for landfilling". If your bags still aren't picked up, contact your local DNR Waste Management office.
Invasive weeds should go to the landfill or yard waste composting facility
Hound's Tongue Warning
"Fire as a Tool for Controlling Nonnative Invasive Plants," a comprehensive literature review of prescribed burning and weeds (332 KB pdf file).
Due to the high volume of interest in the February Special Issue of Frontiers, "Visions for an ecologically sustainable future", ESA has decided to make the entire issue available online to the public.
As you are pulling ground ivy out of your woodland, perennial beds and vegetable gardens, keep your eyes open for this rust and send in any samples to Cornell.
Check this link--Cornell looking for help on a new pathogen that may be attacking ground ivy!
http://www.css.cornell.edu/WeedEco/creepingcharlie.htm
Instructions for sending in plant samples and information about the rust fungus (Puccinia glechomatis) are on the site.
After three years' work, our book "Invasive Plants of Asian Origin Established in the United States and Their Natural Enemies Volume 1" was published by USDA Forest Service FHTET at Morgantown, WV at the end of 2004. It contains summaries of existing information on 40 species of plants found in Asia that were introduced either purposefully or accidentally into the United States. All of these species have established populations in the United States and many are designated as invasive. It also includes lists of natural enemies in their native range. . Also included are maps of US distribution for all plant species. This book is intended to serve as a resource for regulatory and plant protection agencies worldwide.
You may contact Ms. Yun Wu to get a copy: Yun Wu Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team USDA Forest Service, 180 Canfield St. Morgantown, WV 26505 Email: ywu@fs.fed.us
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