To Be or Not To Be Invasive

Bob Flasher, who has spent 20 years working in National Parks, was recently interviewed by Invasive Plant News. Basically the article addresses the many misconceptions about what constitutes an Invasive Plant. So I offer here a couple of definitions which are just part of a complicated issue.

• Weed: A plant, regardless of nativity, which is growing somewhere we don't want it to grow. We often use the word weed to describe plants which invade agricultural fields or our landscaping.
   
• Invasive plant: To be considered invasive a plant must meet three criteria.
1. It is non-native to the ecosystem where it is growing.
2. It is able to not only escape cultivation but continues to expand it range.
3. It's presence and population growth causes, or has the potential to cause harm to people, native plants, animals, and ecosystems.

Bob makes many good points in the article. It is a complicated issue with many opinions on the best way to tackle the problem. One thing that most people agree on is the need for Early Detection of new invasive plants. The old saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' is definitely appropriate for this situation.
Read the article.
If you would like to help tackle the problem of invasive species in your area or just learn more about that problem, contact the invasive species working group in your area.  You can report invasive plants in your area to EDDMapS (Early Detection & Distribution MAPping System). The Tools and Training page in EDDMapS has step-by-step instructions for creating an account and entering invasive plant sitings.

Invasive Fish, "I had no idea it would taste this good"

"Wow; I had no idea it would taste this good," student Alex Herman said, in an article by Jill Moon in the Telegraph.com. Also quoted in the article, famed Louisiana chef Philippe Parola says that this fish tastes good, is high in protein and contains little or no mercury. Read the article.

Not only can one of these fish get big enough
to feed the whole family, but they will literally jump right into the boat.

Michigan Sea Grant Archive,
University of Michigan and Michigan State University,
Bugwood.org



GA-EPPC Annual Meeting & Conference

GA-EPPC Annual Meeting & Conference
October 6th, 2011.

Be sure to Register soon. 

The Callaway Building at the Georgia State Botanical Gardens, University of Georgia, 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia.

 

Pesticide Credits and ISA Hours: 

• Arborist: 5.0
• BCMA Science: 1.0
• Utility: 2.0
• BCMA Practice: 1.0
• Municipal: 5.0
• BCMA Management: 3.0
• Applicators Categories 21, 23, 24, 27: 5.0
• Hours for Private Applicator: 3.0

Purdue's Invasive Species Workshop

Invasive Plants: What's the big deal?  Learn how to identify both native and nonnative invasive plants; discover the impacts on the environment, wildlife habitat, and your checkbook; learn why prevention, early detection, and rapid response are vital in the control of invasive plants; gain a better understanding of the various methods used to control them effectively; and learn about financial and technical resources that can be a help. Workshop is free.
Purdue's website has many interesting workshops to choose from.

137 Introduced Amphibian and Reptile Species in Florida

The article in ScienceDaily, says Florida has the world's worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and a new 20-year study led by a University of Florida researcher verifies the pet trade as the No. 1 cause of the species' introductions. Zootaxa has a preview of the original article.

Webinar-Invasive Plants in Southern Forests

Webinar - A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests is scheduled for Sep 20, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm US/Eastern.  Click here for more information.       

 

Nonnative plants continue to invade and spread through forests in the South. These infestations increasingly erode forest productivity, hinder forest use and management activities, and degrade diversity, habitat, and our recreational experiences. Managers, landowners, and homeowners need to have the latest information on how to prevent entry to their lands, build strategies with neighbors, implement integrated procedures for control, and proceed toward site rehabilitation.

We will introduce you to a new book that we co-authored, which is available free from the Southern Research Station, entitled “A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests” (General Technical Report SRS-131). We will provide an overview of how these actions fit together and the latest control methods. The guide provides detailed control prescriptions for 56 prevalent invasive plants and groups for your reference. 

 

Author(s)/Presenter(s):

• Jim Miller - USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Auburn University, AL

• Stephen Enloe - Department of Agronomy and Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University, AL

Credits:

• Texas Dept of Ag - Pesticide Safety Continuing Ed - 1 hour IPM Credit

 

Free copies of "A Management Guide for Invasive Plants in Southern Forests" (General Technical Report SRS-131) can be requested at pubrequest@fs.fed.us or by calling 828-257-4830.

Invasive Forest Insects Cost Homeowners Billions

The study finds that homeowners and tax payers are bearing the cost of the damage to forests in America caused by invasive non-native insects. This costs runs into the billions of dollars.
Read the article in PLoS ONE, Economic Impacts of Non-Native Forest Insects in the Continental United States (Aukema JE, Leung B, Kovacs K, Chivers C, Britton KO, et al. (2011)).
Read ScienceDaily's report on this article.