Virginia acts to reduce population of wild pigs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/virginia-acts-to-reduce-population-of-wild-pigs-the-most-invasive-animal-in-us/2013/11/24/aa4077ca-52b9-11e3-9e2c-e1d01116fd98_story.html

Study Shows Stiltgrass Invasion May Facilitate Invasion by Garlic Mustard

Photo by S. Luke Flory

New results provide experimental evidence that an initial plant invasion associated with suppression of resident species and increased resource availability can facilitate a secondary invasion. Such positive interactions among species with similar habitat requirements, but offset phenologies, may exacerbate invasions and their impacts on native ecosystems.

A study conducted by S. Luke Flory and Jonathan Bauer used a long-term field experiment to test for indirect facilitation by Microstegium vimineum (stiltgrass) on a secondary invasion of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard). These species represent two of the most widespread and problematic invasive plant species in eastern North America. They found that Alliaria produced seven times more biomass and nearly five times more fruit in plots that had previously been invaded by Microstegium­. In addition, Microstegium-invaded plots had substantially less resident biomass than controls, and very little Microstegium early in the growing season when Alliaria is most productive, presumably due to the direct effects of Microstegium in prior years. 

Photo by S. Luke Flory

The study experimentally demonstrates that Microstegium can facilitate Alliaria across a range of disturbance regimes. Greater growth and reproduction of Alliaria in Microstegium-invaded plots may be indirectly facilitated by Microstegium’s suppression of shared resident competitors and associated increases in resource availability, although other mechanisms are possible. Understanding how direct and indirect interactions among species, particularly non-native invasive species, might structure communities is a primary need in ecology.

Photo by S. Luke Flory

For a copy of the full article email S. Luke Flory.

Researchers revise Darwin's thinking on invasive species

Researchers revise Darwin's thinking on invasive species

Evidence of possible new invasive species in Great Lakes found

Evidence of possible new invasive species in Great Lakes found: Scientists say genetic material from an invasive fish called the Eurasian ruffe has been detected in southern Lake Michigan for the first time.

Two thousand mice dropped on Guam by parachute — to kill snakes

Two thousand mice dropped on Guam by parachute — to kill snakes

Google Street View for Invasive Species?

Check it out article here and journal article from PLOS ONE here.

Tawny Crazy Ant Found in Southwest Georgia

A UGA Today article by Sharon Dowdy reports that the tawny crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva, has been reported in Dougherty County by the County Extension Agent, James Morgan. They have already been found in Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, but this is the first report of an occurrence in Georgia.

Tawny crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva
photo by Eli Sarnat, Bugwood.org

They have also been called crazy raspberry ant. They are referred to as crazy, because they travel in an irregular pattern. Tawny crazy ants have been known to displace all other ant species, including fire ants, in areas they infest. They cause damage by killing small livestock and shorting out electrical systems. In addition they become a nuisance for homeowners, limiting use of  outdoor areas by both people and their pets.

• University of Georgia
• Texas A&M University
• PestWorld.org
• PCT: Pest Control Technology
• University of Texas at Austin