Nebraska Preparing for Incoming Emerald Ash Borer

As emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is marching its way across the U.S. and due to wide reporting of new locations, communities in the path can plan for its arrival.  Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, states which border Nebraska and ash trees comprising 40% of the state's public trees, it's only a matter of time before the invasion begins.

Nebraska Forest Service estimates that it will EAB will cost Nebraska $270 million for state and local governments and $690 million for the private sector, for a total of $960 million for tree removal, disposal, and replacement.  A monitoring network is already in place for surveying for EAB and while currently none have been discovered, communities have also begun to map ash trees and mark areas of priority.  Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks has proposed Legislative Bill 461, a bill to set aside money, $3 million annually where money would be provided to local governments as matching grants on a 50-50 basis, to help local communities remove and dispose of ash trees, as well as replace the lost trees.  A community hearing on the bill will occur on March 19.

emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) by Jared Spokowsky, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org

For more information about the preparations: It's inevitable: Invasive pest will arrive in Nebraska, kill ash trees, costing an estimated $960M

Termites travel by pineapples; Philadelphia Customs and Border Patrol find stowaway

On February 10th, a crate of pineapples from the Dominican Republic was found to be infested with live termites.  The wood packaging material was contained 20 live termites and subsequent identification by an entomologist found this to be Cryptotermes sp. Area Port of Philadelphia determined this to be a first-in-port discovery of that genus.  Wood packaging material from an earlier shipment of pineapples on February 5th from the Dominican Republic was also found to be heavily infested and 43 termite specimens were captured.  Due to the infestation issues, Customs and Border Patrol has ordered all wood packaging material to be re-exported to the Dominican Republic.

west indian powderpost drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) by Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org 

To read more on the find: Philly CBP Intercepts New Destructive Termite Species in Pineapple Shipment from Dominican Republic


Note: Image above is not one of the termites discovered by CBP

Invasive species threaten traditions

Most of the time that invasive species are discussed it is in terms of the impacts on the ecosystem, on trade, on travel, and so forth.  Not often does the conversation turn towards how invasive species affect our traditions.  Considering that the U.S. is a land of constant movement and advancement, our traditions are usually only a few generations old and not so entrenched as some other cultures that have existed for several hundred or even thousands of years.  However, the native peoples that were here long before the U.S. existed have a culture steeped in tradition and are now having to think about things in ways that they never had to before invasive species came to their lands.

Native Hawaiians thrive on the concept of the Aloha Spirit.  They are a very giving and friendly people and this can become an issue when dealing with invasive species as living on an island chain brings a new dimension to transmission of invasive species.  When an invasive species is brought to one island it may only take a friend bringing a plant cutting to their friend the next island over to spread quickly though the chain.  This sharing and giving spirit, a trait at the core of their culture, is having to be checked against the potential environmental impacts of spreading invasive species.

A native alpine mirrorplant (Coprosma montana) in Hawaii by Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org

To read more on how invasive species have impacted Hawaiian traditions:Cultural practice of sharing island bounty hampered by invasive species

Pathways of Invasion: Suez Canal Expansion Project

The Mediterranean Sea is a relatively closed-off water body, with one of the main outlets being the 146 year-old Suez Canal.  This canal is relatively narrow, only 1,000 ft wide at its narrowest point, and is a vital shipping route between Europe and Asia.  Due to its smaller size, Egypt has planned to expand the canal, and in parts it will be a parallel canal, to increase the shipping speed and capabilities in the region.  Invasive species are already a reality in the Mediterranean due to the Suez Canal, with over 350 species introduced, the most concerning being puffer fish and venomous jellyfish.  The widening and deepening of the canal concerns scientists, as it can create a more stable environment and allow for more species to find their way into the Mediterranean.  While conservationists and environmentalists have raised their concerns, the economic potential of increased shipping traffic has allowed the plans to move forward and the expansion is expected to be completed within 2015.



For more on the subject: Delivering Unwelcome Species to the Mediterranean

Hurricanes spread lionfish far and wide

Hurricanes moving through the Gulf of Mexico influenced the spread of lionfish.  Whereas the normal flow of the Florida Current would have contained the population of lionfish to the Straits of  Florida, hurricanes disrupted the current and pushed lionfish into the Bahamas.  Between 1992 and 2006, researchers identified 23 instances where hurricanes provided lionfish the opportunity to breach the current. Introduction into the Bahamas, and no longer confined by the Florida Current, spread of lionfish increased by 45% and their population by 15%.

lionfish (Pterois volitans) by Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

For more on the study: Hurricanes help spread invasive marine species, researchers find
And: Hurricanes helped accelerate spread of lionfish

Citizen Science for the Long View

Widely considered the Father of Phenology, Robert Marsham was very interested in documenting what he would call "The Indicators of Spring."  These are documentations of weather, animal, and plant activities and measurements which he and his descendants collected from 1736 to 1958. Of current interest for scientists studying the effects of climate change on the environment, they recorded the spring leafing and flowering time of the woodland plants on their estate in Norfolk.  This account is one of the longest running phenology records worldwide.

In a recent study, scientists from the University of Edinburgh and Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland used the data gathered by the Marsham family, and weather data gathered from the Central England temperature (CET) record, and evaluated the effect of temperature on fourteen species.  The study found that while all species will leaf and flower sooner after experiencing a warmer spring, a warm autumn will affect some early season leafing trees, such as birch, as compared to the later season leafing trees, like oak.  This effect may be due to certain species' chilling requirements and it is predicted that if seasonal temperatures continue to increase, oak may come into leafing earlier than birch over time.

river birch (Betula nigra) by T. Davis Sydnor, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

The unfortunate reality is that most data becomes lost or forgotten after the project ends.  Citizen science programs can be very useful in that new people can be continually added to the project and the data collecting can live on through new membership.  Citizen science programs similar to the work that the Marsham family did for so long exist in Project Budburst, Nature's Notebook, the National Phenology Network and many other projects.

For more on the study: Family log of spring's arrival helps predict climate-driven change
For more about Robert Marsham: Robert Marsham and Robert Marsham: The father of springtime records
For more information and a list of Citizen Science Programs: Scientific American - Citizen Science

Asian carp on the menu for native fish

bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) by U.S. Geological Survey Archive, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org

Asian carp is a common name for several species of fish introduced from Asia.  The two most concerning of the species are silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis), which were brought to the U.S. in the 1970s for use in aquaculture ponds and water treatment systems.  It is thought that flooding in the 1990s allowed the carp to escape into the Mississippi River system where they are trying to make their way into the Great Lakes.  The primary concern with the introduction of these fish is their voracious appetite for plankton, which is a primary food source for larval fish, native mussels, and some adult fish. Current methods of slowing the spread of Asian carp haven't been entirely successful, as they have been found to move beyond electric barriers meant to exclude them from moving further up the Mississippi River.

However, at the recent Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference, a presentation by Cory Anderson of Western Illinois University showed that some native fish have begun to prey upon Asian carp.  Not only were the Asian carp being fed upon opportunistically, they were finding that certain species' stomach contents indicated that they were deliberately selecting Asian carp as a food source.  Due to the size of the carp, most of the predation occurred on immatures and small adults.  However, blue catfish is a quite large species and found to have consumed carp as large as 22-40 inches long.  Blue catfish aren't native to the Great Lakes, but there is another large catfish, flathead catfish, which may find room on their plate for Asian carp.

For more on the findings: Asian carp being eaten by native fish, new studies find