Invasive Mussel Found in Utah

The Utah Department of Natural Resources found an extremely invasive mussel under a dock at Utah's Sand Hallow Reservoir. State officials want the public to know that this is bad news, is very serious and the public needs to help take action to keep contamination from spreading. Mussels are ecosystem killers because they clog dams and waterways, cut people's feet when they attach to rocks and kill fish by sucking up nutrients. To read more and/or to watch a video on the invasive mussels found in Utah, click here.

Biocontrol Released for Water Hyacinth

Water Hyacinth is an invasive, free floating, aquatic plant that is problematic in the southeastern United States. Native to South America, the plant affects water traffic, water quality, water use, biodiversity and infrastructure for pumping and hydroelectric operations. Water Hyacinth also lowers oxygen levels which kill fish and increases populations of vectors of human and animal disease. Scientists have released an insect called Megamelus scutellaris to help control the water hyacinth. These insects feed on the sap of water hyacinth and their population increases rapidly, which will enable them to quickly impact the invasive population. Click here to read more on biocontrol of water hyacinth.

Lowndes High Student Invented Way to Kill Kudzu

Jacob Schindler, a sixteen year old at Lowndes County High School, may have the key to breaking kudzu's long hold on Southern terrain. The junior uses helium to eradicate kudzu with a device he designed that allows him to drill into the ground with a small tank of helium and evenly distribute it to the kudzu. All of this happens without harming other plants. What started out as a science fair project when we was only in sixth grade, may have turned into an entrepreneurial endeavor that could change agriculture (and his life) forever. Click here to read more on the teen who can kill kudzu.

First Bioblitz in Seattle

Seattle's first bioblitz kicked off on Friday along the trails of Washington Park Arboretum. A bioblitz is an intense, 24 hour effort to identify as many species in an area as possible. Botanists stayed up all night identifying flora, insects, fauna, bats, spiders, eagles, salamanders, stinging ants and the list goes on. Nearly 400 species were identified on GPS devices which will become a part of the NatureMapping Program. This program attempts to chart biodiversity in the states. Click here to read more on the bioblitz.

PDF on Kudzu Invasion

Attached is a more thorough article on the new study of kudzu that was posted on Friday. Click here to read more.

Kudzu Poisons Our Air

Kudzu has taken over 7 million acres of land in the United States. With this huge number, scientists thought it was time to take a closer look. They found out that kudzu not only invades landscapes, but might also increase ozone pollution by more than one third in the future. What exactly does this mean? Kudzu grabs nitrogen from the air and puts it in the soil. Microbes then convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide, which is one of the pollutants that comes from automobile exhaust. The gas escapes from the soil and into the air and undergoes reactions that lead to the creation of ozone. This could lead to more summer days with the ozone in excess of EPA standards. Click here to read more about kudzu poisoning our air.

Emerald Ash Borer continues its march into Pennsylvania

Emerald Ash Borer has continued its spread into Pennsylvania and has now been detected in Bedford County.  This pest has been devastating the native ash trees as it has spread from the orignial introduction in Michigan.  The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is again urging campers not to move firewood since it is the primary way that this pest is spread.  See the PA Department of Agriculture website for the full news release.