New Webinar - Fading Forests: Protecting America’s Trees from Non-native Pests and Diseases

The Environmental Law Institute and the National Invasive Species Council are co-sponsoring a webinar on June 12th, from 1-3c.  The title is Fading Forests: Protecting America’s Trees from Non-native Pests and Diseases.

For more information - http://illinoisisam.blogspot.com/2014/06/new-webinar-fading-forests-protecting.html

Home, Yard, and Garden Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

=================================

Fall Webworm

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=527

Fall webworm lives as a group of caterpillars that spin a communal silk web. This silk nest typically encloses the end of the branch and associated leaves. The caterpillars remain in the webbing, feeding on these enclosed leaves. When the leaves inside the web are eaten, the silk webbing is expanded to include more leaves.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Turf Insecticides and Pollinators

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=528

Insecticides, particularly neonicotinoids, have been receiving some heavy hits recently about effects on honey bees and other pollinating insects. Other pollinating insects include bumblebees, sweat bees, ground bees, flower flies, bee flies, butterflies, moths, and various beetles. Last week, I attended the National Turfgrass Entomology Workshop held in South Kingston, Rhode Island where this topic came up.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Turfgrass Rust

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=529

Turf rust outbreaks are commonly seen in late summer to early fall as moderate temperatures and long evening dew periods occur. Rust diseases are most severe on slow growing turf stressed by drought, summer heat, low-fertility, shade or compaction. From a distance, severely infected turf appears thin and tinted yellow, red, or brown. Closer inspection will reveal individual blades with numerous yellow orange pustules.

---------------------------------------------------------------

New Plant Diagnostic Sample Submission App

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=530

The Plant Diagnostic Sample Submission App is a joint effort to provide a way to easily submit digital images of plant problems or pests on the go. This App is available for iOS and available for free download in the iTunes store. Farmers, homeowners, greenhouse and nursery growers, agricultural specialists and others now have a new mobile application resource to identify plants, plant diseases, insect pests and other plant problems.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Modified Growing Degree Days (Base 50°F,  March 1 through August 22)

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=531

Insect development is temperature dependent. We can use degree days to help predict insect emergence and activity.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Invasive Species Roundup

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=532

Spotted wing drosophila, brown marmorated stink bug, and thousand cankers disease are discussed this week.

=================================

The Cost of Invasive Species

It's hard to put a price tag on invasive species. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when making these estimations and there have been many publications looking at the costs associated with invasive species management. Below is a an incomplete list of sources discussing this further.

Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States (2005)
Ecological Economics. 52:273-88. David Pimentel, Rodolfo Zuniga, and Doug Morrison 

The Economics of Invasive Species
Oregon Invasive Species Council

The Cost of Invasives
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Impacts Resources  Montana State University. Center for Invasive Species Management.

Biological Invasions: A Growing Threat (Summer 1997)  Issues in Science and Technology.  Don C. Schmitz and Daniel Simberloff

Costs of Invasive Species (2001; PDF | 9 KB) Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Costly Interlopers: Introduced species of animals, plants and microbes cost the U.S. $123 billion a year (Feb 15, 1999) Scientific American.


Economic Dimensions of Invasive Species (Jun 2003)
Choices Magazine.

Economic Impact of Invasive Species to Wildlife Services' Cooperators (PDF | 1.24 MB)
USDA. APHIS. Wildlife Services. David L. Bergman, Monte D. Chandler, and Adrienne Locklear
Proceedings of the Third National Wildlife Research Center Special Symposium: Human Conflicts with Wildlife: Economic Considerations; Aug 1-3, 2000; Fort Collins, Colorado.

Economic Issues of Invasive Pests and Diseases and Food Safety (Dec 2002; PDF | 222 KB)
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Economics of Biological Invasions
International Council for Science. Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment.

Economics of Detection and Control of Invasive Species: Workshop Highlights (Sep 2004; PDF | 238 KB)
North Dakota State University. Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies.
Workshop held Apr 30, 2004

Environmental and Economic Costs of Nonindigenous Species in the United States (Jan 2000; PDF | 222 KB)
BioScience. 50(1): 53-65.  David Pimentel, Lori Lach, Rodolfo Zuniga, and Doug Morrison

Environmental and Economic Costs Associated with Non-indigenous Species in the United States (Jun 19, 1999)
Cornell University. Agriculture and Life Sciences.David Pimentel, Lori Lach, Rodolfo Zuniga, and Doug Morrison

Harmful Non-Native Species: Issues for Congress (Apr 8, 1999)
National Council for Science and the Environment.  Congressional Research Service Issue Brief for Congress

Impacts of Introduced Species in the United States (1996)
United States Global Change Research Information Office. Daniel Simberloff, CONSEQUENCES: Volume 2, Number 2

Invasive Exotic Animals Costing U.S. Billions of Dollars (Feb 2, 2010)
Mother Nature Network.
The Washington Post reports (Tough choices follow in wake of invasive species - Jan 21, 2010) that invasive exotic species such as, Asian carps, cause environmental losses and damages of nearly $120 billion a year.

Paying for Protection from Invasive Species (Fall 2002)
Issues in Science and Technology.  International Center for Technology Assessment. Peter T. Jenkins.

Program of Research on the Economics of Invasive Species Management (PREISM) (webarchive)
USDA. Economic Research Service.

The Economics of Terrestrial Invasive Species: A Review of the Literature (Apr 2006; PDF | 261 KB)
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.

Best Management Practices to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species

Have you seen the list of Best Management Practices to prevent the spread of invasive species compiled at The National Invasive Species Information Center?

Federal

Backcountry Road Maintenance and Weed Management (Jul 2003; PDF | 1.5 MB) USDA. FS. Technology & Development Program.0371–2811–MTDC

Inspection and Cleaning Manual for Equipment and Vehicles to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species (May 2010; PDF | 13 MB)DOI. Bureau of Reclamation. Policy and Program Services.Technical Memorandum No. 86-68220-07-05This manual provides recommendations for inspection and cleaning of vehicles and equipment as a prevention tool to limit the spread of invasive species. The manual will help equipment operators gain a better understanding of how invasive plants and animals are spread by contaminated equipment into new locations and has broad applications for many organizations and agencies.
Invasive Species BMP's DOC. NOAA. National Marine Fisheries Service. Habitat Conservation.Includes: General Background, Cleaning of Land Vehicles & Equipment, Cleaning of Watercraft & Equipment, Decontamination of Crane Bags, Decontamination of Shells, Replanting Project Sites, Preventing Spread of Invasive Bivalve Species.

Invasive Species Program: PreventionUSDA. FS. Invasive Species Program.Includes various videos and publication resources for prevention through education.

Guide to Noxious Weed Prevention Practices - Version 1 (Jul 5, 2001; PDF | 768 KB)USDA. Forest Service.

Prototype Weed Prevention MeasuresDOI. BLM. Colorado.

Weed Prevention and Management Guidelines for Public LandsDOI. BLM. California.


Non-Federal

2008-20 Best Practices Handbook for Roadside Vegetation Management (Jul 2008; PDF | 4.8 MB)Minnesota Local Road Research Board.

Best Management Practices (Sudden Oak Death) and Nursery Management Best PracticesCalifornia Oak Mortality Task Force.

Best Management Practices for Controlling Invasive Plants in the Adirondack (New York) (DOC | 99 KB)Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program.

Best Management Practices for Land Managers: What Every Land Manager Needs to Know About Invasive Plants (PDF | 678 KB)
Invasive.org.Archive from the Nature Conservancy, Global Invasive Species Team.Published by: Long Island Weed Management Area.

Best Management Practices for Preventing the Spread of Invasive Species: Presentation (PDF | 2.3 MB)Midwest Invasive Plant Network.Presentation by Kelly Kearns; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Carmen Chapin, National Park Service

Best Management Practices for Roadside Invasive Plants (2008; PDF | 1.3 MB)New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) Prevention Best Management Practice (BMP) Manuals (2012)California Invasive Plant Council.Cal-IPC has published two prevention best management practice (BMP) manuals: one for land managers, and one for transportation and utility corridors. The goal of the manuals is to present voluntary guidelines that help those managing wildlands in California to prevent accidental spread of terrestrial invasive plants. Cal-IPC's technical advisory teams included over fifty representatives from local, state and federal agencies, utilities, land trusts, and university extension. Also see Prevention Training Videos.

• Prevention Best Management Practices for Land Managers

• Prevention Best Management Practices for Transportation and Utility Corridors

Guidelines, Toolkits and Best PracticesGlobal Invasive Species Programme.

Introductions of Invasive Species Through Construction and Development Activities: The Role of Local Agents in Stopping the Spread (Jul 2006; DOC | 47 KB)Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. Produced by: Massachusetts Aquatic Invasive Species Working Group and the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions.

Invasive Species Best Management Practices / Best Management Practices for Invasive Species & NR40: Presentation (PDF | 1.3 MB)Wisconsin Council on Forestry.Includes: 1) Forestry Best Management Practices for Invasive Species; 2) Best Management Practices for Preventing the Spread of Invasive Species by Outdoor Recreation Activities in Wisconsin; 3) Urban Forestry Best Management Practices for Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Species, and 4) Transportation and Utility Rights-of-way Best Management Practices for Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Species.

Invasive Species, Control Methods, and Best Management PracticesInvasive.org.Archive from the Nature Conservancy, Global Invasive Species Team.

Measures to Prevent the Spread of Noxious and Invasive Weeds During Construction Activities (PDF | 43 KB)University of Nevada. Cooperative Extension.Fact Sheet FS-03-59

Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species – Best Management Practices for Boaters (Jul 2009; PDF | 70 KB)
California Coastal Commission. California Clean Boating Network.

Meet 11 Species That Are Set To Take Over The Earth

Erin McCarthy, This story was originally published by mental_floss.

Invasive species are bad news. They compete with native critters for food, destroy local ecology and, in some cases, are even dangerous to humans.

And thanks to the increasingly global nature of our world, there are more and more animals discovered where they don’t belong every year.

Here are just a few pests that have hitched rides to distant shores, where they’re currently wreaking havoc.

1.)  Cane Toad

2.)  Asian Tiger Mosquito

3.)  Burmese Python

4.)  Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

5.)  Asian Carp

6.)  Japanese Beetle

7.)  Zebra Mussel  

8.)  Red Imported Fire Ant

9.)  Northern Snakehead Fish

10.) Asian Longhorn Beetle

11.) European Starling

Invasive Species from Japan Tsunami Threaten US Shores

By Hannah Osborne: International Business Times

October 9, 2012

Invasive species, such as the Northern Pacific seastar, were washed up on US shores after the Japan tsunami. More debris from the Japan tsunami has been washing up on US shores and scientists are increasingly concerned about the invasive species arriving with it.

Initially, it was thought that debris from the tsunami, which devastated Japan in 2011, would hit the west coast of the US in 2013. However, items started to wash up in April this year. In June, a floating dock drifted in to Newport, Oregon, and was found to contain 13lbs (6kg) of organisms per square foot. Most of these species originated in Japan.

Researchers at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Centre said it was difficult to assess the threat these creatures posed to the US ecosystem but as more debris arrives so too will additional species.
John Chapman, of the centre, said: "There was a huge amount of stuff. [The organisms] were very healthy, very reproductive. And included in the list of species that we could identify were some very bad characters we are afraid of having here - so yes, this really is a horrible thing."

One species found on the dock was Northern Pacific seastars. If this species becomes established in Oregon, it could cause widespread ecological and economic harm because they prey on native marine organisms. Eradication efforts are ineffective because the planktonic larvae the seastar produces are free-swimming for several weeks and can easily be transported to new locations.

Wakame kelp, known as one of the worst invasive species outside its natural environment, was also present on the dock. The Hatfield Marine Science Centre said: "This non-native golden-brown seaweed from Asia has the potential to become established along the coast where it may spread quickly and become a fouling nuisance on docks, ship hulls, nets, fishing gear, moorings, ropes and other marine structures.

"In sheltered waters, the Wakame kelp can quickly form large beds that block out sunlight essential for the survival of native kelps, seaweeds, and other marine algae."

It has been estimated that 1.5 million tonnes of debris is floating through the North Pacific Ocean.
British Columbia is preparing for an increase in debris washing ashore as it prepares for winter storms to hit the coast. While more invasive species may arrive, Jessica Miller, an Oregon State University marine ecologist, said the arrival of the dock was a sobering reminder of the natural disaster.

She said: "We have to remember that this dock, and the organisms that arrived on it, are here as a result of a great human tragedy. We respect that and have profound sympathy for those who have suffered, and are still suffering."

The tsunami hit the eastern coast of Japan in March 2011. It killed almost 16,000 people.

Wildlife Professional (Summer 2012) -- "The Ripple Effect of Invasive Species"

Lots of interesting invasive species articles in the Summer 2012 issue of Wildlife Professional

"The Ripple Effect of Invasive Species" and other articles related to invasive species issues. Wildlife Professional includes news and analysis designed to keep wildlife professionals informed about critical advances in wildlife science, conservation, management, and policy. 

Study tracks release of invasive species by science teachers

About a quarter of educators said they put plants and animals into the environment once the lesson is over

By Susan Palmer

The Register-Guard

Published: August 10, 2012 12:00AM, Midnight, Aug. 10 

Science teachers who want their students to get up close and personal with the natural world may be unwittingly unleashing invasive species into the environment once class is over.

A recent survey conducted by Oregon State University researchers found that many science teachers who buy organisms from biological suppliers to use in the classroom release the critters rather than kill them when the science lesson is done.

About a quarter of teachers reported releasing live organisms, and 8 percent of those organisms were known to be invasive, so researchers estimate that just 2 percent of the releases are potentially invasive.

“But that adds up, school by school, year after year,” said Sam Chan, the OSU researcher who presented the study in Portland this week at the national meeting of the Ecological Society of America.

The problem also extends to teachers who keep fish, snakes, turtles and other animals as pets in the classroom to help students learn responsibility, he said.

OSU Sea Grant researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 teachers in Florida, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, California, Connecticut, British Columbia and Ontario. They also interviewed curriculum specialists and biological supply company owners and managers.

Chan, former chairman of the Oregon Invasive Species Council, said he began looking at the issue following a parent-teacher conference where he saw a notice of a “spring release party” planned for the crawfish that the students had been studying.

The crawfish in question is the “rusty crawfish,” native to the Ohio river basin and so invasive that its importation to Oregon has been outlawed.

Rusty crawfish displace native crawfish, reduce aquatic plant populations, and also can put a dent in the density and variety of invertebrates and even some fish populations, say researchers who have observed their spread through Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.

To see them released by a school gave Chan pause.

 

See HERE for the rest of the article.

100 of the World's Worst Alien Invasive Species

Welcome to "One Hundred of the World�s Worst Invasive Alien Species", funded by La Fondation TOTAL, and part of the Global Invasive Species Database. Invasive species have been recognised globally as a major threat to biodiversity (the collected wealth of the world�s species of plants, animals and other organisms) as well as to agriculture and other human interests.

It is very difficult to identify 100 invasive species from around the world that really are "worse" than any others. Species and their interactions with ecosystems are very complex. Some species may have invaded only a restricted region, but have a high probability of expanding and causing further great damage (e.g. see Boiga irregularis: the brown tree snake). Other species may already be globally widespread, and causing cumulative but less visible damage. Many biological families or genera contain large numbers of invasive species, often with similar impacts.

Species were selected for the list according to two criteria: their serious impact on biological diversity and/or human activities, and their illustration of important issues surrounding biological invasion. To ensure the inclusion of a wide variety of examples, only one species from each genus was selected. Absence from the list does not imply that a species poses a lesser threat. 

100 of the World's Worst Alien Invasive Species

"Neighbors Against Bad Bugs" is the EAB Univ. webinar this week, 5/12

Worried about insect pests invading your neighborhood or community? Jodie Ellis, Purdue University Exotic Insects Education Coordinator, has developed a neighborhood watch association for invasive pests, and will present a webinar outlining how to put one together on Thursday, May 12 at 11 a.m. EDT. Educating yourself and others about invasive pests may save your community's trees, which benefit us in many different ways.

To access the webinar, go to www.emeraldashborer.info for more information. You will find information about this and all the EAB University webinars available. There are many very educational webinars offered by EAB University.