INVASIVE SPECIES

1
INVASIVE SPECIES
We are living in a period of the world's history
when the mingling of thousands of kinds of
organisms from different parts of the world is
setting up terrific dislocations in nature..."
Charles Elton 1958
By Monica DeNicuolo, Nate Tambs, and Michelle
Mason
2
Invasive Species By Definition

• Any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores,
  or other biological material capable of
  propagating that species, that is not native to
  that ecosystem and whose introduction does or is
  likely to cause economic or environmental harm or
  harm to human health.
• Non-native species
• Alien Species

3
Invasive Species American History

• Established in the U.S.
• Approximately 15 Invaders
• 35 to 46 of the U.S. threatened and endangered
  species

4
Human Contributions

• Human demand
• Technology increase
• Environmental concerns neglected

5
Invasion Pathways

• Wooden shipping containers
• Ballast water
• Legally imported products
• Importing of fruits
• Popularity of exotic pets
• Smuggling

6
General Effects

• Out-compete or change habitats
• Affect native species and humans
• Predators, competitors or parasites
• Severely impact human economy

7
General Effects

• Major threat to ecosystems and species
• Island ecosystems
• Extinction rates

8
Invasive Species What Are Their Impacts?

• Costs to the U.S.
• Threatened or Endangered
• Devastating

9
Unforeseen Impacts

• Exotic plants that burn easily have increased the
  frequency and severity of fires.
• 1936, in Bandon, Oregon was destroyed and eleven
  citizens killed by a fire propagated by gorse, a
  highly flammable plant introduced, seventy years
  earlier, from Europe.

10
The Brown Tree Snake
11
The Brown Tree Snake

• (Boiga irregularis) in Guam
• 13,000 snakes per square mile
• 3-6 feet (11ft.)
• Mildly venomous

12
Characteristics

• Vertical pupil
• Rear fangs
• Large head
• Brownish, greenish with cross-band markings

13
Problems Wildlife

• Birds
• Lizards and bats
• Dangers of extinction
• What else they eat

14
Problems Economical

• Commonly found climbing electrical poles
• Power outage

15
Problems Are they Dangerous to People?

• Extremely aggressive
• Who are at medical risks?

16
What to do?

• If you see the brown tree snake, you are to
  report it immediately to your local government
  officials. Also if possible, preservation of the
  snake for verification purposes is appreciated.
• Careful inspection of cargo and baggage shipped
  from Guam to prevent further problems with other
  islands.

17
Northern Snakehead

• The fresh water jaws.

18
Physical features

• Channa argus reaches 47 inches in length
• Exotically colored
• Weights reach excess of 15 pounds

19
Native habitat

• Most live in flowing waters
• Initially lived in China
• Utilized in rice fields

20
Characteristics

• Can move across land
• Can survive out of water
• Will burrow into the mud
• Can survive under ice
• Will suffocate if not exposed to sufficient
  amounts of air

21
Eating habits

• Diet consists of ninety
• percent fish
• Eats crawfish
• Zooplankton
• Crustaceans
• Insects
• Humans

22
Discovery

• Crofton Maryland
• Discovered in May of 2002
• Babies soon discovered in the pond

23
Plan of Attack

• Crofton pond is now closed to the public
• Use of herbicides Diquat Dibromide and Glyphosate
• A second treatment of Rotenone
• Removal of the dead fish
• Monitoring the site

24
Kudzu

• The vine that ate the south!

25
How to Recognize Kudzu

• Perennial vine of the legume family
• 3 dark green leaflets on each leaf, measuring
  about 3 to 10
• Leaves have hairy undersides
• Pea-like, grape scented, purple flowers blossom
  in the fall
• Elongated, bean like, hairy pods
• Vines are about 1 in diameter
• Roots may descend 4 meters into soil

26
The original purpose of Kudzu

• Imported from Japan in 1876
• Used as feed for livestock in early 1900s
• Promoted as a cover for erosion control

27
Modern Uses for Kudzu

• Researchers working to create new medicines
• One drug extracted may help treat alcoholism
• Vines used by basket weavers
• Art paper made from Kudzu
• recipes are inspired by the vine

28
Why it is a Problem

• Vines can grow up to a foot per day in summer
  months
• Climbs trees, power lines and anything else it
  contacts
• Most herbicides ineffective in killing Kudzu
• May take as long as ten years to kill
• Destroys valuable forests

29

• Grows better in the south than in native lands
• Known to collapse entire buildings
• Spread throughout the south

30
What is being done to stop the spread

• No biological agents are currently available
• Kudzu control efforts are underway
• Multiple efforts in conjunction with herbicide to
  kill Kudzu
• Most herbicides are unable to kill the root
  system
• Plants can be eradicated

31
(No Transcript)
32
Zebra Mussels
33
Federal Agency Duties

• Prevent the introduction
• Detect/Respond/Control
• Monitor populations
• Restoration of native species and habitats
• Research for prevention
• Educate

34
Protecting Against Plants

• Biological control can slow the spread of weeds
• Manual pulling of weedsmust avoid losing seeds.
• Herbicides for early detections
• Combination of these approaches

35
Protecting Against Animals

• EDUCATE! EDUCATE! EDUCATE!
• Report to your local governmental officials
• Dumping of ballast water further off-coast
• Checking of cargo crates (for stowaways)
• Disposal of exotic pets to animal shelters