Invasive Plant Species of the Finger Lakes

1
Invasive Plant Species of the Finger Lakes

• Marissa Madej
• Finger Lakes Institute
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• March 29, 2005

2
What are invasive plants?

• Plants that are not native to the environment
  they exist in
• Introduced into a new environment most often by
  human activity
• Become established in a new location and overtake
  native plant species, altering the ecosystem

3
Invasive Plants of the Finger Lakes

• Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
• Submersed rooted perennial plant that forms dense
  mats on the surface
• Green or reddish brown branching stems and
  feathery leaves in whorls
• Thrives in July and August

4

• Curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
• Submersed rooted perennial plant with
  reddish-green leaves that have distinct wavy
  edges
• Forms dense vegetation mats
• Emerges in early spring and peaks growth in
  mid-July

5

• Water chestnut (Trapa natans)
• Submersed, rooted and floating annual plant that
  forms dense mats of floating rosettes
• Floating leaves are triangular with toothed
  edges and are waxy on top and hairy on the
  underside
• Produces thorny four pointed nutlettes in early
  summer

6

• Established in the Finger Lakes
• Eurasian watermilfoil
• Curlyleaf pondweed
• May threaten the Finger Lakes
• Water chestnut (Established in Lake Ontario,
  Oneida Lake, and Seneca River)

7
How did they get here?

• Introduced into the Great Lakes from foreign
  places
• Traveled through connecting waterways or
  transported by humans into the Finger Lakes

8
My Project

• Researching the various types of invasive plants
  in the Finger Lakes
• Researching the impacts of invasive plants on
  each of the Finger Lakes
• Reviewing the existing strategies to control and
  eradicate invasive plants

9
Purpose of the Project

• To assess the impacts of invasive plants on the
  Finger Lakes
• To determine what strategies are most effective
  in controlling and eradicating invasive plants
• To determine where information is lacking
• To make recommendations based on these findings

10
What I have been doing

• Conducting research about each Finger Lakes
  situation with invasive plants and their related
  strategies, using resources in the Finger Lakes
  Institute clearinghouse, on the Web, and from
  various other sources
• Contacting other agencies doing research and
  working to control the invasive plants in the
  Finger Lakes

11
Current Findings

• Lakes with an invasive plant problem Conesus,
  Honeoye
• Lakes without a problem Cayuga, Keuka, Seneca,
  Skaneateles
• Need more information Canadice, Canandaigua,
  Hemlock, Otisco, Owasco

12
Effective Strategies

• Lake organizations
• Watershed protection plans
• Reduction of nutrients and sediments entering
  lakes
• Plant harvesting
• Herbivory by aquatic weevil and/or moth, Acentria
  ephemerella
• Public education

13
Recommendations

• Update watershed protection plans
• Ongoing water quality monitoring
• Public education
• Reduce nutrients and sediments entering lakes
• Plant harvesting as temporary solution
• Continue research about Acentria ephemerella and
  other potential biological controls
• Remove and report any unestablished invasive
  plants

14
Final Steps

• Continue contacting other agencies conducting
  research and working to control invasive plants
  in the Finger Lakes
• Research more about invasive plants in the Great
  Lakes and how they may threaten the Finger Lakes
• Create a paper outlining my findings and
  recommendations
• Create a brochure and slideshow for the Finger
  Lakes Institute outlining the types of invasive
  plants in the Finger Lakes

15
What YOU can do

• Get involved with your lakes organization
• Keep yourself educated about the topic
• Remove and report any unestablished plants if you
  see them

16
References

• Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance. The Lakes. New
  Yorks Finger Lakes. Retrieved March 25, 2005,
  from http//www.visitfingerlakes.org/static/planne
  r/aboutFL/lakemap.htm
• Gilman, Bruce A. (1992, Fall). A History of
  Aquatic Plant Distribution in Upstate New York.
  Canandaigua, New York Finger Lakes Community
  College.
• Lake George Association. Eurasian Watermilfoil
  (Myriophyllum spicatum). Lake George
  Association. Retrieved March 25, 2005, from
  http//www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/html/eurasian
  _watermilfoil.htm
• Natural Agricultural Library. (2004, December
  28). Species Profiles Water Chestnut.
  Invasivespecies.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2005,
  from http//www.invasivespecies.gov/profiles/water
  chestnut.shtml
• NYSDEC Lake Services Section. (1997, October).
  Common Nuisance Aquatic Plants in New York State.
  Albany, New York NYSDEC Lake Services
  Section.
• Weeds Watch Out. Weeds Watch Out Stop Invasive
  Aquatic Plants. Retrieved March 3, 2005, from
  http//co.cayuga.ny.us/wqma/weedswatchout/index.ht
  ml