Invasive species wreak havoc

[Crys]

I don't understand how mowing along roadsides can help spread invasive species... unless it's that seeds are transported in/on cars accidentally and then the mowing blows them into the grassy area where they can root after they fall off the car. I would think that would be countered by mowing down the plant before it could set seed...?

In Pewaukee there's a park along the river (behind the businesses that front on the beach) where they've set up a loosestrife control area (among other things). I'm not familiar with the specific methods they're using, but it's interesting to visit once a month or so just to see how much and in what ways the area has changed.

It's a shame there's not more funding to expand and preserve areas like that.

[AJE]

Invasive snail found in Minn. harbor
Tiny New Zealand mudsnail displace native insects, food for fish
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12610841/
May 3, 2006 9:54 a.m.


DULUTH, Minn. - A small, spiral-shaped snail that clones itself and is native to New Zealand has been discovered in Duluth-Superior Harbor and the St. Louis River estuary, raising concerns about the impact of another invasive species.

The snail, called the New Zealand mudsnail, is only about as large as a peppercorn when fully grown. But one snail and its offspring can generate hundreds of thousands of clones each year.

In some Western states, the mudsnail has displaced native insects, snails and other invertebrates that are important food for fish.

The mudsnails were first found in Idaho's Snake River in 1987, and have affected Rocky Mountain trout streams. They were first spotted in the Great Lakes in Lake Ontario in 1991.

More than 100 mudsnails were collected last fall in Duluth by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. The discovery, announced Monday, is the first finding of the tiny snail in Minnesota and Wisconsin waters.

Researchers suspect that they were carried into the Great Lakes via ship ballast water.

"Our lakes, streams and rivers have enough stress on them and they don't need something else like this," said Gary Montz, research scientist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Researchers said Lake Superior is too cold for the mudsnail but its harbors and estuaries are warm enough — like in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where it was discovered in 2001.

Doug Jensen, aquatic invasive species program coordinator for Minnesota Sea Grant at the University of Minnesota Duluth, said the mudsnails were discovered in several locations in sediment at the bottom of Duluth harbor.

"We have an established infestation," he said. "Efforts to eradicate them would be virtually impossible."

Jensen said boaters and anglers must learn about the mudsnails so they won't be spread inadvertently to Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes and rivers.

The snails are often attached to aquatic plants or can become embedded in mud, so Jensen urged people to remove vegetation from boats, trailers and fishing gear and to rinse waders, hip boots and boat motors with hot water or let them dry for several days in the sun to kill the snails.

Like other invading species, the full impact of mudsnails may not be known for years.

A parasitic fluke controls mudsnail numbers in its native New Zealand, but the snail has no natural predators here.

Researchers are considering importing the fluke, but it may take years to determine if the flukes might cause their own problems here.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

[AJE]

Posted June 25, 2006

Invasive species wreak havoc in county, state

By Kristopher Wenn
Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC

– Invasive species experts fear a small, green Asian beetle responsible for the destruction of 20 million ash trees in the Midwest will make its way to Wisconsin.


The emerald ash borer first appeared in the Detroit metropolitan area in 2002 and was spotted earlier this month in northern Illinois.


The proximity has local leaders watching.


From 5 to 10 percent of the 19,000 trees in the city of Manitowoc are ash, said Joe McLafferty, parks and recreation director.


"It's not a huge number, but any time we have the possibility of this coming here it is of concern," he said.


Two Rivers' latest tree inventory in 1990 doesn't specify the number of ash among the 10,000 trees in the city, according to Rick Manchester, parks and recreation director. About 10 percent of all trees in Wisconsin are ash, according to the DNR.


Emerald ash borer larvae enter the bark of ash trees, starve the trees and cause them to die after a few years. Until the beetle is sighted in Wisconsin, property owners don't need to apply pesticides, according to officials with the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection officials said.


While the ash borer creeps north, other invasive species — terrestrial and aquatic — are having an immediate impact in Manitowoc County and elsewhere.


The cost of invasive species to the national economy has been estimated as high as $137 billion per year and increasing, due primarily to losses in agriculture, forests and fisheries, according to the Wisconsin Council on Invasive Species.


On Pages A6 and A7 is a look at what the DNR considers the 10 most potentially destructive invasive species in Manitowoc County.


:arrow: Plants and forest

Name: Emerald ash borer


Description: Emerald ash borer is a small, green beetle from Asia.


How they got here: The borer isn't here yet, but forestry officials believe it could make its way to the state soon. The pest has spread from Detroit to northern Illinois in about four years. It has been blamed for the destruction of 20 million ash trees in the Midwest. The insect has spread on nursery stock and firewood.


Local impact: Manitowoc County's southern hardwood tree area is especially susceptible to emerald ash borer.


Steps taken: The DNR has quarantined nursery stock from affected areas and bans the use of out-of-state firewood on any state property it manages. The DNR is encouraging private campgrounds to do the same. State agencies also are setting up bait ash trees in areas like Point Beach State Forest and studying whether the trees attract emerald ash borer.


Name: Purple loosestrife


Description: Purple loosestrife grows individual flowers with five to six pink-purple petals. The plant can reach 6 feet in height.


How they got here: Settlers introduced purple loosestrife, originally from Europe and Asia, in the 1800s as an ornamental plant for flower gardens. Seeds were found in ballast water of ships. The plant eventually made its way into local waterways and began growing in wetlands.


Local impact: Purple loosestrife competes with native plants in wetlands in Manitowoc County and, as a result, destroys native habitat where fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, and reproduce. According to the DNR, about 40,000 acres of wetlands, marshes, pastures and meadows in Wisconsin are threatened by purple loosestrife.


Steps taken: Purple Loosestrife will stay in the county, but it is not spreading nearly as much as it used to due to the introduction of the Galerucella beetle, a loosestrife-eating insect. Property owners can manage plant populations by weeding and chemical controls.


Name: Garlic mustard


Description: Garlic mustard is a woodland plant that can grow from 1 to 4 feet tall. Its leaves and stems smell like onion or garlic when crushed.


How they got here: Garlic mustard, brought to Wisconsin by European settlers, has spread in the forested areas of Manitowoc County and northeastern Wisconsin. Seedlings are spread from people and the fur of animals.


Local impact: Garlic mustard grows and spreads over the underbrush of the forest. The plant competes with native species for nutrients and sunlight and can kill trees indirectly through destroying the fungus that trees depend on for absorbing water and nutrients.


Steps taken: Garlic mustard has been in Wisconsin for at least 100 years and there's little chance of getting rid of it. Property owners can choose to suppress it by weeding and using chemical controls.


Name: Gypsy moth


Description: Gypsy moth is an invasive insect native to Europe, Asia and North Africa.


How they got here: In 1869, gypsy moths were brought to the U.S. by a French naturalist seeking to establish a domestic silk industry. The moths traveled westward through natural spread and movement by humans. The moths were detected in Michigan in the 1950s and arrived in Wisconsin in the 1990s.


Local impact: Gypsy moths defoliate trees by feeding on tree leaves. The moths eat on oak, aspen, birch, crabapple, tamarack and willow tree leaves. The pest is present throughout the county, but it is a threat to birch and oak trees in urban areas.


Steps taken: In the early and mid-1990s, the state sprayed areas to eradicate gypsy moths, but it proved unsuccessful. In May, the DNR sprayed 300 acres on the north side of Manitowoc to reduce moth nuisance and minimize defoliation of trees. According to the DNR, the average costs for gypsy moth suppression spraying is $24 per acre.


Name: Earthworms

Description: Earthworms are reddish, cylindrically shaped. They burrow, aerate and enrich soil.


How they got here: Common earthworms did not exist in the state following the Wisconsin Ice Age, which decimated the native earthworm population. European immigrants helped to transport them into the state.


Local impact: Earthworms are a hazard to sugar maple trees, the dominant tree in Manitowoc County forests. The worms quickly decompose leaves and organic matter on the forest floor into the soil below, leaving a dense layer of soil lacking nutrients trees need to grow.


Steps taken: Earthworms are so widespread that they are probably here to stay, but people can reduce the spread of worms by dumping unused fishing worms in the trash instead on in the water on the land.


:arrow: Aquatic pests

Name: Zebra and Quagga mussels


Description: Zebra mussels and Quagga mussels are closely related filter-feeding organisms, which hail from the Black and Caspian seas. Quagga mussels tend to be bigger than Zebra mussels. Both mussels feature striped shells.


How they got here: The mussels arrived in the Great Lakes from ballast water from ships traveling through the St. Lawrence Seaway.


Local impact: Zebra and Quagga mussels threaten native fish and organisms in Lake Michigan by filtering out plants and nutrients that native species need to survive. The successful adaptation of the mussels has been blamed for the cause of smaller game fish sizes and reduction of native forage organisms. Zebra mussels have been found in 70 Wisconsin inland lakes, including Cedar Lake in Manitowoc County. Quagga mussels have not been found in any inland lakes. The mussels could wreak havoc for municipalities by clogging intake pipes.


Steps taken: There are no means of controlling Zebra and Quagga mussels once they are established. Public outreach programs for anglers and boaters to prevent the spread of the mussels are believed to be the most feasible approach in controlling them.


Name: Sea lamprey

Description: Sea lampreys are parasitic fish with dark brown and black backs and yellow-brown stomachs. Sea lampreys can grow from 12 to 20 inches long.


How they got here: Sea lamprey was first detected in Lake Michigan in 1936. The lamprey arrived here from ballast water from ocean-faring ships traveling on the St. Lawrence Seaway.


Local impact: Sea lampreys use their round mouths to attach to fish gills and gradually suck out a fish's blood and body fluids. Sea lampreys, predators of game fish such as trout, salmon and white fish, contribute to the lowering of game fish populations.


Steps taken: The Great Lakes region spends $25 million to $26 million annually for chemical treatments to kill young sea lamprey and for barriers to prevent them from spawning. Efforts to eradicate sea lamprey have, at best, proved effective in keeping populations in check.


Name: Eurasian water milfoil


Description: Eurasian water milfoil is an underwater aquatic plant native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. The plant features thin stems circled with groups of leaves. Stems can grow up to 10 feet.


How they got here: Eurasian water milfoil, first discovered in Wisconsin in the 1960s, spread into local water bodies from fishing equipment, ocean-going ships and boats.


Local impact: The plant is problematic in inland lakes where they grow on the water surface in a canopy and dominate native plants. Plant growth can interfere with boating and fishing activity and can alter native fish habitats.


Steps taken: Population controls for Eurasian water milfoil are expensive, reaching up to $1,000 per acre to rid water bodies of the plant. Property owners can control plant population numbers with physical removal and chemical applications.


Name: Round goby


Description: Round gobies are invasive fish that live at the bottom of water bodies. The have large, tadpole-like heads and can grow from 5- to 6-inches long.


How they got here: Round gobies made their way to Lake Michigan from ballast water from ships traveling the St. Lawrence Seaway. The fish are egg predators and dominate native species for food and habitat.


Local impact: A native from the Caspian Sea, round gobies are aggressive fish that fare well in the relatively shallow waters of Lake Michigan.


Steps taken: There's not much that can be done to rid local waterways of round gobies. In order to slow their spread, the DNR advises that anglers throw caught round gobies in the trash rather than letting them go in the water.


Name: Rusty crayfish


Description: Rusty crayfish, which can be up to 2 inches in length, feature rusty spots on both sides of their hard outer body covering. The crayfish has large grayish-green to reddish-brown claws.


How they got here: Rusty crayfish are native to the southern U.S. and were introduced in the state by anglers who used them as live bait.


Local impact: According to the DNR, most Manitowoc County inland waters have rusty crayfish. Rusty crayfish dominate native fish in inland lakes and streams and destroy vegetation that serves as fish habitat. Rusty crayfish are known to pinch swimmers' toes.


Steps taken: Efforts to eradicate rusty crayfish have proven unsuccessful. The DNR advises that people do not buy rusty crayfish as fishing bait.

[AJE]

DNR Watching for Invasive Species

July 3, 2006
Door County


by Elizabeth Ries

High traffic on area waterways this extended holiday weekend has the D.N.R. on the lookout. They're trying to keep non-native plants and animals from taking over our lakes, and they're asking boaters to help.

For continued coverage please see the following:
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=5109355

[AlumniClub]

New Zealand Mudsnail

How to identify the New Zealand Mudsnail:

(Potamopyrgus antipodarum)

* Spiral shaped shell
* Right handed coiling pattern about 5-7 whorls
*Small, usually about 5mm (max 12mm)
*Shell color - dark grey, dark brown, to light brown

Identification is usually difficult - small snails like this have very few distinguishing characteristics and it is easy to confuse them with the native species.

They are a tiny exotic, invasive snails that feed on dead or dying plant and animal material, algae and bacteria.
This invader has been known to be in trout streams of the western US since the mid 1980s.
They have not been observed in inland lakes yet, they are of great concern because they are eaisily transported, they reproduce efficiently, and they have no known natual enimies in North America.

[AJE]

Invasive Asian fish could end up as animal feed
Zoo tests using silver carp, which is ravaging Midwest rivers, lakes

By Jim Slater
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS - Voracious carp that can literally throw themselves right into boats and pose a major ecological threat to Midwestern rivers and lakes could someday be a meal at the local zoo.

For the complete article please read on... :wink:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14923982/

[kmfarm]

I seen a television report on those carp. They look to be a huge problem in the not to distant future. I certainly hope someone comes up with a solution to this.

Mark

[MrKhay]

Quagga Mussels
(Dreissena bugensis)
photo from UW Sea Grant Picture from UW Sea Grant

Quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) are closely related to another invader, the zebra mussel (Dresssena polymorpha). Quagga mussels are native to Caspian Sea drainage in Eurasia. They most likely arrived as stowaways in the ballast water of ocean going ships. Quaggas like silty or sandy lake bottoms. They can live in waters ranging from warm and shallow to deep and cold. They are also able to tolerate brackish water. Since zebra mussels cannot survive this range of conditions, they can thrive in areas that zebra mussels cannot.

Unlike the zebra mussel, the quagga mussel shell has a rounded angle or carina. The quagga is light tan to almost white, with narrow stripes or mottled lines. It is fan-shaped, with pointed edges at either side. The ventral (bottom-side where the 2 shells attach) side of the quagga mussel is convex which makes the quagga mussel topple over when placed ventral side down on a flat surface. The zebra mussel will remain upright when placed in this position.

A quagga mussels feed all year, even in winter when its cousin the zebra mussel lies dormant. Some researchers believe that Lake Erie's dead zone is likely the partial work of the tiny quagga mussel’s non-stop feeding, its ability to live in deep water (it has been found at depths up to 130m in the Great Lakes) and the excretion of phosphorous with its waste. More information on Lake Erie’s Dead Zone and how quagga mussels and other invasive may be contributing can be found in the following article from Penn State University.

So far, the quagga has been found only in Lake Michigan waters that border Wisconsin – not in any inland lakes. But because they prefer silt- and sand-bottomed lakes, quagga mussels may be able to successfully invade inland lakes with those characteristics if introduced, including some lakes not suitable for zebra mussel establishment.

These are Quagga Mussels:


This is a Zebra Mussel:


Here is a comparison photo:


http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/

[MrKhay]

New invasive species with the potential to harm our lakes are ever on the horizon. While our fast-paced, mobile society plays a big role in bringing non-native species to new places, people are also key players in keeping these aggressive invaders out of Wisconsin’s lakes.
Learn more about the newest invasive species to be on the alert for, what has been done—and what still needs to be done— to control these unwanted visitors by attending the Aquatic Invasive Species workshop set for February 16, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.
This all-day Saturday event will explore aquatic invasive species prevention and management tools available to fully address the concerns posed by new invasive species with the potential to gain a foothold in Wisconsin’s waters. From this foundation, the workshop will inform legislators, decision-makers, and citizens of the need for appropriate legal and ecological tools for managing the increasingly frequent occurrence of non-native, invasive species in the region.
Register online today at the Wind Lake Management District website: www.windlake.org or call 262-514-3238.

• Download event brochure
• Featured Speakers
• Event details

Early-bird registration is due by January 31, 2008.
Featured Speakers

Dr. Michael Netherland of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida is one of many well known experts who will share their insights at this event. Dr. Netherland will explore the topic of aquatic plant management as it relates to current and potential invasive species. Of particular concern will be hydrilla, a new invasive aquatic plant threatening the upper Midwest.

Led off by UW-Sea Grant’s Phil Moy, who will provide an overview of the concerns surrounding all kinds of aquatic invasives as an introduction to the day’s activities, Dr. Netherland will explore the biology of hydrilla as it has been experienced elsewhere in the United States.

Doug Keller, of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, will wrap up the hydrilla discussion by sharing his state’s experience with managing this plant.

Dr. Mark Eiswerth, Associate Professor of Environmental Economics and UW-Extension State Specialist based at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, will explore the ways in which people react to aquatic invasive species. He’ll talk about recent efforts in Wisconsin to study the linkages between AIS, people’s perceptions and reactions, and economic behavior. Mark will explain how this ongoing research helps us understand likely behavioral and economic implications associated with AIS.

Laura Herman, WI DNR and UW-Extension Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN) Coordinator, will highlight the essential role citizens play in Wisconsin’s AIS Program. In campaigns such as Clean Boats Clean Waters, volunteers take the lead in prevention. They’re also integral to the early detection and rapid response of new pioneer invasives through the CLMN initiative. Citizen support and input is also key to shaping laws and policies to address new AIS concerns.

Peter Flaherty, Attorney at WI DNR Bureau of Legal Services, will discuss Wisconsin's invasive species laws and administrative rule development at the Feb. 16 event as well. Peter will summarize Wisconsin's current laws to control invasive species, plus review the new invasive species identification and control administrative rules being developed by the DNR.

Michael Staggs, WI DNR Bureau of Fisheries Management, will talk about Wisconsin’s integrated approach to control Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in our state’s fish. VHS, a serious fish disease, was found in Spring 2007 in the Lake Winnebago system and Lake Michigan. Mike will describe key aspects of Wisconsin’s VHS control program: regulations, surveillance and monitoring, biosecurity measures, bait fish quality control, research, plus public education and outreach to prevent the spread of this virus.
Event Details


Event Brochure
Download the brochure which includes the program agenda, mail-in registration form, and other event information.

Event Sponsors
Illinois Lake Management Association
Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Wind Lake Management District
Wisconsin Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
University of Wisconsin-Extension
Wisconsin Association of Lakes

Friday Night Fish Fry at the Rock Bottom Brewery!
Plan to join the conference hosts at a traditional Wisconsin fish fry on the Friday evening preceding the conference. Cost is $15\person.

Register today!
Cost to attend is $35\person before January 31, 2008; $40\person thereafter. The fee covers all meals and workshop materials.

Register online at the Wind Lake Management District website: www.windlake.org or by calling 262-514-3238.

Reserve your hotel room today
The Hyatt Regency Hotel has provided special reduced rates for conference attendees needing overnight accommodations. Please be sure to mention this event if you’re making hotel room reservations. The event room block is under Wind Lake Management District (booking code BWLM).

Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Milwaukee
333 West Kilbourn Ave.
Milwaukee, WI
Phone: 414-276-1234
Website: Hyatt Regency Milwaukee

[MrKhay]

Originally Posted by AJE

Invasive Asian fish could end up as animal feed
Zoo tests using silver carp, which is ravaging Midwest rivers, lakes

By Jim Slater
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS - Voracious carp that can literally throw themselves right into boats and pose a major ecological threat to Midwestern rivers and lakes could someday be a meal at the local zoo.

For the complete article please read on... :wink:
Invasive fish could end up as animal feed - Environment - MSNBC.com

Zoo animals eating carp?

Who would have ever guessed thar would be the deal ?