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Invasive Species:an overview
Field Biology
October 18, 2016
Carrie Brown-Lima Director, NYISRI Cornell [email protected]
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants
1958 –Charles S. Elton
“…two rather different kinds of outbreaks in populations: those that occur because a foreign species successfully invades another country, and those that happen in native or long established populations. This book is chiefly about the firstkind – the invaders”.
Non-Native
Alien
Introduced
Exotic
Invasive
Pests
Non-Indigenous
Non-NativeAlien
Introduced
Exotic
Invasive
Pest
Non-Indigenous
Working Definitions in New York State and US
Invasive species: a species that is nonnative to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. (To be considered invasive, the harm must significantly outweigh any benefits)
What is a native species?A species that is a “part of the balance of nature” that has developed over hundreds or
thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem.
– The word native should always be used with a geographic qualifier (that is, native to New York [for example]).
– Only species found in this country before European settlement are considered to be native to the United States.
Non-Native Species = “Bad”Native Species = “Good”
What is a non-native species?
A species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.
*Non-native species are not necessarily invasive.
Native Nuisance Species: Examples from NYS
Working Definitions in New York State and US
Invasive species: a species that is nonnative to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. (To be considered invasive, the harm must significantly outweigh any benefits)
Impacts of invasive species
Economic
Ecological
Health
Economic Impacts of Invasive SpeciesNationwide:
Estimated $167 billion annual cost
• Agricultural productivity
• Forest Production
• Lake productivity (Fisheries)
• Impact on recreation (fishing,
boating, swimming)
• Ornamental/landscaping
$2-3 million lost from raspberry and blueberry industry due to spotted wing drosophila in 2012
$3.5 billion annual costs of non-native beetles
Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake –$1.5 million in treatment costs
Ecological Impacts of invasive species
• Reduced biodiversity
• Species endangerment
• Ecosystem functioning
Health Impacts of Invasive Species
• Poisonous or photo-dermatitis
• Disease
Hydrilla discovered in Cayuga Inlet in August of 2011
Photo credit: Robert L. Johnson
16
Hydrilla in the Cayuga Lake Watershed
Hydrilla verticillata
Cayuga Lake Watershed HydrillaEcological Impacts
• Outcompetes beneficial native species
• Thick mats of vegetative growth
• Reduces overall native habitat and water quality
• Oxygen deficits Fish kills
• Potential toxic blue-green algae outbreaks
Economic Impacts
• Impairs boating, fishing, swimming & recreation
• Cripple tourism and commerce, and decrease property values
• Flood capacity of waterways reduced
• Costs millions of dollars to manage on large scales
2-3 years…. 4-5 years?
17
$1.5 million spent for treatment since 2011
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
Ash trees in a Toledo, Ohio neighborhood in June 2006. Credit: D. Herms
Toledo, Ohio trees after emerald ash borer in August 2009.Credit: D. Herms.
• From Asia • First identified in Detroit, Mich., in 2002, • Has become the most destructive forest insect to ever
invade the U.S. Tens of millions of ash trees have already been killed
• Now found in 18 states, along with Ontario and Quebec. • Predicted to wipe out all ash trees in the US
Common characteristics of invasive species
Invasive species in general:
• Have few or no natural predators, competitors, parasites or diseases
• Have high reproductive rates
• Are long-lived
• Are generalists
• Are pioneer species
Characteristics that make Zebra mussels a good invader include its ability to tolerate a wide-range
of environments, and high reproduction rate; female mussels release up to 100,000 eggs year.
Invasive Establishment
Transitions that a species must overcome to become invasive
– Transport pathway– Introduction– Establishment– Spread
The “10s Rule”– 10% of introduced species
will survive after arrival– 10% of that will become
invasive
How do invasive species arrive?
Accidental
Ballast water of ships
Shipped materials (wood packing, etc)
Plants and produce transport
Escape from captivity (aquarium, bait, etc.)
How do invasive species arrive?
Intentional
For ecosystem service
For agricultural or landscape use
Biocontrol (before screening was mandated)
Aesthetic
Shakespeare enthusiasts?
Prevention – “Targeting Pathways”
Early Detection
Needed to have Structure
Needed To Be Organized
Would lead to Success
So we organized for efficiency by:
1. Developing Priority Conservation Areas, PCA’s.2. Developing Early Detection Protocols.3. Developing Rapid Response Protocols.
Realizing that surveying and responding is based on available resources, we recognized early on that we cant be everywhere detecting and responding to everything.
Eradication• Goal – Eliminate all individuals and seeds
Weed-free for 3+ years• Low likelihood of species returning (10 year timeframe)• Greatest success for small infestations (< 2.5 acres)
Exclusion or Containment• Goal – Prevent infestation from
spreading to uninfested areas• Best for slow spreading species and when
effective barriers exist• May require long term maintenance
Suppression• Goal – reduce the population or reproductive
output to a level that maintains native species or ecosystem processes
• May require long term maintenance
Potential Control Strategies
Taken from NY Natural Heritage Program Imap presentation
Control options
Chemical Physical Removal Biological Control
Physical Removal/Mechanical Control
Photo credit: Robert L. Johnson
33
Chemical Control
Biological Control
Biological Control ofPurple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Leaf beetles: Galerucella calmariensis & G. pusillis
Manitoba Montezuma
Control options: Risk vs Benefits
Chemical Physical Removal Biological Control
Decide not to take action?
How do we know if we were successful?
OR
HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS
HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS
Driver: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid(Adelges tsugae)
Passenger: Japanese Stilt Grass(Microstegium vimineum)
Common (often unfounded) assumption with “passenger invasives”:
?
Deer drive stilt grass abundance
Davalos et al. 2015 Forest Ecol. Manag.
Davalos et al. 2015 Biological Conservation
Seeding experiment: Higher native trillium
emergence in stilt grass
Davalos et al. 2015 Forest Ecol. Manag.
Transplant experiment:Adult trillium are taller and have more stems when deer excluded
Multiple Stressors: More than one driver?
Growing debate surrounding invasion biology
“Invasive species differ significantly from non-invasive species (Thompson 1994), but the attributes of invasive aliens are not unique; most are shared by invasive native species. “
From: Native and Alien Invasive Plants: More of the Same? Author(s): Ken Thompson, John G. Hodgson and Tim C. G. Rich Source: Ecography, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Dec., 1995), pp. 390-402
Impact matters more than originEx: Southern Pine Beetle in New York
• First documented occurrence in NYS (Long Island) in 2014 (since first systematic entomological records collected in 1800s)
• Native to the southern pine ecosystem and the pine barrens ecosystem.
• Highly destructive forest pest with the ability to rapidly change forest type (e.g., from pines to scrub hardwoods).
Expert Opinions: Native Pest or Invasive Species?
“This is a native species and I feel quite certain that
this is all about climate change. It must have been
brought north many times but for some reason, now
it’s surviving in more northern locations than in the
past.”
“I feel SPB is invasive because 1) there are no
past records of its presence in Long Island; and
2) because the Long Island population of pine
is disjunct from others”
“In my opinion, SPB is an invasive native, but
not exotic pest expanding into New York State
as a result of climate change or extreme
weather events. Invasive does not necessarily
mean exotic; SPB is an invasive pest even in
NC.”
What difference will this make?
• Where do the management resources come from?
• Who is responsible for addressing the problem?
“The administrative decision of whether SPB is an “invasive species” under New York law should not affect the practical responses.” Dr. Matt Ayres, Dartmouth College
Challenges for invasive species management:
• Many species – which ones, where?
• Understanding new and existing invasive species, species interactions/impacts
• Setting objectives and measuring real results
• Best control methods – quantitative not qualitative
• Were we successful – cost / benefits of control?
Invasive Species in NYS
389 species of non-native (varying levels of
invasiveness) plants, animals, insects, pathogens documented in New York(was 346 a year ago)
Solutions in New York
• In 2003 Gov. Pataki called for an Invasive Species Task Force (ISTF) to explore invasive species issues and provide recommendations
• Published report in 2005 with 12 recommendations to address invasive species in the state
Building a Strategic System
Coordination and Communication Funding provided by:
New York State Environmental Protection Fund
New York's Online Invasive Species
Database and Mapping System
Carrie Brown-Lima
Director, NY Invasive Species Research Institute
Fernow Hall, Room 216
www.nyisri.org