Invasive Species Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission

Number 122000

MESSAGE FROM THE ISSG CHAIR

The ISSG continues to grow and flourish, thanks to the work of many of itsmembers and of our core staff at the ISSG office in Auckland. Here I wouldespecially like to acknowledge the work of Sarah Lowe, who left us recently.She worked for ISSG for over 5 years and saw it grow from an embryonicorganisation to its current state. Sarah was the first coordinator of the ISSGnetwork and was instrumental in its growth and development. Among manyother things, she ran the membership network, edited the first copies of Aliens,and helped to draft the first version of the IUCN lnvasives Guidelines. Morerecently she successfully managed the production of the prototype globaldatabase of invasive species for the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP),still based in the ISSG office. Sarah is a multi-skilled person and we are lucky tohave held onto her for so long! She is now embarking on a course ofpostgraduatestudy in marine biology at the University of North Queensland. She will remainin close contact with ISSG, but we will miss her greatly and wish her all the bestfor her future as a marine biologist.

Machu Picchu

Undaria -Asian Kelp

Australian Weed Book

Legal Guidelines

World Conservation

Congress

Biosecurity Risks inNew Zealand

Following Sarah's departure, Michael Browne has stepped in as our databasemanager and has hit the ground running, with recent trips to Cape Town (SouthAfrica) to help report on database developments (see below) and Europe toliase with the Species Information Service o~the SSC.

Inter -Governmental

InitiativeOther recent changes within ISSG are the formal appointment of three RegionalSection Leaders. These are Dr Faith Campbell (North America), Dr Piero Genovesi(Europe) and Dr Nirmalie Pallewatta (South Asia). These people will providefocus and leadership for ISSG. activities in their region. As we progress andexpand our membership in other regions, I hopeio appoint more regional leaders.

Miconia Calvescens

The ISSG was well-represented at the Global Invasive Species Programme{GISP)meeting in Cape Town in September 2000. Maj De Poorter, Sarah Lowe, MichaelBrowne and I were all there, along with several ISSG members. The outputs ofthe meeting will be a published synthesis of the first phase of GISP and ourprototype global invasive species database, which is already available onlineat www.issg.org/database. Several documents will be presented at the nextmeeting of the CBD's SubsidiaryBody(SBSTTA) in March 2001, and the nextissue of Aliens will provide substantial coverage of these.

Sponsored by:

I also attended the World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Amman, Jordan inOctober 2000 and presented a report on the work of ISSG, focusing on ourdatabase work for GISP. The Resolution and Recommepdation that were agreedby the WCC are reproduced in this issue. Manaaki Whenua

Landcare ResearchAt the end of 2000, ISSG produced a publicity booklet on " 100 of the World s

Worst Invasive Alien Species ", which was funded by the TOTAL Foundationand is intended to raise awareness of the global impacts of invasive species on ISSN: 1173-5988

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Message from ISSG Chair lIntroduced Flora to Machu Picchu Sanctuary 3Management Strategy for Undaria? , 5Miconia Calvescens bio-contro1 8Charles Lamoureux, obituary , 9Invasive Ant database 9Alien Species on the Iberian Peninsula 9Weed Management -Book Review , lO

Guide to Legal and Institutional Frameworks.

World Conservation Congress, Amman US National Invasive Species Council New Chinese Biodiversity Website New Zealand Under Siege Aliens Subscription form Development ofinter-govemmental initiative.

biodiversity. The entire ISSG staff worked on this booklet,assisted by several Members. It will be widely circulatedand a copy is included as a special "lift out" with this issueof Aliens . /(

Finally, by the time that this issue of Aliens is circulated,we will have held our first ISSG conference. This is theinternational conference on 'Eradication of IslandInvasives " to be held at the University of Auckland, New

Zealand from 19 -23 February 2001. We will report on theconference in the next issue of Aliens.

In the meantime, thanks to all of you for your continuingconcern about the effects of invasive species. I wish you avery happy New Year.

Mick Clout

Chair, ISSG

2

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~ '&~: ~~~

THE INTRODUCED FLORA TO MACHU PICCHU SANCTUARY:

INVENTORY AND MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES FOR BIODIVERSITYCONSERVATION

Invasive Species invasion of alien flora has occurred.Currently, human mobility in the areais extremely high and continues toincrease. Visitors to the Sanctuaryincreased steadily ftom 55,000 per yearin the early nineties to 400,000 visitorsto the Inca city and 75,000 to the IncaTrails in 1999. Visitation ratesincreased 30% during 1998-1999, andare expected to double by 2002.

The spread of alien invasive speciesinto natural ecosystems has beenidentified as one the direct causes ofbiodiversity loss in the global contextespecially in isolated natural habitatsand protected areas (IUCN 2000). Inspite of this widely recognized fact,there are still many regions of theworld for which inventories of alienspecies nor threat assessments havebeen made. Among them stands SouthAmerica (Cronk& Fuller 1995), wherefor few protected areas trueconservation assessments areavailable. We know that in theGalapagos Islands, for example, thereare 500 alien species representingalready a serious threat to localbiodiversity (Gibbs et al. 1999). Forcontinental ecosystems, mostlyanecdotal statements about this threatcan be found.

Four highly-invasive species were

found:

Cobaea scandens,Lantana camara,Melinis minutiflora,

Spartium junceum,

Disturbance regimes that havefacilitated invasion in the montaneforest ecosystems are fire, shiftingagriculture, deforestation and cattleraising activities. Most affectedecosystems are thus middle level, dryto wet montane forest ecosystems(Table 1 ). Even though. actualinvasions have occurred only for ahandful of species, the process alreadyrequires a special management effort.The persistence of disturbanceregimes on natural ecosystems and thehigh mobility ofhumans and productsincreases the riskofnew invasions. Inorder to prevent biodiversity loss, wepropose an agenda of interrelatedactions that includes:

Other invasive species:

Psidium guajaba,

Hedychum coronarium,

Pseudelephantophus

spiralis,Tritonia crocosmaeflora,

Ricinus communis,

Pennisetum clandestinum,

Opuntia ficus-indica,Gladiolus communis,

Impatiens balsamina,Cynoglossum nervosum.

Scope of the Conservation Problemand Management IssuesAs a contribution for the imple-

mentation of the Master Plan ofMachu Picchu Sanctuary (Govern-ment ofPeru 1999), and supported bythe Machu Picchu Programme (a debt-for-nature swap between Finland andPeru), an inventory of the introducedplant species to this protected areawas carried out, and managementpriorities were defined, as well as thedefinition of a monitoring protocol toprevent biodiversity losses due to thespread of alien invasive species intothis protected area.

Human intervention on thesoutheastern Andean slopes, in theCusco region between the puna(highland grasslands) and cloudmontane forests ecosystems, is veryold (Ellemberg 1979). Theseecosystems seemed to have beenmanaged since pre-Columbian times,although large natural areas werepreserved in accordance with ananimistic conception of the universe.Intensive use areas were alsoestablished, which are todayrecognised world centres of cropgenetic resources. After the conquest,the region was abandoned and theregeneration of the montane foresttook place. After the scientificdiscovery of the Inca city by Yalescholar Hiram Bingham in 1911, anewwave of human occupation began, thistime characterised by thetransformation of montane eco-

systems along transportationcorridors on the bottom of theVilcanota, from the Cusco and LaConvencion Valleys, through which

prevention of new invasions,

research and monitoring of thedynamics of invasions both innatural areas and agro-ecosystems (especially forMelinis minutiflora, Psidiumguajaba, Lantana camara,Cobaea and Spartium junceum.Non-native flora in the Sanctuary

control of species that are

affecting or arresting natural

regeneration and growth of

forests (Melinis minutijlora),

208 non-native species were found tobe present in the area, which currentlyrepresents 8% of the entire florafollowing the figures presented byGaliano (2000). 168 (80.8%) are usefulspecies associated with non-natural

ecosystems (agro-ecosystems,gardens, and urban areas), while therest (19.2%) are invasive species ofwhich four (1.9%) have already spreadto a certain extent and that representan actual threat to local biodiversity.

control of species on

arqueological sites (Pennisetum

clandestinum) and

education and public awareness

campaIgns.( continued on next page)

Table 1

Ecological distribution of alien invasive species.

Subtropicalwet forest

Subtropicallowermontanewet forest

Subtropical

lower

montane

humid

forest

Subtropicalmontane

per-hurnidforest

Subtropicalmontanepluvial forest

SubtropicalAndeanhumid

paranlO

Paramo

pluvialsubandino

subtropical

Subtropicaltundra

Subtropicalnival

Invasive

References

Julio G. Ochoa, Biologist.Machu Picchu ProgramAv. Jose Gabirel Cosio 308,

MagisterioCusco,Peru

Cronk, Q.C.B., & J.L. Fuller (1995). Plant Invaders. Thethreat to natural ecosystems. WWF, UNESCO and KewGardens. Chapman & Hall. London.

Ellemberg, H. (1979). Man's influence on tropical mountain

ecosystems of South America. Journal Ecology 67: 401-416

Galiana, W. (2000). Situacion Ecologico -Ambiental delSantuario Historico de Machu Picchu. UnaAproximacion. Programa Machu Picchu. Prafananpe yFONCODES. Imprenta Centra Bartalame de las Casas,Cusca, Peru.

German I. AndradeChief Technical Advisor:Machu Picchu Program.

e-mail: gandrade@aya.yale.edu

Gibbs, J.P., H.L. Snell & Ch. E. Causton (1999). Effectivemonitoring for adaptive wildlife management: Lessonsfrom the Galapagos islands. Journal ofWildlife Managment63(4): 1055-1065.

Gobiemo del Peru (1999). Plan Maestro del Santuario

Historico de Machu Picchu. INRENA e INC.

IUCN- World Conservation Union (2000). IUCN Guidelinesfor the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss Caused by InvasiveAlien Species. Species Survival Commission (SSC) ofIUCN- the World Conservation Union. Gland, Switzerland. Lantana camara

4

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A MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR THE ASIAN KELP

UNDARIA ?

The deliberate introductions of exotic land animals andplants has resulted in dramatic changes in New Zealand'slandscape and wildlifeover the last fewhundred years. Manyof the ships that carriedcargo to and from NewZealand have alsoinadvertently carriedfouling communities ofmarine animals andplants on their hullsbeneath the water line.In more recent times, asteady increase ininternational shippingtrade, and a switch tothe use of ballast waterfor vessel stability, hasseen an increase in therate at which exotic

..marIne specIes areGrossing the oceans.Exotic species are nowconspicuous among thecommunities of animalsa~d seaweeds foul~ng

IPIles and floatIngstructures in many NewZealand ports andharbours. Of these, aprominent example is theAsian kelp, Undaria

pinnatifida.

between Gisbome and Stewart Island (see Figure 1). Ma-ture plants grow to about l-2m long and are easily distin-

guished from nativeseaweeds by thepresence of a "frilly"

spore producingstructure near thebase of the plant(Figure 2). Undariahas an annual lifecycle. Spores releasedfrom mature plantssettle on an adjacentrocky seabed or otherhard surfaces.

N

W-<?-ES

~~

Gisbome <;1'

<NaPier(1993)EGolden Bay (199 ) p rirua ( 92)

p nde ood (1997) :: 'Q,(f lIington (1987)

7n(t99'7\ ~rlborough Sounds (1991)

While the. adultgeneration dies off,the spores go througha microscopic lifestage beforedeveloping into thevisible seaweedagain. Hence Undariapopulations often"disappear" in latesummer and autumnwhen the adults havedied back and onlythe microscopicstages are present.

2 Lyttelton (1991)

Akaroa Harbour (1999)

1imaru (1987)

aru (1988)

raki (1995)

Harbour (1990)

Big Giory Bay,Stewart Island (1997)

Through the releaseand dispersal ofspores, Undariapopulations can

stribution of Undaria around New spread hundreds ofsighting. metres a year. The leap-

frog pattern andrelatively fast spread of the seaweed around New Zealandreflects the fact that it is a good stowaway -it isinadvertently transported by human activities in coastalareas.

In contrast to exoticintroductions like the Figure 1 shows the present diPacific oyster, which Zealand showing year of first

some consider a tastytreat to order in a restaurant, Undaria has been popularlytagged the "gorse of the sea". It made headline news whenit was found on the hull of the fishing vessel Seafresh 1after it sank at the Chatham Islands early this year. Thisarticle provides some background information of thebiology and management of Undaria in New Zealand. F ouling of commercial and recreational vessels of all types

and sizes is believed to be one of the primary means ofUndaria's spread. Equipment associated with vessels (suchas anchors, lobster pots, nets, ropes and floats) may alsobe important and marine farming activities are likely to besignificant vectors in some areas.

Undaria is native to coastal areas of Japan, Korea andChina. It is an edible species, known as Wakame in Japan,and is extensively cultivated there. It was first discoveredin New Zealand at Wellington in 1987 and has since spreadto many. ports and a few other areas along the East Coast ( continued on next page)

5

Since Undaria is tolerant of a wide range of environmentalconditions, it could become established around much ofthe New Zealand coastline and islands in the long term. Ithas been suggested that Undaria could be a significantfouling pest, especially to the marine farming industry,although this has not occurred to date. Fouling by Undariadoes create a nuisance for marine farmers, but the farmersreport that the economic effects are considerably less thanthe losses caused by other fouling species like the exoticsea squirt Ciona intestinalis.

are detected early, but many New Zealand populations havespread well beyond this point. Present eradication methodsrely on manual removal of all plants before they become

reproductive.

The spores released from a single remaining reproductiveplant can be enough to seed new populations of theseaweed. Eradication is made especially difficult by thefact that Undaria has microsc9pic stages in its life cycle.Thus, even if all visible plants are removed, efforts mustcontinue for at least a couple more years so that each newplant is detected and removed as it develops from themicroscopic "seed bank".

In natural habitats, Undaria can form dense stands in someareas and is regarded by some as a potential threat tocoastal ecosystemsand the commercialfisheries that dependon them. There hasbeen insufficientresearch, however, todetermine how sig-nificant Undaria'seffects on these valueswill be and opinion onthe subject is divided.Nevertheless, becauseof the potential effectsof Undaria on thepristine coastal areas ofsouthern New Zealand,the government hasfunded an eradicationeffort in Big Glory Bay,Stewart Island since1997. The eradicationprogramme was laterextended to the nearbyport of Bluff andmonitoring and removalof Undaria fromvessels is carried out insouthern New Zealand

ports.

Given difficulties of thisnature and the associatedexpense, it is not likely tobe feasible to respond toevery new infestation ofUndaria. Hence anymanagement strategy willneed to focus on theprotection of defined andmanageable areas. Giventhat the main threat fromUndaria appears to be onthe natural character andecological values of thecoast, a strategy shouldlogically aim to protectareas where these valuesare most important. Thenumber and extent ofhighvalue areas to be protectedwould depend on theamount of fundingavailable.

11easures to protect highvalue areas fall into twomain categories. First aremeans of reducingUndaria's spread bymanagement of transportvectors. Vector mana-gement measures couldinclude regular removal ofvisible Undaria plantsfrom fouled vessels;restrictions on de-

Figme 2 shows the mature Undaria (approx. 1-2 m long) with the ballasting; controls oncharacteristic spore producing structure at the base of the plant. wild harvest, farming and

research involvingUndaria; development of codes of practice for specificgroups of coastal users ( e.g. marine farmers, yacht owners);and education and public awareness campaigns.

Spore producing{structu re

In 1999, Jim Sinner (aprivate consultant) andthe Cawthron Institutewere contracted by theMinistry of Fisheries toconsider options for anational pest mana-

gement strategy(NPMS) for Undaria.

Such a strategy would provide for long-term managementof Undaria, maintaining the benefits of the Stewart Islanderadication programme and providing a national frameworkfor containment and control of the seaweed in other areas.An important starting point in a consideration of managingUndaria is recognising that it is probably in New Zealandto stay. Eradication may be possible where populations

The second category of management measures wouldinvolve regular surveillance within selected high valueareas and eradication of new populations while they were

6

still at a manageable size.

In our report to the Ministry of Fisheries we consideredthe costs and benefits of applying these and other vectormanagement measures to varying degrees, ranging from acomprehensive package of measures applied nation-widethrough to doing nothing. Our findings suggested that,relative to doing nothing, the comprehensive "Rolls Royce"approach would slow down Undaria's rate of spread butnot prevent it.

Possible exceptions would be remote areas, like theChathams and sub-Antarctic islands, where long-termprotection may be possible. Some of the individuals andorganisations consulted during the development of thepe$t management strategy considered that all possiblemeasures should be taken to reduce Undaria's spread and

manage existing populations.

They argued that this would buy time for further researchinto the seaweed's long-term impacts and allow thedevelopment of more effective management measures.Others argued that, since the spread of Undaria isprobably inevitable in the long term and there is a lack ofinformation showing significant impacts, New Zealandshould adopt the "do nothing" option and take fulladvantage of any commercial opportunities available. Thiscould involve the development of an aquaculture industryfor Undaria, or an industry based on harvest of wildpopulations that may have the added benefit of controllinginfestations in some circumstances.

Figure 3. Dense infestation of Undaria in the low intertidal

zone at Moeraki, New Zealand (November 1998)

detection and management of other high-risk exotic species,especially those that could threaten commercial activitiesbut have n.ot yet arrived on our doorstep.

A surveillance programme and vector control measuresimplemented for Undaria could, at little additional cost, beused to aid in the detection of such species at an earlystage, providing some hope that they could be eradicatedbefore spreading beyond practical management. Thus thedevelopment of a strategy for Undaria could be seen asan ,important first step in providing a framework for themanagement ofhigh-risk exotic species in general.

At the time of writing this article, the New Zealand Ministryof Fisheries is considering a report on managementoptions for Undaria. Whether, and in what form, thegovernment goes ahead with a strategy is thereforeunknown at this stage.

Whatever approach is taken for Undaria, it is clear thateffective management of exotic species around the coastwill depend on the support and co-operation of all coastalusers.

Article supplied by Barrie Forrest,

Cawthron Institute,

Private Bag 2,

Nelson

Phone: #643 5482319

e-mail: barrie@cawthron.org.nz

A strategy for Undaria is likely to be more effective if thebenefits to coastal users are clear; e.g. if it assists in the

m~pm~pm~pm~pmmp~mp~mp~mp~m

FIRST AND ,SUCCESSFUL RELEASE OF A BIO-CONTROLPATHOGEN AGENT TO COMBAT THE INVASIVE ALIEN TREE

MICONIA CALVESCENS (MELASTOMATACEAE IN TAHITI

their approval to release the plant pathogen in two test-zones in Maui and Hawai 'i (Hawai' ian Islands). Two yearsafter its introduction, all the inoculated M calvescensplants were defoliated and the pathogen has spread onsurrounding plants without human intervention. In April2000, following the approval of the Advisory PlantProtection Committee and the Ministers Council of theFrench Polynesian Government, the bio-control pathogenagent was released on a test-zone in Tahiti. Three weeksafter release on the Taravao plateau, 97% of the inoculatedM calvescens plants developed leafspots. Post-releasemonitoring is underway to measure the impact and dispersalrate of this plant pathogen. This fungal pathogen will beeffective in areas ofhigh rainfall. Although C. g. miconiaecan kill young M calvescens plants and seedlings, itsimpact on mature trees is not known. This biologicalcontrol agent, however, represents the only hope to controlM. calvescens in heavily populated areas in French

Polynesia.

The tropical high volcanic islands ofPolynesia in the PacificOcean are famous for their unique biodiversity, but alsofor their vulnerability to biological invasion by alienspecies. In particular, the native wet forests of Hawai 'i andFrench Polynesia are threatened by a common invasivealien tree, Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae ).Because conventional manual and chemical controlmethods have shown their limits in heavily invaded islands,such as in Tahiti and Moorea (more than 80,000 and2,000harespectively) where M calvescens is forming dense mono-specific stands on steep, mountainous slopes (up to 1,300melevation), biological control is viewed as the only

alternative.

For more than a century, the State of Hawai'i Departmentof Agriculture (HDOA) has utilised classical biologicalcontrol against harmful alien insects and weeds. Since 1991,the HDOA has operated a pathogen containment facility,one of only two high risk quarantine facilities in the UnitedStates that are permitted to do research on non-indigenousplant pathogens or diseases. In 1997, a three-yearcollaborative agreement was signed between HDOA andthe Government of French Polynesia for a common bio-control programme against the invasive weed M.calvescens. The main stages of this research program were:

The release of C.g, miconiae in French Polynesia is thefirst biological control fungus to be used in the war againstan invasive plant species in natural ecosystems, i.e. toprotect the native biodiversity. Between 40 and 50 endemicplant species are directly threatened by M calvescens onTahiti, some of which are on the verge of extinction.

Jean- Yves Meye1;Plant Ecologist,Delegation a la Recherche, French Polynesiaafter 20th February 2001:Directeur scientifique, Conservatoire BotaniqueNational de Mascarin, Domaine des Colima9onsF 97436 Saint-Leu, Ile de la Reunion, FranceE-mail: cbnm@cbnm.storjr

propagating M calvescens in controlled conditions(temperature, humidity) in a greenhouse;searching for M. calvescens' natural enemies(diseases, leaf-feeding and stem-boring insects) in itsnative range of Central and South America, incollaboration with the University ofHawai'i and theUniversidade de Viscosa, Brazil;conducting efficiency tests to insure that they are ableto kill M calvescens;conducting host-specificity tests to insure that theyhave an impact on M calvescens only.

Eloise KillgorePlant Pathologist,State of Hawai 'i Department of Agriculture,Hawai 'iA plant pathogen discovered in Brazil, Colletotrichum

gloeosporioides f sp. miconiae has successfully met al,l

these requirements. (Killgore et. a~. 1999). Thi.s fungu~causes anthracnosls and defolIatIon of seedlIngs andyoung plants of M calvescens in the laboratory. Host-specificity tests were conducted on 28 different plantspecies in the botanical order Myrtales(species from the families Combretaceae, Lythraceae,Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, and Thymelaceae) includingFrench Polynesian endemic plant species. Repeated testsconfirmed that the plant pathogen attacks M calvescensonly. In June 1997, the U .S. Department of Agriculture andthe U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service gave

Main references:

Killgore, E. M., L. S. Sugiyama, R. W. Baretto & D. E.Gardner (1999). Evaluation ofColletotrichumgloeosporioides for biological control of Miconiacalvescens inHawai'i. Plant Disease 83(10) : 964.

Meyer,J .-Y. & C. W. Smith ( eds. ), ( 1998). Proceedings ofthe First Regional Miconia Control Conference.August 26-29, 1999; Papeete, Tahiti. Gouvemement de la

polynesie Franyaise/University ofHawai'i/CxntreORSTOM de Tahiti.

8

INVASIVE ANTS OF THE WORLDOBITUARY

Charles Lamoureux, a respected botanist and director ofthe Harold A. Lyon Arboretum in Manoa, died in October2000 in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Terry McGlynn ofDepartment of Biology at the Universityof San Diego, USA has advised that he is maintaining awebsite and database on invasive ants of the world.

Charles Lamoureux was a renowned expert on Islandplants.A leading expert on Hawai'ian plants and natural history,Lamoureux had variously served as Chairman of the BotanyDepartment at the University of Hawai'i and AssociateDean for Academic Affairs at the University of Hawai'iCollege of Arts and Sciences. Whilst working at thearboretum since 1992, Lamoureux continued to co-teach apopular univ.ersity course with zoology professor E, AlisonKay on the natural history of the Hawai'ian Islands. "Togo out with him on a hike, it was just eye-opening as towhat he could see in the surroundings," Kay said. "Hewas very concerned with the health of the Islands, andthat's what really makes him so attractive to everyone."Lamoureux was born in Rhode Island and earned botanydegrees at the University of Rhode Island and at theUniversity ofHawai' i. He received his PhD at the Universityof California- Davis in 1961 and returned to Hawai ' i to teach.

Lamoureux did field work in American Samoa, Bali,Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. He also served as aconsultant to many agencies, including the stateDepartment of Bu&iness, Economic- Development andTourism and the United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization. His book "Trailside Plants ofHawai'i's National Parks" received the US National ParkService Director's Award and the National ParksCoop~rative Association Award of Excellence in 1977- 78.University of Hawai'i Botany Department chairwoman,Sterling Kee1ey said Lamoureux was a fountain ofknowledge. "He had the most amazing memory for histoiy,details and facts," she said.

The goal of this global database is to serve as a resourcefor conservation -to prevent and control invasions. Itcan be viewed at http:llwww.acusd.edul-tmcglynnlexotic.htm

~~~

ALIEN SPECIES ON THE IBERIANPENINSULA -SPAIN

The GEl, Grupo Especies Invasoras (Invasive SpeciesGroup), are a team of the association Asociaci6n de J6venesInvestigadores para el Estudio y la Conservaci6n de laBiodiversidad (AYR) who have developed the project"AYR.alerta.es -a programme for the study and thedivulgation of invasive species in the Iberian Peninsula".

The objectives of the project are:

.Public awareness, including an exhibition and a web-

page.Research and data-collection on status and distributionof invasive species of the Iberian Peninsula.

.A discussion list about invasive species of the IberianPeninsula.

.Development of an Iberian aliens database

.Developing an atlas of Iberian invasive species in threevolumes: vertebrates, invertebrates and flora. .

The time to finalise the project has been estimated at four

years.Lamoureux also served on the city Honolulu BotanicalGardens board and volunteered in the city's five botanicalgardens. Paul Weissich, botanical gardens director for 33years, credited Lamoureux for much of their success."Charlie was very helpful, very co-operative, verysupportive and was a frequent source of critical infor-mation," Weissich said.

Condolences are extended to his family, friends and

colleagues.

3&3&3&

Infonnation received from:Laura Capdevila Argiielles and Bernardo Zilletti, Co-ordinators of the GEl.AYR. Asociacion de Jovenes lnvestigadores para elEstudio y la Conservacion de la Biodiversidad.Association of Young Researchers for the Study and theConservation of the Biodiversity.GRUPO DE ESPEClES lNV ASORAS,c/ Tarifa no7, Navatejera,C.P.24012 Leon,ESPANA (SPAIN)Tel: + 34 987 286 228, E-mail: ayf:org@correo.de

L

AUSTRALIAN WEEDMANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

forests and in rangelands. Weed management in freshwateraquatic ecosystems is covered but we remain unable tomanage the emerging but potentially serious weeds ofmarine areas.

Book review and purchasing informationWeed science and weed management are rapidly evolvingdisciplines, driven by increasing research, knowledge andintegration and interaction, both within the subject andbetween weed scientists and the rest of the communityand ever tightening economic, legislative and social forces.These are compounded by the (hopefully now reduced)continual introduction of new weeds from abroad, thespread of existing weeds within Australia, the awakenil)gof sleepers and the emergence of new types of herbicideresistance.

The first Australian textbook on integrated weedmanagement for students, managers of agriculture andnatural ecosystems and researchers: Australian WeedManagement Systems, edited by B.M. Sindel *, ISBN 0958743940, published by RGand FJ Richardson.

The book is written by eminent Australian authorities andrefereed by others with experience in that area. The secondpart of the book covers the ascendancy of weeds and theirplace in ecosystems.

Australian Weed Management Systems is a tour de forceby Australian weed scientists. Linked with a national weedscience syllabus in weed science and weed management,it cannot fail to improve our weed management. It isrecommended to all of us who are involved in weeds andtheir management; we shall all find valuable informationwithin its covers. I wish it had been available when I wasteaching weed science.

The over-riding requirements for effective regional weedmanagement legislation and quarantine in which Australialeads the world are fully discussed, including our pro-activeand strategic approaches to weed management. Otherchapters discuss tillage and other physical managementmethods (mulching, roguing, flooding, heat, mowing andhygiene ), cultural management methods, includingrotations, crop competition and cover crops and grazingmanagement methods which, although frequentlymishandled, are the main method by which we must struggleto keep our extensive pastures relatively tree from weeds.Australia leads the world in classical bio-control of weedswith many successful examples, and this area is wellcovered. Continuing Australian development of inundativebio-control with bio-herbicides is also well covered. Twochapters are devoted to herbicides -their mode of actionand resistance and their application and fate in theenvironment. We still depend on herbicides for the quickfix required in cropping systems and always shall and thesechapters provide the background that students need tounderstand their use and potential abuse.

Price is $A32.90 including GST. Postage is $AIO per orderwithin Australia, $A30 overseas airmail per book. Producedby the Cooperative Research Centre for Weed ManagementSystems. The authors are leaders in their respective fieldsand represent all States of Australia.,

* Brian Sindel, the editor, works at University of New

England, where his group's research focuses on theecology and management of weeds. Prior to joining UNEhe spent several years with CSIRO developing Australiannative grasses for re-vegetation of degraded land. He isalso head of the tertiary education subprogram in theCooperative Research Centre for Weed Management

SystemsThe rationale behind the CRC for Weed ManagementSystems is that weed management must be approached asan interaction between the weeds, crops, pastures or otherdesired vegetational outcomes of the ecosystem and thephysical, climatic, soil, economic and social opportunitiesand constraints that control the functioning of theecosystem and the decision-making of the ecosystemmanager. The largest section of Australian WeedManagement Systems is then rightly concerned with anoverview of weed management systems in our nine mostimportant managed ecosystems. Chapters include detailedstudies of weed management in crops, pastures, naturalecosystems, vegetables and tree crops and viticulture. Thesocially important area of weed management in lawns andsports turf is well reviewed, as is weed control in plantation

To order the book contact the publishers:

RG and FJ Richardson, PO Box 42, Meredith Vic 3333,

Australia, Phone and/ax +61 (0)352861533,

e-mail robjiona@pipeline.com.au

Review by:

JT Swarbrick

~~~

10

A GUIDE TO DESIGNING LEGALAND INSTITUTIONAL

FRAMEWORKS ON ALIENINVASIVE SPECIES

and institutions can mutually support efforts to controland mitigate the impact of alien invasive species. Eachchapter makes a link between the scientific approachesand legal tools for delivering implementation.

Shine, C., N. Williams, & L. Giindling, (2000)

English, French and Spanish versions of this Guide canbe ordered from:IUCN Publication Services Unit,2I9c Huntington,Road;Cambridge, CB3 ODL,United Kingdom.Tel; ++44 (I) 223277894;fax; ++44 (1) 223 277175;E-mail; info@books. iucn.org

The expansion of global trade and transport has allowedmodern society to gain greater access to and benefits fromthe world's biological diversity. As a result, our lives havebecome enriched from the introduction of different varietiesof plant and animal species, including non-indigenous oralien species. These species have been used for agriculture,.forestry, fishing, ornamental and recreational purposes.Often, however, the introduction to ecosystems of non-indigenous or alien species has carried a heavy price,especially in terms of loss ofbiodiversity and environmentaland natural resource damage. As a result, 1he introductionof alien species has been recognised as one of the mostserious threats to our health, and to our ecological andeconomic well being.

The Guide is also available on the Internet athttp: / /www. iucn. orR/themes/law/

Infomlatioft provided by Nattley Williams

Almost every country is grappling with the problemscaused by introduced alien species. Addressing theproblem is urgent because the threats increase daily. Zebramussels are affecting fisheries and electric power generationin North America; water hyacinths are choking wetlandsand waterways in Africa and China; brown tree snakes aredecimating native bird species on oceanic islands and greysquirrels are ousting native red squirrels in Europe.

The Guide to Designing Legal and Institutional Frameworkson Alien Invasive Species seeks to help address thisproblem. It is a culmination of two years ' work by the IUCN

Environmental Law Programme, through its EnvironmentalLaw Centre and the Commission on Environmental Law. Itrepresents a collaboration with the Global Invasive SpeciesProgramme and is the fourth in a series of IUCNpublications aimed at supplementing IUCN's Guide to theConvention on Biological Diversity. This publicationreaffirms IUCN's continuing commitment to assist Partiesas they implement the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The key goal of this Guide is to provide national law andpolicy makers with practical information and guidance fordeveloping or strengthening legal and institutionalframeworks on alien invasive species, consistently withArticle 8(h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, aswell as pertinent obligations under other internationalinstruments. It complements the work of scientists,ecologists, and economists by demonstrating how laws Eichhornia crassipes

2ND SESSION OF THE WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS,

AMMAN, JORDAN, 4-11 OCTOBER 2000:

INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES

These texts are provided for working purposes in English

only.

the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global In-vasive Species Programme;

While all substantive amendments agreed during the Con-gress plenary sessions have been included and approvedby the Chair of the Resolutions Committee, the texts aresubject to final style related editing prior to publication as

part of the formal Congress Proceedings.

The World Conservation Congress at its 2nd Session inAmman, Jordan, 4 -11 October 2000:

1. SUPPORTS the range of initiatives underway within theUnion to address invasive alien species issues and wel-comes the focus in the Overall Programme on combatinginvasive alien species;The statements, as provided in the IUCN Rules ofProcedure

of the World Conservation Congress, Part VIII, Clause 72,follow the Resolution / Recommendation to which theyapply. In most cases, a summary of formal statements isincluded here. The full statements will appear verbatim inthe Congress Proceedings.

2. URGES IUCN members to actively disseminate and pro-mote the 'IUCN Guidelines for the Prevention ofBiodiversity Loss Caused by Alien Invasive Species' tothe appropriate government and management agencies,and to support the guiding principles outlined therein; and

3. REQUESTS the Director General to take an active role inworking with States, trade organizations, and financial in-stitutions to ensure that international trade and financialagreements, codes of practice, treaties, and conventionstake into account the threats posed to biological diversityand the financial costs and economic losses associatedwith invasive alien species.

RESOLUTION

2.67 Invasive alien species

CONCERNED that invasive alien species are now one ofthe most serious global threats to ecosystem integrity and

species survival;

CONCERNED that these threats are increasing with theglobalization and growth in the volume of trade and inter-national movements of people;

AWARE that climate change, habitat degradation, and othernegative impacts on ecosystems can assist the esta-blishment and spread of invasive alien species;

The delegation of the United States provided a formalStatement for the Record indicating inter alia that "guide-lines will be most effective if they focus on initial effortsthat could be undertaken by a wide range of govern-ments, encourage collaboration among countries, andare realistically founded on the current state of scientificknowledge and techni<;al ability ".The full statement of the US delegation is contained inthe Congress Proceedings.

FURTHER CONCERNED that the direct economic costs ofthe global damage caused by invasive alien species is manybillions of dollars annually, yet awareness of the full costsand their causes is low in many countries;

RECOMMENDAnON

2.79 Introduction of alien speciesAPPRECIATING the high level of interest in these issuesin the workshop sessions of the 1 sI World Conservation

Congress and of the activities of the Invasive Species spe-cialist Group of the Species Survival Commission;

NOTING that both public and private development agen-cies have deliberately introduced alien species into thewild, with the expectation thaf they will reproduce in thewild and provide economic benefits, such as pest control,future harvest or use in the wild;WELCOMING the approval of the 'IUCNGuidelinesfor

the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss Caused by Alien In-vasive Species' by the 51 si Meeting of the IUCN Council in

February 2000; andFURTHER NOTING that there have also been deliberateintroductions of alien species into the wild for aesthetic orrecreational reasons;

NOTING that the components of IUCN are actively con-tributing to national, regional: and global initiatives relat-ing to invasive alien species, including processes under

AWARE that many introductions of alien species into thewild have had disastrous results, far greater in scale than

environmental assessment of the possible consequencesof introduction;

the intended benefits, and may have extreme and negativeimpacts on entire ecosystems, including the extinction ofnative species;

2. URGES all bilateral and multilateral development assist-ance agencies and other government agencies not to sup-port programmes involving the deliberate introduction ofalien species into the wild, with the purpose of their repro-duction and propagation in the wild, unless supported byan appropriate risk analysis and environmental assessment.

RECOGNISING that the current state of ecological knowl-edge makes it difficult to accurately predict the chain ofevents that will occur as the result of any such introduc-tion of alien species, and hence the positive or negativeconsequences and impacts;

RECOGNISING that the precautionary approach wouldmitigate against actions that may be expected to interferewith significant ecosystem functions, and have the poten-tial to cause extin(:tion of native species;

The delegation of the State member United States pro-vided a formal Statement for the Record indicating thecommitment of the US to dealing with the threat of inva-sive species, but recalling that not all non-native speciesare invasive, with some actually proving essential in con-trolling invasive species. The US also noted that the Rec-ommendation as adopted calls for risk assessments to beconducted before introductions of alien species are per-mitted, but that scientific knowledge for predicting im-pacts is uncertain. The Statement is reproduced infull inthe Congress Proceedings.

The World Conservation Congress at its 2nd Session inAmman, Jordan, 4 -II October 2000:

1. CALLS ON civil society, institutions, and governmentsnot to deliberately introduce alien species into the wild, forthe purpose 0f their reproduction and propagation in thewild, unless supported by an appropriate risk analysis and

Source: http://www.iucn.org/amman/index.html

CHINA'S BIODIVERSITY WEBSITE

US NATIONAL INVASIVESPECIES COUNCIL

President Clinton issued Executive Order 13112 on February3, 1999 (see also Aliens 9).

There is a newly created website on China's biodiversityconservation (both in Chinese and English) at:hllp : / /monkey. ioz. ac. cn/bwg-cciced/index. hIm

The Executive Order obliged government agencies to takecertain actions, established the National Invasive SpeciesCouncil, and set up a process, including public commenting,to develop a Management plan. Having received publiccomments, the Council staff is finalising the first edition ofthat plan by half January 2001. The management planincludes recommendations to improve coordination andleadership; enhance control and management efforts; speeddetection and response to recent infestations; enhanceinternational cooperation; support efforts with research;enhance education and outreach programs; improveprevention efforts; and set up a gateway website on...Invasive species.

Information supplied by XlE fanCoordinatol; BWG/CCICEDInstitute of Zoology, CAS19 Zhongguancun Lu, Haidian District

Beijing, China, 100080Tel/Fax: (8610) 6264 7675 -dO"\

xieyan@public3.bta.net.cn ~.~

~

//

1!

~~

The Executive Order and the plan can be found at http,www. invasivespeices.gov

~~\'Editorial comment: Aliens 13 will contain more detaileddiscussion of the Management Plan

huia bird from NZ Maori carving

NEW ZEALAND UNDER SIEGE -A REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENTOF BIOsECURITY RISKS TO THE ENVIRONMENT

December 2000 saw the release, in new Zealand, of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) 's report,on New Zealand's biosecurity system: New Zealand Under Siege: A review of the management ofbiosecurity risks tothe environment.

"Biosecurity is as strategically important as national security when it comes to protecting New Zealand's key economicand environmental assets" Dr Williams (PCE) says. "We need to improve our biosecurity system to deal with pests anddiseases that are capable of causing damage to New Zealand's unique natural resources and biotic economy."

The aim of the Commissioner's report is to determine, from an environmental management perspective, whether thesystems and processes in place are adequate to meet New Zealand's biosecurity needs. The Commissioner has identifiedgaps or weaknesses and highlighted strengths of the current system for managing biosecurity risks to the environment.

The report makes recommendations to the Minister for Biosecurity and each of the biosecurity agencies on weaknessesin the system that need to be addressed. New Zealand's biosecurity system has traditionally focused on protecting NewZealand's land-based primary production,sectors from pests and diseases likely to affect the main export trade. This isan important aspect ofbiosecurity, but total economic wellbeing also depends to a large extent on the quality of NewZealand's environment (including marine ecosystems), its biodiversity and other natural features that attract trade andtourism. As trade and tourism increase so do the pathways and opportunities for unwanted organisms to arrive on itsshores and threaten New Zealand's native species and their habitats, not to mention the risk of introducing vector-bomehuman diseases not previously found in New Zealand.

The report acknowledges the commitments the Government has made this year to developing a Biosecurity Strategy,and the extra funding it has allocated to improving public awareness about biosecurity risks. However, it also states whyin the PCE's opinion, the proposals do not go far enough. For example, biosecurity outcomes need to be more explicit,biosecurity monitoring and surveillance of indigenous flora and fauna needs to be improved, definite fundingarrangements for biosecurity emergency management need to be established, the roles and functions of the BiosecurityCouncil need to be extensively revised and the effectiveness of the Biosecurity Act 1993 needs to be assessed.

Source: Press Release, Wellington (New Zealand), 14 December 2000, from the office of the PARLIAMENTARYCOMMISSIONER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (Te Kaitiaki Taiao Te Whare Paremata).

The reports can be downloaded from

http : / /www.pce.govt. nz/Reports/biosecurity%2 Ohome. htm

Main Report (.pdf -2MB -only 116 pages but a lot of pictures and colour)

Background Reports

Key economic issues facing New Zealand's biosecurity system(pdf- 93kb -26pp.)Biosecurity Threats to Indigenous Biodiversity in New Zealand

(pdf-175kb- 6lpp;)Review of Biosecurity Influences of the Last Decade

(pdf-188kb -36pp.)

The address of the Office of the PCE is:

PO Box 10-241,

WellingtonNew ZealandTel: ++6444711669Fax: ++64 4 4958350E-mail: pce@pce.govt.nz

14

Aliens is the bi-annual newsletter of the Invasive Species Specialist Group(ISSG). Its role is to put researchers in contact with each other and to publishinfonnation and news of alien invasive species and issues. Contributions, shouldfocus on conservation issues rather than economic, health or agricultural aspectsof alien invasions. News of upcoming conferences, reports, and news ofpublications are also welcome, especially where they are of major internationalrelevance. Please send your contributions, marked "for consideration for Aliens"to m:depoorter@auckland.ac.nz

Aliens-l is a listserver dedicated to invasive species. It allows users to freelyseek and share infonnation on alien invasive species and issues, and the threatsposed by them to the Earth's biodiversity. To subscribe, send a message tossc-mgr@indaba.iucn.org with the message: "subscribe aliens-l" in the bodyof the text (Note: without quotation marks, and it is letter I, not number I).Leave the subject line blank. As soon as you have subscribed to the list, youwill receive all infonnation on how to use the list, including sending messagesto the listserver and de-subscribing yourself from the listserver.

The New Zealand-based Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is aspecialist group of the Species Survival Cornrnission (SSC) of the InternationalUnion for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is chaired by Mick Clout. Thegoals of the ISSG are to reduce threats to natural ecosystems and the nativespecies they contain -by increasing awareness of alien invasions and of waysto prevent, control or eradicate them.

ISSG Office: School of Environmental and Marine Sciences (SEMS)

University of Auckland (Tamaki Campus),Private Bag 92019

Auckland, New Zealand

Phone: #6493737599 x5210

Fax: #6493737 042

E-mail: issg@auckland.ac.nz : for general inquiries

E-mail: m.depoorter@auckland.ac.nz : to contact Aliens editor or ISSG

coordinator

Web sites:ISSG: http://www.issg.orgIUCN: http://www.iucn.org.

15

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL

I N ITIA TIVE

The recent Global Invasive SpeciesProgramme meeting in Cape Townreinforced the need for increasedinternational action and collaborationon invasive alien species issues. Thereis increasing recognition that manyinvasive alien species issues can bestbe tackled by several countries

working together.

focus on the implementation of Article8(h) of the Convention on BiologicalDiversity, but also on synergies withother sectors, including agricultureand the International Plant ProtectionConvention. It would address bothbilateral and multilateral initiatives.

potential partner, because there is noobvious contact point. There may bea lack of capacity to initiate the co-

operative arrangement.

Recognising both the potential formajor gains from co-operative effortsand the need to find ways to overcomethese barriers, a group of countriesinvolved in the GISP meeting held anadditional meeting to consider thedevelopment of an initiative tofacilitate inter-governmentalcooperation for invasive alien species.The USA, South Africa and NewZealand hosted the meeting.

The meeting did not finalise aninitiative, but did agree to a workprogramme to progress the ideasdeveloped at the meeting. This willinclude meetings in the margins of theconvention on Biological Diversitytechnical meeting in March 2001. It wasagreed that close collaboration wouldbe maintained with the GISP executive,to ensure that the work of the twoinitiatives was complementary and

integrated.

There are many ways in whichcooperation between governmentscan increase our capacity to combatthe impacts of invasive alien species.Sharing expertise and information canreduce costs and increase the chanceof success. Bio-control work mustinvolve the country providing the bio-control agent and the countryplanning to use it. Neighbouringcountries often share the problem andneed to work together on its solutionand international assistance isessential for capacity building indeveloping countries.

The meeting agreed that it wasdesirable to develop a mechanism tosupport and encourage co-operativeinitiatives between governments. Thiswould complement the work of otherbodies, particularly GISP and the CBD.It was agreed that the initiative shouldfocus on the achievement of actionsto address the invasive alien speciesissue, particularly focusing on on-the-ground management actions and

capacity building.

If you wish further informationcontact:

But there are also real barriers toachieving co-operation. There may bea lack of information about who couldcontribute to the work. There may bedifficulties in making contact with the

Paul Phife1;us State DepartmentE-mail: PhiferPR@State.govor

Paula Warren,NZ Department of ConservationE-mail: pwarren@doc.govt.nzIt was agreed that the initiative should

The following organisations are gratefully acknowledged for theirsupport of the work of the Invasive Species Specialist Group:

The World Conservation Union

us State DepartmentNew Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TradeManaaki Whenua-Landcare Research LimitedUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceTOTAL FoundationGlobal Environment FacilityUniversity of Auckland, School of Environmental and Marine Sciences

@ Printed on 100% recycled paper

16