National Tropical Botanical Garden

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Conservation

Though the article describes a tour of the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii, its emphasis is on the conservation of native Hawaiian plants and the efforts against invasives and plant extinction.

A Tour of Hawaii's Rare Paradise from The Christian Science Monitor

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:03 PM

Weeding Seaweed

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Scientists untangle seaweed’s effect on other species, a press release from the University of California's Integrated Pest Management program.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)

Moth May Control Invasive Fern

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Scientist seeking a natural biological control for the invasive Old World climbing fern, which is threatening Florida's wetlands, recently identified a fern-feeding moth, in Asia. As the fern is not invasive in areas where it grows naturally, it had been assumed that natural predators kept it under control.

The moth, Siamusotima aranea is called Lygodium spider moth because it feeds on Lygodium species and has markings that look like a spider (possibly mimicry to protect it from predators).

Link: Scientists Identify New Moth That Attacks Invasive Fern from the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:41 PM | Comments (0)

The Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Invasive Plants

Invasive species can quickly spread through new areas, causing ecological damage and threatening rare native plants or animals. Dealing with aggressive species costs the province millions of dollars annually. The Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia (IPCBC) was recently formed to help coordinate a strategy for the management of invasive species. Based on the Invasive Plant Strategy, a plan developed by a diverse group representing all levels of government, agriculture, industry and community, the IPCBC hopes to bring all parties together in the fight against invasive species.

Link: The Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia the IPCBC website

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:40 PM | Comments (2)

Connecticut Considers Ban of Common Landscape Plants

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Plant Legal News and Issues

Scientists in Connecticut are concerned by the invasion of landscape plants into the state's wilderness areas. Some ornamental species produce an abundance of seeds that are carried into natural areas by the wind, birds or other wildlife. Vigorous plants chosen for horticultural use sometimes out compete native plants for space and light. Officials are considering a ban on several species and their cultivars.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 6:35 PM

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Faces Invasive Weed

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Other Botanical Gardens

A 16-hectare plot of Britain's beloved bluebells is under threat from an invasive weed. Perfoliate alexanders (Smyrnium perfoliatum) were intentionally introduced to the gardens, but are shading the bluebells, robbing them of the sunlight they need to survive. There is a danger of the weed becoming a serious problem in Britain as it thrives in the same conditions as the native bluebells.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:47 PM

New Invasives Spread Rapidly in Canada

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Invasive Plants , Sources of Botanical News

Recent assessments of invasive plants in Canada have given top rankings to plants that were not mentioned or were low on assessments made just twelve years ago. The rapid spread of the new invaders was a concern at the 2004 Canadian Botanical Association's second symposium on invasive alien plants in Canada. The quick expansion of the plants is an indication of the need for coordinated environmental monitoring programs and early detection of invaders.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:02 PM

Assessing Invasiveness in Plants

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Horticulturalist Mark Widrlechner and colleagues have developed an assessment tool to determine the potential invasiveness of plants in different regions. The team looked at the traits of 100 non-native woody plants that have been introduced to the landscape. Predictions of their likelihood of escape were compared to actual escape histories of the selected plants. Geographic risk factors based on the plants' native distributions were added to the assessment to determine the risk of invasiveness in all regions of North America.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)

A Green Dilemma

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Plant Legal News and Issues

The city of Sebastopol, California is confronted with an invasion of perennial pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium. State officials have requested permission to spray the affected acres with herbicide to prevent the spread into the adjacent Laguna de Santa Rosa wetland. This posed a dilemma for the environmentally conscious city, which has an ordinance against all chemical spraying.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:30 PM

Phragmites Database Completed

Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Invasive Plants

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has developed a database on the distribution of native and alien races of common reed, Phragmites australis in Canada. The database is accessible through the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF) web portal, a resource for biodiversity study with a network of information on geographically-referenced specimens.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:33 AM

Invasive Plants in China

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Scientists from the South China Botanical Garden have recently identified a vine which has been troubling farm workers near Guangzhou for the past five years. Merremia boisiana, a rapidly growing vine in the morning glory family, can climb and smother ten-metre tall trees. The plant is native to tropical areas adjacent to Guangdong Province, but had not been seen in the region before.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:20 PM

Imported Insect Controls Water Weed

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta, is an invasive water plant from South America that clogs waterways and chokes out native aquatic life in Texas and Louisiana. The aggressive plant quickly forms thick mats that spoil fresh waterways. To combat this invasive, scientists have released another South American native, Cyrtobagous salviniae, a weevil that feeds exclusively on South American species of salvinia.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:21 PM

Invasive Species Weblog

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Jennifer Forman Orth wanted to keep up with current news on invasive species, so she created an invasive species weblog. The weblog highlights and archives news stories on plant and animal invasives. Readers can link to the stories and post their comments. Over 600 entries have been accumulated since April 2002. Excellent sources of information can also be found in the links database.

Link: Invasive Species Weblog

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:55 PM

New Research on Invasives and Ecological Restoration

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Plant Conservation

Ecological and habitat restoration are becoming increasingly significant areas of research as species dwindle due to habitat loss or displacement via invasive species. Researchers will be gathering in Victoria in August to present findings and solutions to the problems of damaged ecosystems and plant invasions at SER2004, the Society for Ecological Restoration International's 16th annual World Conference.

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Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:35 PM

A new plant invasive for British Columbia

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Gary Williams of Coquitlam, British Columbia, reported the discovery of Spartina anglica (English cordgrass) in BC in the latest issue of Botanical Electronic News.

Spartina anglica is an aggressive, invasive species that spreads over mudflats. It is anecdotally known to displace native flora. The rich diversity of shorebirds, waterfowl, invertebrates and fish that are supported by the native flora are likely not as well supported by the monotypic stands of cordgrass.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:11 PM

Managing the Invasive Kudzu

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants

Kudzu vine is a huge problem in the southern states of the USA. Imported from Japan in the late 19th century as an ornamental, and then later used to control erosion during the Depression because of its rapid growth, it is now one of the best (worst?) examples of the impact of an imported invasive plant on native ecosystems.

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Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 8:56 PM