The road not taken...has fewer invasive plants

This press release from U.C. Davis describes the results of a study published this month in the journal Conservation Biology. Researchers studied a variety of different pathways through natural landscapes, from paved roads to 4-wheel-drive tracks. They found that the more "improved" the road was, the higher the density of non-native plants. Turns out some places really are better off if we just leave them alone.

Pining Away

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in the Florida Keys is going native. But before they do, they're taking precautions to make sure the public understands why they want to get rid of all those shade-giving Australian pines (Casuarina equisetifolia). According to this story from keysnews.com, park managers will hold a public information session to reassure park visitors that the revegetation project will be completed in a sound environmental way and still maintain important recreational features such as shelter and shade.

News to You

Science News is a great little journal for those of you that prefer your science on paper, but don't have time to deal with a thick and meaty Nature or Science. This week they've generously posted the full text of their article "Is your yard a menace to parks and wild lands?" It's a well-done, detailed examination of cultivated plants that can become invasive in natural areas, complete with a list at the end of some of the culprits.

Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to this article.

Oldie but Goody

This site hasn't even been updated in a while, but it deserves some attention, if only because of its cute name: Encycloweedia. Stop by to get a glimpse of California's noxious weed list, fact sheets, and a great photo gallery of your favorite invasive plants.

Birthday Blog (and Contest)!

The very first entry of the Invasive Species Weblog was April 13, 2002, making it one year old this week! To celebrate, I'm having a contest. Submit an entry to the blog and you could win a free item from the Invasive Species Weblog store! Entries should include a link to a current article or recently updated website that has information about invasive species, as well as a brief summary. All entries will be posted here, and the best entry will win the prize (limit 3 entries per person). Contest ends April 22 (Earth Day).

Insert Plug Here

An extremely interesting article about sexual reproduction in the invasive plant Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) appears in the latest issue of the American Journal of Botany. :-)

Biocontrol out of control

The New Scientist web site recently posted this story about the unintended effects of the introduction of the rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea) to the island of Tahiti as a biological control for the invasive African land snail (Achatina fulica). It seems the predatory Euglandina has developed a taste for Partula snails, and has now wiped out 56 of the 61 species in that genus that lived on the island.

Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to this article.