Survey Says:

There's a team of researchers surveying marine habitats across the Northeastern U.S., and they don't like what they're seeing. According to this article from the Boston Globe, they're not only finding many non-native marine organisms, but they're finding ones new to the area since the last Northeast Rapid Assessment Survey was done just a few years ago. You can find out more about invasive marine species, and see maps from the last Rapid Assessment Survey, by clicking here.

Gee, maybe we should cultivate this

On a walk today in a fairly natural area, I came across this oddity in a large patch of Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus):

Just a single variegated stem, the only one in the patch, or any other patch at the site. I'm not saying where it was - I've had enough requests for Japanese knotweed cultivars to know better.

A Thousand (plus) Points of Blight

The Alien Plant Working Group recently updated their list of Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas. There are now over 1000 species on the list. If you check out the site, you'll notice that while there several species have fact sheets, there are many many more looking for volunteers to write them. So if you know a species on the list, step up! :-)

Skeeter Scare

The Health Protection Agency in the UK is on high alert after finding evidence that the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has already entered the country, as reported on the BBC's website.. The mosquitos can carry dengue fever and West Nile virus, among other ailments, making officials extra vigilant about preventing the spread of this insect species. You can read more on the British mosquito invasion in this article from Femail.

Soylent Rust

Soybean farmers in the U.S. are warily eyeing reports of soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) from South America, according to this report from the Iowa Farm Bureau. The disease, caused by a fungus, has decimated crops in Brazil, and is expected to arrive in the continental U.S. within the next seven years. Soybean rust is expensive to control, and is enough of a threat to have attracted the attention of the USDA, the United Soybean Board, and the Department of Homeland Security, which has granted $1 million to study this "potential terrorism threat."

"It was nice to see them dead."

Biologists in Minnesota are at a loss to explain why zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are dying off in a portion of the Upper Mississippi River known as "Pool 8." As reported in this article from Wisconsin's LaCrosse Tribune, divers found piles of empty zebra mussel shells when doing a check of native mussel beds. There are now portions of the Upper Mississippi that have virtually no adults left, and populations have yet to rebound. While parasitic infection and low food supply are potential explanations, neither would be expected to cause such a significant and rapid population decrease.

Boring Ahead

Illinois is on the lookout for the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), according to this article in the Daily Herald. While government researchers and officials are hoping the invasive, wood-boring beetle never arrives in that state, they are proactively preparing for the possibility by meeting this past week to set up a rapid response plan. You can read previously blog entries about the ash borer's appearance in Michigan by clicking here.