Vital Vitex

As reported in The Sun News, coastal residents in South Carolina are awaiting word on whether a plant that is showing up on local beaches, known as beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia), will be categorized as invasive and targeted for removal. Beach vitex, native to Asia and Australia, was introduced to the Carolinas as an ornamental plant back in the 1980s. Scientists are proceeding with a seven step program to determine what to do about the species, though the article implies they are leaning towards removal. Or at least they wouldn't be upset if someone came across one of the plants and pulled it out :-). You can read a past article from another local paper by clicking here.

Join the Garlic Mustard Patrol

A new item has been added to the ISW store:

Just in time for the holidays, the Garlic Mustard Patrol cap is the second in the "Patrol" series, the first being the popular (translation: I've sold more than one) Purple Loosestrife Patrol cap. I've also posted a closeup of the badge, since the CafePress photos don't show the detail that goes into making these images.

And for those of you lucky enough not to know what garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is, click here.

Got the Munchies?

Science News is reporting that populations of the Formosan Subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) have hunkered down in New Orleans' French Quarter, where they are making meals of anything made of wood, from houses to living trees. As a consequence, there's a fair amount of research going on in the area, studying termite behavior and trying to find ways to limit the spread of this species, which was introduced from Asia several decades ago. One such effort is Operation Full Stop, a federal program that supports local-level eradication of the insects, which currently cost the US $1 billion per year (though note that native termites cost us $10 billion annually). This is an excellent article with lots of information and even photos of the termites - well worth the read.

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

Kills Pets Dead.

It's been just over two years since Australia began its eradication campaign against the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Recently, the prime method used against these biting insects, poison bait, is under investigation by the Queensland government, after several homeowners complained that their pets had died. As reported at news.com.au, the government is denying that the bait could be what caused the deaths of dogs, birds and fish in southeast Queensland. The bait used reportedly needs to be present at a low toxicity, since it works by interrupting the ant's growth cycle, and is meant to be eaten after it's been taken back to the nest. The poisons contained in the bait are S-methoprene and pyriproxyfen (.pdf link), chemicals also found in products such as flea-control collars.

New in the Literature

Interesting articles from this month's batch of journals:

• "Changes in light and nitrogen availability under pioneer trees may indirectly facilitate tree invasions of grasslands." by Evan Siemann and William E. Rogers. 2003. Journal of Ecology. v. 91(6), p. 923. - Invasive Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) vs. native Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
• "Plant-soil biota interactions and spatial distribution of black cherry in its native and invasive ranges." by Kurt O. Reinhart, Alissa Packer, Wim H. Van der Putten and Keith Clay. 2003. Ecology Letters. v. 6(12), p. 1046. - Enemy release hypothesis and Prunus serotina.
• "Invasion dynamics of two alien Carpobrotus (Aizoaceae) taxa on a Mediterranean island: I. Genetic diversity and introgression." by C. M. Suehs, L. Affre and F. M�dail. 2003. Heredity. Advanced online publication.

Heads Up!

As reported at TCPalm.com, researchers in Florida are taking a closer look at the history of the introduction of the air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) to the US, in an effort to find a better way to control the invasive vine. The current method of control is to remove the vines by hand, and to collect all the aerial tubers so they can't fall to the ground and grow into new vines. While the scientists search for a potential biological control, they have discovered an interesting fact about the air potato: it turns out there are in fact two different species of the vine that have been introduced, and molecular testing indicates that they are native to Africa.

Foxes in Boxes

Eastern Australia has begun their largest fox control project ever, according to this brief at ABC Rural. The goal is to eradicate the European fox (Vulpes vulpes), over four years, from 1 million hectares of land. The reason behind the project is interesting: scientists are hoping that reducing fox populations will increase the numbres of native wildlife, and that packs of wild dogs (Canis familiaris dingo, or the "dingo") will focus on these wild natives, rather than the sheep they seem to currently favor (my guess is that they stick with the passive meal). There is a related study that will track the movements of the wild dogs via GPS units attached to collars.

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