Invasive Species
 
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Rationale:
Traditional borders and border security focus on human and goods traffic. Invasive species are typically not caught by the measures that are employed at borders. The damage that these species produce amounts in the billions of dollars annually. This module explores the issues related to invasive species.
 
Definition:     Invasive Species: Plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm. National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/index.shtml
 
Lesson Objectives:
  • Learn about invasive species as natural hazards
  • Assess the damage done by invasive species
  • Discuss their introduction
  • Identify example invasive species
  • Discover how they spread
  • Explore methods of mitigation and eradication
  • Reinforce the systems-of-systems concept
 
Common Invasive Species Characteristics
  • Few Natural Predators
  • They May be Predators Themselves
  • Voracious Appetites
  • Short Reproducive Cycles
  • Reproduce in Large Numbers
  • Displace Useful Native Species
  • Carry Parasites and/or Diseases
  • Harmfull to Humans, Animals, Plants
  • Pose as Hazards (Aviation, Road Traffic)
  • Damage Buildings and Facilities
  • Cause Disruption to Utilities
  • Hard to Eradicate
 
Method of Introduction/Reintroduction
  • Natural
  • Purposeful
  • Accidental
 
The State of Florida estimates that 29 invasive species are introduced into the state each month.
This region is host to many invasive species.
Chances are that you may have encountered one or more invasive species.
 
Quiz:     What was the first invasive species to wreak havoc in America?

Answer: Click here.
 
 World's Deadliest Animals 
     Rank        Animal       Annual Deaths      
 
     1        Mosquitos        1,000,000      
     2        Humans        475,000      
     4        Dogs        25,000      
     5        Tse Tse Flies        10,000      
     6        Assassin Bugs        10,000      
     7        Freshwater Snails        10,000      
     8        Scorpions        3,250      
     9        Ascaris Roundworms        2,500      
     10        Tapeworms        2,000      
     11        Crocodiles        1,000      
     12        Hippos        500      
     13        Elephants        500      
     14        Lions        250      
     15        African Cape Buffalo        200      
     16        Deer        130      
     17        Bees        53      
     18        Jellyfish        40      
     19        Ants        30      
     20        Leopards        29      
     21        Horses        20      
     22        Wolves        10      
     23        Sharks        5      
     24        Alligators        1      
 
Time Magazine

There are literally thousands of species that are considered invasive. Check the web sites listed in the Reference section for a more comprehensive list. Time Magazine compiled a list of the Ten Worst Invasive Species. We will not cover all of them in this lesson. We will focus on those invasive species that are particularly troublesome for the US, Pennsylvania, and our region. We will also present other species and situations that are of note.

Time Magazines Ten Worst Invasive Species.
  • Asian Carp
  • Rabbits
  • Cane Toads
  • Kudzu
  • Gray Squirrel
  • Killer Bees
  • Starlings
  • Northern Snakehead
  • Zebra Mussels
  • Burmese Python
 
Spotted Lanternfly
 
Spotted Lanternfly
Spotted Lanternfly Eggs
 
Invasive Weeds
 
Jail inmates removing invasive weeds from tidal marshes in Malibu, California
 
Alligators
 
Alligator
 
Quiz:    How many alligators are found in the wild in Pennsylvania each Year?
Answer:    Hanover Evening Sun: 50!

 
Seagulls
 
Seagulls on the Ohio River
 
  • Natural migration path from Lake Erie to Chesapeake Bay
  • Some gulls common in Pittsburgh during changes of season
  • Winter storm of January 2015 forced gulls east
  • Thousands of gulls waited out the storm in Pittsburgh
 
Avian Flu
 
Agricultural Ducks
 
Bird Migration Paths and Avian Flu
 
Asian Avian Flu Locations
 
Starling
 
The European Starling
 
  • Sturnus Vulgaris
  • Native to Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa
  • Second most populous bird in Pittsburgh
  • Millions spread to North America
  • 1890s – Eugene Schiefflelin
  • American Acclimatization Society
  • Attempted to bring to the New World all of the flora and fauna mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare
  • Aviation hazard
  • Disease
  • Crowded out others species
  • Not protected by Pennsylvania Game Commission
 
Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly)
 
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
 
  • Ceratitis capitata
  • Native to the Mediterranean area,
  • Spread to many parts of the world, including Australasia and North and South America
  • US - Hawaii, California, Texas and Florida
  • Eradicated in all states but Hawaii
  • Continuously reintroduced
  • 1981 infestation
  • Initial response - ground spraying
  • The medfly reproductive cycle out-paced the spraying
  • After more than a month, millions of dollars of crops had been destroyed and billions of dollars more were threatened.
  • Governor Brown then authorized a massive response to the infestation.
  • Fleets of helicopters sprayed malathion at night
  • The California National Guard set up highway checkpoints and collected many tons of local fruit
  • Entomologists released millions of sterile male medflies in an attempt to disrupt the insects' reproductive cycle.
 
Definition:     Sterile Insect Technique: A method of biological control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released. The released insects are normally male as it is the female that causes the damage, usually by laying eggs in the crop, or, in the case of mosquitoes, taking blood from humans. The sterile males compete with the wild males for female insects. If a female mates with a sterile male then it will have no offspring, thus reducing the next generation's population. Repeated release of insects can diminish small populations, though it could be impossible to eradicate it and is not efficient against dense insect populations.
 
Killer Bees
 
The African Killer Bee
 
Killer Bee Migration
 
Killer Bees in the US
 
Chinese Stink Bug
Chinese Stink Bug
 
US Stink Bug Map
 
Lyme Disease
The Deer Tick
 
Resources:     Lyme Disease Symptoms and Treatment - WebMD  www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/arthritis-lyme-disease

CDC - Lyme Disease Home Page  www.cdc.gov/Lyme

Lyme Disease: MedlinePlus  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymedisease.html

American Lyme Disease Foundation  www.aldf.com

Lyme disease - Mayo Clinic  www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/basics/definition/con-20019701

Lyme Disease Association, Inc.  www.lymediseaseassociation.org
 
Iguana
The Iguana
Florida California Hawaii Southwest
 
Iguanas falling from Trees
Reuters (2022)
Iguanas Falling From Trees
 
Piranha
The Piranha
http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010908piranha0908p5.asp
 
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Asian Tiger Mosquito
 
On its Asian home turf, the mosquito is a well-known carrier of dengue fever, with West Nile fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis among the other debilitating illnesses for which it has been pegged as a transmitter. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mosquito has so far been identified as a host for five different viruses in the United States. Two of those -- encephalomyelitis and Cache Valley -- can infect humans, while the others are a threat to dogs, cats, birds and other animals. But U.S. experts are perhaps most alarmed that this mosquito potentially could become a prime North American vector for a particularly nasty joint and muscle pain illness for which there is neither a vaccine nor treatment: the Chikungunya virus.
 
Burmese Python
The Burmese Python
 
Burmese Python US Migration Map
 
Kudzu
Kudzu
 
Kudzu US Migration Map
 
Not all invasive species are viewed with the same disdain. Some are actually cherished for their natural beauty. They typically are not as destructive as others.
 
Parrots
Wild Parrots
 
Peacocks
Pea Hen
 
Asian Murder Hornet (Giant Asian Hornet)
 
The most recent invaasive threat is the Giant Asian Hormet also known as the Murder Hornet. In Japan, murder hornets kill 50 people per year. The also Kill honey bees and other helpful insects. The can sting through beekeper suits.
 
Honey bees are essential to US agriculture. In some areas farmers "rent" bees during pollination season. The image below shows a honey bee hive truck going to a citrus farm in Florida.
After pollination, the hives are collected and put back on the truck for transport to another farm. The honey created by the bees is then used to make Citrus Blossom Honey.
 
YouTube video of murder wasps killing bees.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gAVlh-7WZM
 
National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW)

As you might imagine from this lessson, invasive species are a serious and costly problem. A number of organizations have come together to sponsor an annual National Invasive Species Awareness Week.

Events during NISAW in Washington DC include:
  • NISAW Awards Ceremony
  • Reception and Briefings on Capitol Hill
  • Expert Webinars on prevention, early detection and rapid response and control
  • Expert Webinar on USDA grants for work on invasive species
  • Federal Agency Invasive Species Program "Open House"
  • Invasive Species Kids Day

This year's Awareness week is February 22-28. See www.nisaw.org for more details.
 
Social Media

Massachusetts is taking an novel and innovative approach to identifying, traacking, and reporting invasive species. Through its MassWoods Project http://masswoods.net/outsmart ordinary citizens can use their smartphones to upload relevant information through a custom app.
 
Resources:     National Invasive Species Council  www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/unitedstates/pa.sh

Smithsonian Institution http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/5-invasive-species-you-should-know

Great Lakes Information Network www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/invasive.html

Science Daily www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/invasive_species/

Watershed Council www.watershedcouncil.org/learn/aquatic%20invasive%20species/

National Wildlife Foundation www.nwf.org/wildlife/threats-to-wildlife/invasive-species.aspx

Invasive.org www.invasive.org/

US Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/greatlakes/invasive/

The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/forests/howwework/protecting-native-plants-and-animals-taking-on-the-invaders.xml

US Fish and Wildlife Service www.fws.gov/invasives/what-you-can-do.html

Animal Planet www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/other/videos/killer-aliens-war-on-invasive-species/

Center for Invasive Species Management- CISM www.weedcenter.org

Florida Invasive Species Partnership www.floridainvasives.org

PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources www.dcnr.state.pa.us/conservationscience/invasivespecies/

Allegheny County Agricultural Extension Service http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny
 
              
Copyright © 2011 - 2015 Ken Sochats