Invasive Species that are found in North Carolina

By Kella Randolph M. Ed.

http://www.rowland.harvard.edu/rjf/lewis/herron.php

http://www.chgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/invasive-species-word-cloud1.jpg

http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/monitoring_invasives.htm

Many insect species have invaded our forests

The North Carolina Forest Service monitors invasive forest pests.Some invasive species do not come from across the ocean. They may also come from other areas of our own lands. New pests can arrive in North Carolina in a number of ways, including through infested or infected nursery plants, wood packaging material, and even firewood.

Though there are many examples of invasive forest pests causing damage to trees in North Carolina, one of most significant pests over the last century, and one to which most others are compared, is the Chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/monitoring_invasives.htm

http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/monitoring_invasives.htm

Tiny pests create big problems All four native ash species – pumpkin, Carolina, green and white – are

susceptible to attack by the borer. That means an estimated 2.5 million ash trees in the state are at risk. Damage caused by emerald ash borers may kill trees within three to five years of initial infestation.

Adult beetles are metallic green, ½-inch long and 1/8-inch wide, and are active in North Carolina from late spring through mid-summer. Larvae can be found underneath the bark throughout the year. The natural flight of the beetles is five to seven miles per year, but rapid spread has been attributed mostly to the movement of firewood, Suazo said.

Emerald Ash Borer

http://wakeaudubon.org/three-major-invasive-species-threaten-north-carolina-forests/

Who would suspect this cute little bug could destroy millions of acres of North Carolina forests?

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

Walnut Twig BeetleAnother pest, the walnut twig beetle, carries the fungus Geosmithia morbida. This fungus causes thousand cankers disease, which threatens North Carolina’s native black walnut trees. After infestation, a tree dies within two to three years. Walnut twig beetle was first found in the eastern U.S. in 2010 and was detected in Haywood County in fall 2012. Black walnut is valued for its wood, nuts and ornamental features. It is also important for wildlife, as its nuts provide food for birds, squirrels and other small mammals.Authored by Andrea Ashby, Assistant Director, NCDA&CS http://wakeaudubon.org/three-major-invasive-species-threaten-north-carolina-forests/Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

Thousand cankers disease

Photo; Ned Tisserat Organization: Colorado State University licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Map graphic from the Arbor day bloghttp://arbordayftp.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/thousand-cankermap.jpg

Invasive Plant Species

Crested floating

All photos are courtesy of Creative Commons

Kudzu smothers other plants

Chinese Wisteria: a beautiful menaceChinese wisteria is a deciduous, woody twining vine that climbs up tree trunks to heights of 60 feet or more. It twines upwards in a clockwise direction. The stems are stout, gray-brown and covered with fine white hairs ECOLOGICAL THREATThe hard woody vines of Chinese wisteria twine tightly around host tree trunks and branches and cut through the host tree bark, eventually girdling and killing it. On the ground, new vines germinating from seed or sprouting from rootstocks form dense thickets that smother and shade out native vegetation and impede natural plant community development. As girdled trees die, canopy gaps are created which increase the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor. While this may temporarily favor some native species, it also stimulates vigorous growth and spread of wisteria. 

Girdled treesOver time, the wisteria vine grows so large and strong that it squeezes through the bark of the host tree and cuts off the flow of sap. The tree dies due to lack of nourishment. https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/wisi1.htm

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

Along the Atlantic intertidal coastline from Maine to North Carolina, this crab is now breeding and increasing rapidly in number. Because it tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions, it seems all too likely to continue to multiply and to spread. Because it is not a picky eater, it outcompetes native species such as crabs, fish, and shellfish for food–-or it eats them, being an opportunistic omnivore that feeds on algae, saltmarsh grass, larval and juvenile fish, and small invertebrates such as amphipods, gastropods, bivalves, barnacles, and worms. http://eattheinvaders.org/blue-plate-special-asian-shore-crab/

Asian Shore CrabInvasive range of the Asian shore crab. Courtesy of USGS.

Lionfish: killing coral reefs www.noaanews.noaa.gov

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A new study looking at how to curb the rapid growth of lionfish, an invasive species not native to the Atlantic Ocean, suggests that approximately 27 percent of mature lionfish will have to be removed monthly for one year to reduce its population growth rate to zero.But the good news is that the invasive fish happens to be delicious—and NOAA is encouraging chefs to find new ways to introduce it to U.S. consumers.Lionfish are native to the western and central Pacific Ocean, but have established themselves from North Carolina to South America. They are a popular aquarium fish that were likely first released in Florida waters in the mid-1980s. Since then, the species has spread rapidly. Scientists and public officials are seriously concerned at the effect lionfish are having on reef ecosystems, since this predator is capable of rapid population growth and outcompeting native fish for food and territory. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100806_lionfish.html

lionfish

Coypu (Nutria)(Myocastor Coypus)

This semi-aquatic rodent is native to southern South America, but has been introduced extensively around the world for the fur industry and to control water plants.Nutria began appearing in fur farms in Louisiana in the 1930’s. Since then the population has expanded throughout the southeastern United States.Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Burmese pythons are sold as pets, but they grow to be very large (up to 200 lbs). A few have killed household pets and even humans. Some have escaped and others have been set free in the Everglades. With no natural predators, pythons have become a major threat to all other wildlife there. All photos courtesy of Creative Commons

Invasive Exotic Plants in North Carolina

Invasive exotic plants disrupt the ecology of natural ecosystems, displace native plant and animal species, and degrade our biological resources.

To see a very long list of these, please go to the link below. http://www.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/invasives_list

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission To see a list of wild animals that live in North Carolina, go to the link

below. There you will find many animals, some familiar, and some new to you. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has photos and descriptions of each as well as a history of how long each has been here.

http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species#7085666-endangered

Invasive species are 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.https://repeatingislands.com/2014/04/16/results-of-the-invasive-alien-species-video-competition-held-by-the-regional-mtiasic-project/

Thank you for viewing.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.

- Chief Seattle, Duwamish (1780-1866)