[APWG] FW: host specific biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and other non-native invasive species.

Tue Feb 12 13:44:26 CST 2013

Hello All,

To my thinking, this is an important initiative since host
specific biocontrol may be our only hope for controlling some invasive
species without harm to non-target species.  However, if we truly are
serious about the controls being *host specific* (and we should), then
we *should
not* be using rose-rosette as a success story.  This agent impacts rose
species other than multiflora (see
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/120517.html).  Please
omit this part from any letters of support you may send out.  I am not
familiar with the Tree of Heaven biocontrol.  Perhaps there is somebody
within this email list that is knowledgeable about and can suggest success
stories of biocontrol of invasive plants that are truly host specific.

Best,
Cynthia

On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 6:35 AM, Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com> wrote:

> **
> *Here is an example of the need for research for biocontrols; Let's do
> the same for our invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.: Cheatgrass "has fuelled
> almost 80% of the largest fires in the west over the last ten years.
> Researchers are looking at a range of solutions including using a fungus to
> attack the grass seed. " *
>
>
> *
> Marc Imlay, PhD,
> Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office
> Non-native Invasive Plant Control coordinator.
> (301) 442-5657 cell  ialm at erols.com
> Natural and Historical Resources Division
> The  Maryland-National   Capital   Park  and Planning Commission
> www.pgparks.com
> *
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>  *From:* Marc Imlay [mailto:ialm at erols.com]
> *Sent:* Monday, February 11, 2013 10:32 PM
> *To:* 'FriendsOfSligoCreek at yahoogroups.com'
> *Subject:* host specific biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and
> other non-native invasive species.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter,Alien Invasive [*
> mailto:MD-CONS-INVASIVES at LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG*<MD-CONS-INVASIVES at LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG>]
> On Behalf Of Alex Binck, Stewardship Outings Intern, Marc Imlay
>
> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 4:00 PM
>
> To: MD-CONS-INVASIVES at LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG
>
> Subject: [MD-CONS-INVASIVES] Japanese Stiltgrass Send Out To State
> Senators and Representatives
>
> ------------------------------
>
>>   *Please send a request to your Senators and Representatives to restore
>> and expand research by the Federal goverment, including the US Department
>> of Agriculture, on host specific biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass
>> and other non-native invasive species. The following sample letter, legislative
>> contact information and background information can be used to prepare
>> your request.* * *
>>
>>
>> Dear sir. The Maryland  Chapter of the Sierra Club requests restoration
>> and expansion of research by the Federal goverment, including the US
>> Department of Agriculture, on host specific biological controls of Japanese
>> Stiltgrass and other non-native invasive species. The field trip hikers of
>> the Sierra Club remember how bad it was this year on our outings events.
>>  We request that the Budget Control Acts of  2012 and 2013 not
>> reduce the annual federal funding of Federal R & D for biological Control
>> research. (www.aaas.org/spp/rd )  Please include research for Lyme
>> Disease and Deer Tick control.
>>
>> BENJAMIN L. CARDIN (Democrat), *U.S. Senator from Maryland*
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 509 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
>> (202) 224-4524; fax: (202) 224-1651 <%28202%29%20224-1651>
>> web: www.cardin.senate.gov
>>
>> BARBARA A. MIKULSKI (Democrat), *U.S. Senator from Maryland*
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20510 - 2003
>> (202) 224-4654; fax: (202) 224-8858; tdd: (202) 224-5223
>> web: www.mikulski.senate.gov
>> ANDREW P. HARRIS, M.D. (Republican), *U.S. Representative, 1st
>> Congressional District* (Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot,
>> Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester & Somerset counties; & parts of Anne
>> Arundel, Baltimore & Harford counties), Maryland
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-5311; fax: (202) 225-0254
>> web: http://harris.house.gov
>> C. A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER III (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 2nd
>> Congressional District* (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore & Harford
>> counties, & Baltimore City), Maryland.
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 2453 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 - 2002
>> (202) 225-3061, toll free: 1-800-877-8339 (voice/tty); fax: (202) 225-3094
>> web: http://dutch.house.gov
>>
>> JOHN P. SARBANES (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional
>> District* (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore & Howard counties, &
>> Baltimore City), Maryland
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 2444 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-4016; fax: (202) 225-9219
>> web: http://sarbanes.house.gov
>>
>>
>> DONNA F. EDWARDS (Democrat)
>> *U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District* (parts of Prince
>> George's & Montgomery counties), Maryland
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 318 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-8699; fax: (202) 225-8714
>> web: http://donnaedwards.house.gov/
>>
>>
>> STENY H. HOYER (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 5th Congressional
>> District* (Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's counties, & parts of Anne
>> Arundel & Prince George's counties), Maryland.
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 1705 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-4131; fax: (202) 225-4300
>> web: http://hoyer.house.gov
>>
>>
>> JOHN K. DELANEY (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 6th Congressional
>> District* (Allegany, Garrett & Washington counties, & parts of Frederick
>> & Montgomery counties), Maryland.
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>>
>> 1632 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 - 2006
>>
>> (202) 225-2721; fax: (202) 225-2193
>>
>> web: http://delaney.house.gov
>>
>> ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional
>> District* (parts of Baltimore City, & Baltimore & Howard counties),
>> Maryland
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 2235 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-4741; fax: (202) 225-3178
>> web: www.house.gov/cummings/
>>
>>
>> CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN, JR. (Democrat), *U.S. Representative, 8th
>> Congressional District* (parts of Montgomery & Prince George's
>> counties), Maryland.
>>
>> *Capitol Hill:*
>> 1707 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
>> (202) 225-5341; fax: (202) 225-0375
>> web: http://vanhollen.house.gov
>> ********
>> *Let's facilitate restoration and expansion of research by the Federal
>> goverment, including US Department of Agriculture, on host specific
>> biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and other non-native invasive
>> species. **The field trip hikers of the **Sierra Club* *remember how bad
>> it was this year on our outings events. **Now is a good time to request
>> that the Budget Control Act**s* *of * *2012 and **2013 not reduce the
>> annual federal funding of Federal R & D for biological Control research. (
>> www.aaas.org/spp/rd ) * * *
>>
>>
>> *Japanese Stiltgrass has destroyed 10% of our natural environment in our
>> region according to the surveys done by the National Park Service several
>> years ago. We have been removing it at many of our preservation sites so
>> that native plants, and the animals that depend on them, can recolonize in
>> infested areas once a native or host specific non-native biological control
>> arrives. Unfortunately, climate change has made routine control of Japanese
>> Stiltgrass several times more difficult this year. Normally we remove it in
>> late July and come back in late August for late emergents and it takes
>> 10-20% of the effort for the second treatment by hand pulling or spraying
>> of monocultures. Now an equal amount  of stiltgrass comes back to treat
>> because of the long hot Summers. Stiltgrass has been observed to cover much
>> **,* * much more than 10% of our habitats in our region.
>>
>>
>>  Our tool kit for successful control of non-native invasive plants
>> includes preventing new invasive species from coming in from Europe, Asia,
>> and other continents, manual removal, the use of carefully targeted
>> herbicides, and host specific biological controls.
>>
>> Non-native invasive plants are covering all our natural areas in the
>> region.  The quantity of native plants and animals replaced by competition
>> with non-native species is greater than that lost from all other causes
>> except direct development in our terrestrial habitats and water pollution
>> in our aquatic habitats.
>>
>> Non-native invasive species of plants such as English Ivy, Japanese
>> Stiltgrass and Kudzu are covering the natural areas that we in the
>> conservation movement have worked so hard to protect from habitat
>> destruction, erosion and water pollution.  Just as we are making progress
>> on wetlands, stream bank stabilization, and endangered species, these
>> plants from other parts of the world have typically covered 20-90% of the
>> surface area of our forests, streams and meadows. Many of us feel
>> demoralized and powerless to combat these invaders that have few natural
>> herbivores or other controls. A typical park is 50-500 acres and has over a
>> hundred species of native plants let alone the hundreds of native species
>> of insects, mushrooms, snails, reptiles, mammals and birds that depend upon
>> the plants prior to being covered by monocultures of 5-10 alien species.
>>
>>
>> One of our most productive* *activities to save our natural areas is to
>> facilitate research that will make host specific biological controls
>> available. Insects that consume the non-native invasive plant species can
>> substitute for the controls where the species came from in the world. Of
>> the 15 top non-native invasive plant species in the mid-Atlantic region
>> three (Purple Loosestrife, Mile-a-minute and Garlic Mustard) now have one
>> or two non-native insects or fungi that feed on them although the permit
>> request for garlic mustard has not been approved yet. They were brought
>> over after being tested for host specificity in Eurasia and then tested in
>> quarantine conditions in the United States. Typically, about 50 such
>> bio-control agents control these species in their native countries so if
>> one or two can control them here that is amazing. In actuality,
>> bio-controls work about half the time reducing the invasive species to
>> about 10% of its former abundance. The problem of bio-controls harming
>> non-target organisms is only about 3% as frequent as before the new rules
>> of proving host specificity went into affect about 20 years ago. Native and
>> indigenous biocontrols are also searched for in the range of the non-native
>> invasive species in America.
>>
>> Success stories include a native viral pathogen (rose-rosette disease),
>> which is spread by a tiny native mite, Rose-rosette disease, native to the
>> western U.S.,* *that **has been spreading eastwardly at a slow pace and
>> is thought to hold the potential for eliminating multiflora rose in areas
>> where it grows in dense patches. Tree of Heaven is an invasive non-native
>> plant and is considered one of the top ten weeds in North America for about
>> 200 years. A law passed in the 19th centuary makes it illegal to plant it
>> in Washington**,** DC. A mixture of field and laboratory research shows
>> that native and indigenous biocontrols from the new Southern part of the
>> range are available.  The insects consist of Aculops ailanthii and Atteva
>> punctella with various fusarium fungi co-hosts.    *
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>
>
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>

-- 
Cynthia Boettner, Coordinator
Invasive Plant Control Initiative
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
103 E. Plumtree Rd.
Sunderland, MA  01375
Phone: 413-548-8002  ext. 115
FAX: 413-548-9725
Email:  Cynthia_Boettner at fws.gov
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