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Terrestrial and Aquatic Invasive Species

Terrestrial Invasive Species Links:

 

 

 

 

Rod Sharka wins Statewide Invader Crusader Award (2019).  Each year, the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council honors Wisconsin citizens and organizations for their significant contribution to prevent, control or eradicate invasive species that harm Wisconsin’s lands, waters and wetlands. This year Partners in Forestry Coop (PIF) board member, Rod Sharka, has been selected as winner in the Volunteer Individual category! Rod will be honored at a celebration on June 5 at Olbrich Gardens in Madison.

   Rod was nominated by Vilas County Conservation Specialist Quita Sheehan with support from Partners in Forestry Coop and The Nature Conservancy as well as other conservation partners. “Rod has been a tireless advocate for conservation by helping land owners control invasive plants, and a big asset to maintaining the quality of our forest lands”, said PIF director Joe Hovel.

   Well known in the area for his giving spirit for conservation issues, Rod was an integral part of maintaining focus on the Wildcat Fall project as well as developing the curriculum for our series of events titles Appreciate Our Common Lands, a hands on celebration of the benefits of forest land conservation. Rod is also the Volunteer Land Manager at the Tenderfoot Reserve.

 

Be On The Lookout!

Although the new DNR Terrestrial Invasive Species Field Guide lists 60 invasive plant species, the following six pose the greatest threat to the forests of north central Wisconsin and UP. The six species with corresponding field guide page numbers are: Garlic Mustard p. 54; Common and Glossy Buckthorn pp. 12 & 17; Eurasian Bush Honeysuckles p. 16; Japanese Barberry p. 20; Japanese Knotweed p. 66. PIF members are urged to be on the lookout for these species and to implement eradication or control programs on infestations.

Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership (WHIP):  WHIP is a multi-partner co-op consisting of Federal, State, Tribal and County government agencies plus local non-profit organizations and schools specializing in environmental education.  These groups work together under a memorandum of understanding which encourages and formalizes the cooperative relationship necessary for effective management, coordination and implementation of invasive species programs. 

Forestry Best Practices for Invasive Species: The Wisconsin Council on Forestry has issued a Forestry Best Management Practices Manual for Invasive Species. The manual offers voluntary practices that can be integrated with forest management activities. The manual includes standards of practice that will aid landowners, land managers, and loggers in limiting the introduction and spread of invasive plants, invertebrates, and diseases.

Midwest Invasive Plant Network:  MIPN mission is to reduce the impact of invasive plant species in the Midwest. MIPN includes a diverse group of participants and partners with Purdue University, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service and the Wisconsin DNR playing major roles in the leadership of this network.

National Invasive Species Information Center:  Invasive plants are introduced species that can thrive in areas beyond their natural range of dispersal. These plants are characteristically adaptable, aggressive, and have a high reproductive capacity. Their vigor combined with a lack of natural enemies often leads to outbreak populations.

IPAW - Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin:  The Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin (IPAW) is an organization comprised of agencies, organizations, and individuals concerned with the spread of invasive plants and their impacts on natural ecosystems. The IPAW mission is to promote better stewardship of the natural resources of Wisconsin by advancing the understanding of invasive plants and encouraging the control of their spread.

Wisconsin DNR Invasive Species Web Site:  Invasive plants, animals and pests are taking a toll on Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and landscapes. The DNR is working with citizens and partners to slow the spread of invasive species. Through educational outreach, strategic planning and active management we are protecting our environment and economy from invasives.

Wisconsin DNR Invasive Species Publications:  Books, manuals, pamphlets, magazines, multimedia, web resources for educators and classroom resources & curriculum.

iMapInvasive Species:  A consortium has formed to develop an on-line, GIS-based, all-taxa invasive species mapping tool to be called iMapInvasives which will focus on serving the needs of invasive species managers. Having access to strategic invasive species location information can support and enhance this important invasive species management work.

Forest Health Protection:  Wisconsin's forests are generally in good health, yet numerous native and exotic insects and diseases and extreme weather events threaten their health annually.  The Forest Health Protection staff provides insect and disease management assistance on 16 million acres of state, private, industrial and county forest lands. We also assist with forest health monitoring and forest insect and disease education. Periodic forest health newsletters are published and can be accessed from this web site.

Heterobasidion root rot:  Planning to cut pine trees on your property? Then you need to know how to protect your woodlands against the “circles of death” of Heterobasidion root rot, the most damaging disease in temperate conifer forests of the world which has become an epidemic in Wisconsin. Thinning of pine plantations or cutting of conifer trees can expose your woodland to this deadly disease. Failure to aggressively respond to the discovery of this lethal pathogen has threatened sustainable management of Wisconsin's pines and other conifers in commercial forests, and also endangers trees in recreational woodlands and in wooded residential and vacation properties.

Red Pine Pocket Mortality:  Red pine pocket mortality, caused by a complex of insects and the fungi Leptographium terrebrantis and L. procerum was first identified in Wisconsin in 1975. National distribution of this syndrome is unknown. Thinned, plantation-grown red pines between the ages of 30-45 are most likely to show symptoms of this syndrome.

Garlic Mustard:  Garlic Mustard is a rapidly spreading woodland weed that is displacing native woodland wildflowers, vegetation and sprouting trees. It dominates the forest floor and can displace most native herbaceous species within ten years. This plant is a major threat to the survival of Wisconsin's woodland herbaceous flora and the wildlife that depend on it.

In DA Woods --Spread the Word not the Seeds:    If you drive any vehicle on an unpaved road surface, chances are you are helping disperse the seeds of plants. This may not seem like a problem unless those seeds are from non-native invasives. Read more.

Residence time determines invasiveness and performance of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in North America: While biological invasions have the potential for large negative impacts on local communities and ecological interactions, increasing evidence suggests that species once considered major problems can decline over time. Declines often appear driven by natural enemies, diseases or evolutionary adaptations that selectively reduce populations of naturalised species and their impacts. Using permanent long-term monitoring locations, we document declines of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) in eastern North America with distinct local and regional dynamics as a function of patch residence time.

 

 

Aquatic Invasive Species Links:

Forestry Best Practices for Aquatic invasive Species:  Wisconsin developed the forestry BMPs in response to federal legislation. Section 208 of the 1977 Clean Water Act and Section 319 of the 1987 Water Quality Act requires each state to develop procedures and programs to reduce nonpoint source pollution, including silviculturally related sources, to maximum extent practicable.

Aquatic Invasive Species Program:  Non-native, exotic, alien, non-indigenous - no matter what you choose to call them, non-native species are plants and animals present in an ecosystem beyond their native range. Some of these species become "invasive", and may threaten native species and interfere with commercial, agricultural, or recreational activities. In their native environments, there are typically predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors that keep these invasive species in check and create a balance.

Aquatic Invasive Species Program-WDNR:  Information on invasive species in Wisconsin.

UW-Extension Water Resources Education-Clean Water:  Water resources educational programs represent a collaboration among other University of Wisconsin campuses,

WDNR Shoreland Management Program: To protect these critical shoreland areas, Wisconsin works in partnership with local governments, citizens, and conservation groups using a variety of different tools.

WDNR Waterway and Wetlands Regulations:  On these pages, you can learn how Wisconsin laws protect public waters and how you can help. You'll also find information about any permits that are needed for a project, and instructions and forms to help you apply for a permit.

Center for Watershed Science and Education:  University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and University of Wisconsin Extension provide support for watershed stewardship; assist citizens with lake, river and drinking water quality problems; promote management strategies for water resource protection; provide water quality assessment and support.