Contains new items added to the Web site of the USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center. Updated daily. http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/ jbolton joyce.bolton@ars.usda.gov Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Movable Type 2010-02-05T20:22:07Z

Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk (Feb 2, 2010) Northern Ireland...

Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk (Feb 2, 2010)
Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency confirmed that the Zebra Mussel, has been found for the first time at Lough Bresk, County Fermanagh. The first sighting in Northern Ireland was in 1994 at Lough Erne and they have since been reported in Lough Neagh. Zebra Mussel’s have significantly altered fish communities in Lough Erne and are a major risk to the future of some freshwater fisheries. Additional information is on the Invasive Alien Species, Most Unwanted site.

* See our International section for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/ireland_zebra_m.shtml 2010-02-05T20:19:54Z 2010-02-05T20:22:07Z

Help Out and Become a SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and...

Help Out and Become a SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and Education Team) Volunteer!!! (Jan 28, 2010)
Massachusetts Town of Sudbury. Conservation Office.
There will be various projects from SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and Education Team) in April and throughout the year.

* See our Massachusetts page for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/massachusetts_h.shtml 2010-02-05T20:09:04Z 2010-02-05T20:11:24Z

Forests Are Growing Faster, Climate Change Appears To Driving Accelerated...

Forests Are Growing Faster, Climate Change Appears To Driving Accelerated Growth (Feb 1, 2010)
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Shorelines.
A new study has found evidence that forests in the Eastern U.S. are growing faster than they have in the past 225 years. The paper focuses on the drivers of the accelerated tree growth and the chief factor appears to be climate change, more specifically, the rising levels of atmospheric CO2, higher temperatures and longer growing seasons.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/forests_are_gro.shtml 2010-02-05T19:21:09Z 2010-02-05T19:21:59Z

Invasive Exotic Animals Costing U.S. Billions of Dollars (Feb 2,...

Invasive Exotic Animals Costing U.S. Billions of Dollars (Feb 2, 2010)
Mother Nature Network.
The Washington Post reports that invasive exotic species such as, Asian carps, cause environmental losses and damages of nearly $120 billion a year.

* See our Economic Impacts section for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/invasive_exotic_1.shtml 2010-02-05T18:50:54Z 2010-02-05T19:02:56Z

Does Climate Change Promote Invasive Species? (Feb 3, 2010) Harvard...

Does Climate Change Promote Invasive Species? (Feb 3, 2010)
Harvard Magazine.
Researchers have found that non-native plants, and especially invasive species, thrive during times of climate change because they're better able to adjust the timing of annual activities like flowering and fruiting. The study Favorable Climate Change Response Explains Non-Native Species' Success in Thoreau's Woods used a dataset that began with Henry David Thoreau’s cataloging of plants around Walden Pond in the 1850s, and where the average annual temperature has increased by about four degrees Fahrenheit.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/does_climate_ch.shtml 2010-02-05T18:47:03Z 2010-02-05T18:48:41Z

The Secret Life of Smoke in Fostering Rebirth and Renewal...

The Secret Life of Smoke in Fostering Rebirth and Renewal of Burned Landscape (Jan 27, 2010)
American Chemical Society.
An international team of scientists are reporting discovery of a plant growth inhibitor in smoke. Interaction of the inhibitor compounds and other compounds may ensure that seeds remain dormant until environmental conditions are best for germination.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/the_secret_life.shtml 2010-02-01T21:28:56Z 2010-02-01T21:30:34Z

Deadly Fish Virus Now Found in all Great Lakes (Jan...

Deadly Fish Virus Now Found in all Great Lakes (Jan 27, 2010)
Cornell University.
Cornell researchers report that viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHS), a deadly fish virus, that was first discovered in the Northeast in 2005 has been found for the first time in fish from Lake Superior. That means that the virus has now been documented in all of the Great Lakes. On a worldwide basis, VHS is considered one of the most serious pathogens of fish, because it kills so many fish, is not treatable and infects a broad range of fish species.

* See our Emerging Issues for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/02/deadly_fish_vir.shtml 2010-02-01T21:07:03Z 2010-02-01T21:11:20Z

See our Conference Calendar for more information: 2010 Kansas Natural...

Conference Calendar for more information:

2010 Kansas Natural Resources Conference - "Kansas Waters-Signs of Prosperity and Health" -- Feb 4-5, 2010

Pre- and Post-Wildfire Forest Management for Ecological Restoration and Fire Resiliency -- Feb 9-11, 2010

Society for Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter and the Washington Chapter of The Wildlife Society Regional Conference - "Creating Thriving Rural and Urban Communities through Ecological Restoration" -- Feb 16-19, 2010

Ecological Landscaping Association 16th Annual Conference & Eco-Marketplace - "Expanding the Ecological Landscape: Maximize Biological Potential, Minimize Environmental Impact, and Love the Results!" -- Feb 25, 2010

Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SEPARC) Annual Meeting - "Meeting the Challenges of Herp Conservation!" -- Feb 18-21, 2010

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia/Pacific Joint Conference 1st International Conference on Environmental Pollution, Restoration, and Management - "Improving Environmental Quality in Developing Countries -- Mar 1-5, 2010

North Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NCPARC) 2010 Annual Meeting -- Mar 17-18, 2010

2010 Ohio Botanical Symposium -- Mar 26, 2010

2010 Joint Meeting of Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council and the Southeast Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration International - "Disturbance and Change, Invasive Plants and Paths to Recovery" -- May 11-13, 2010

Joint International Organization for Biological Control - Nearctic and Neotropic Regional Sections Conference - "Biocontrol in the Americas - Past, Present and Future" -- May 11-13, 2010

2010 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists -- Jul 7-12, 2010

* See our Conference Calendar for more resources.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/new_conference_15.shtml 2010-01-29T20:21:15Z 2010-01-29T20:26:11Z

Obama Administration Officials to Meet with Great Lakes Governors Regarding...

Obama Administration Officials to Meet with Great Lakes Governors Regarding Asian Carp on Feb 8, 2010 (Jan 28, 2010)
Executive Office of the President. Council on Environmental Quality.
Obama Administration officials will meet with Great Lakes Governors regarding the threat of Asian carp to the Great Lakes. The meeting will focus on discussing strategies to combat the spread of Asian carp and ensure coordination and the most effective response across all levels of government.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/obama_administr.shtml 2010-01-29T16:15:07Z 2010-01-29T16:15:56Z

Updated and New Management Plans: Georgia Aquatic Nuisance Species Management...

Georgia Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan - Final (Oct 2009; PDF | 1.1 MB)
Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Georgia Invasive Species Management Plan Advisory Committee.

Georgia Invasive Species Strategy (Aug 2009; PDF | 1.8 MB)
Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Resources Division; Georgia Invasive Species Advisory Committee.

Meeting the Challenge of Inasive Plants: A Frame for Action (Mar 9, 2009; PDF | 5.5 MB)
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Prepared for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division by Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

A Minnesota State Management Plan for Invasive Species - Draft (Oct 20, 2009; PDF | 1.3 MB)
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.

Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, California and Nevada -- Draft (Sep 14, 2009)
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
The public comment period for the Draft AIS Management Plan ended Apr 27, 2009. Staff from multiple agencies have compiling comments for the final draft of the Plan, and comments are noted in the current draft. The Plan has been submitted to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force for consideration of approval with the endorsement of the Governors of Nevada and California and the TRPA executive director.

* See our Management Plans by Geography section for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/updated_and_new.shtml 2010-01-29T15:45:48Z 2010-01-29T15:56:03Z

Invasive Alien Species Indicator Invasive Alien Species Indicator (Partnership). Invasive...

Invasive Alien Species Indicator
Invasive Alien Species Indicator (Partnership).
Invasive alien species are a major threat to global biodiversity, and as a result "Trends in IAS" has been selected as one of the indicators to meaure program towards the Convention on Biological Diversity's target of reducing the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010. See the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership for more information.

* See our International section for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/invasive_alien_2.shtml 2010-01-29T15:05:00Z 2010-01-29T15:07:52Z

What Next for Biodiversity Protection in the EU (European Union)?...

What Next for Biodiversity Protection in the EU (European Union)? (Jan 19, 2010)
European Commission.
The European Commission marked the opening of the International Year of Biodiversity with a paper setting out future options for biodiversity policy. Options for an EU vision and Target for Biodiversity Beyond 2010 (PDF | 51 KB), addresses major biodiversity policy gaps, including invasive species. Additional information is on the EU Biodiversity Policy Development site.

* See our International section for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/what_next_for_b.shtml 2010-01-28T19:38:36Z 2010-01-28T19:40:46Z

USDA Provides Funding to Cooperators for Pest and Disease Management...

USDA Provides Funding to Cooperators for Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention (Jan 19, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
USDA has allocated $45 million, provided by Section 10201 of the 2008 Farm Bill for projects to build and preserve critical plant health safeguarding initiatives across America. These projects include enhancing plant pest and disease analysis and survey, strengthening pest identification and technology, safeguarding nursery production and increasing related public outreach and education.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/usda_provides_f.shtml 2010-01-28T17:31:11Z 2010-01-28T17:36:21Z

DCR Sets Boat Inspection Procedures for the Quabbin Reservoir Fishing...

DCR Sets Boat Inspection Procedures for the Quabbin Reservoir Fishing Season (PDF | 22 KB) (Jan 25, 2010)
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
State officials determined that a properly implemented boat inspection and washing program could prevent the transfer of mussels or aquatic invasive plants into the Quabbin Reservoir. In response, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has established procedures for boat inspections that will be required for all private boats on the Quabbin Reservoir that do not currently have an official Quabbin boat seal.

* See our Massachusetts page for more resources. ]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/massachusetts_d.shtml 2010-01-28T16:53:40Z 2010-01-28T16:55:59Z

Little Fire Ants Spread to Kona (Jan 27, 2010) Hawaii...

Little Fire Ants Spread to Kona (Jan 27, 2010)
Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
The invasive stinging ant called the Little Fire Ant (LFA) has spread from the east side of Hawai'i Island to the west side. While LFA was detected earlier this month at two locations in Kailua-Kona, state entomologists believe that it is likely that there maybe other unreported locations that are infested in West Hawai'i. In Oct, the LFA was detected in a farm on Maui, where ongoing eradication efforts appear to have contained the infestation. The Pest Advisory on the Little Fire Ant (2007; PDF | 110 KB) contains information on LFA and its history in Hawaii.

* See our Hawaii page for more resources.]]> http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/invasivespecies/archives/2010/01/little_fire_ant.shtml 2010-01-28T16:39:42Z 2010-01-28T16:53:34Z