Science & Outdoors
photo by WI DNR
Identifying nuisances like the gypsy moth caterpillar is crucial in this battle.
Education used to combat invasive species
The Pointer
kbeck271@uwsp.edu
The Wisconsin Council on Forestry released a set of voluntary guidelines for preventing the spread of invasive species last week. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Web site called the guidelines “comprehensive, common-sense suggestions for everyone who works in, works with and/or enjoys urban and community forests to protect them from the threat posed by invasives.”
The 100-page document has a fittingly long name: “Wisconsin’s Urban Forestry Best Management Practices for Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Species.” Although the guidelines contain a wealth of important and applicable information for laymen and foresters alike, the sheer size of the document may be enough to scare away the average Joe.
Facing our fears now, however, may be just what the doctor ordered. According to Professor Paul Doruska, the natural scenery of Central Wisconsin could look completely different in a few decades if invasives are allowed to continue spreading.
Troy Schreiner, Head Pruning Coordinator of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Student Society of Arboriculture, outlined five easy steps that even John Doe non-forester can do to keep invasives out of our backyard:
Know what species affect your area. In Central Wisconsin, this means buckthorn and gypsy moths, among others, and to a lesser extent, garlic mustard. Emerald ash borers are another insect to keep your eyes peeled for.
Be able to identify these species. Finding a photo of the little pests will only take a few clicks of your mouse.
Know how to effectively treat (i.e. remove) the problem. Again, education is key.
Watch what you are transporting. This means sterilizing your equipment and clothing. Brush off your boots, wash down your trailer and don’t transport firewood.
Tell a friend. Or three. Hundred.
How did this whole invasive species problem begin? When people move, so do organisms – sometimes accidentally, sometimes purposefully.
One current cause for the introduction and movement of invasives is international trade. According to Professor Michael Demchik, in the past, and sometimes in the present, pallets were made with low-quality, untreated wood. Without a chemical or heat treatment, these wooden pallets had the potential to carry organisms thousands of miles from their source.
In other cases, non-native species were introduced purposefully to assist in agriculture, to reseed highways or to beautify urban areas. Sometimes these species got out of control because the introducers were unable to foresee or did not consider their potential effect, said Danae Fritz, vice president of the Society of American Foresters Student Chapter.
Non-native species become problematic in the blink of an eye if they have no natural enemies or out-compete the species around them. Invasives can quickly spread to other areas and upset the natural balance of the ecosystem. Demchik reminds us, however, that a species’ “invasion” is just its natural function and sometimes the reason the organism was chosen to be introduced in the first place. It seems unfair then, that “we get mad at the plant because it does what we want it to,” said Demchik.
While some invasive species are simply a nuisance, others have the potential to be more dangerous. “When you look at the ones that have the potential for an enormous, broad scale impact, it’s insects and diseases,” said Demchik.
Just like many other problems facing our community, our nation and our planet, stopping the spread of invasive species cannot be accomplished by a few individuals or natural resource professionals alone. The general population must take steps to become educated and proactive.
“If you like where you live and you like what it looks like now, unless everybody gets involved we run the risk of not having what we have right now,” said Doruska.
In other words, we need to spread the word faster than invasives do.
