Curd, B. (2017, March 13). Callery pear: Beauty or beast? Horticulture agent explains invasive species now listed as ‘severe threat’. Features | The Advocate-Messenger. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from https://www.amnews.com/2017/03/13/callery-pear-beauty-or-beast-horticulture-agent-explains-invasive-species-now-listed-as-severe-threat/.

In Boyle County of central Kentucky, a popular spring blossom is that of the Callery pear plant. It was originally introduced to the United States in 1908 from China because it was able to combat the bacterial disease “fire blight” that was harming other fruit crops. The trees became popular for their beauty and ability to survive in many different climates – in 1962, the tree became one of the most widely planted street trees in urban cities throughout the country. However, in 1990, the plant experienced a population explosion and grew invasively throughout the southern United States. Now, states like Kentucky are attempting to eliminate the species through genetic modification and tree removal.

I’m curious why certain species become generalists while others remain specialists. The Callery pair, for example, can grow in how, humid climates, as well as climates that reach -32 degrees Fahrenheit. Wouldn’t every plant benefit from adapting to a greater range of temperatures for greater growth success? Maybe certain species established themselves later than others and are still in the long evolutionary process of becoming more adaptable. I also wonder if the Callery tree has any unhealthy affects on the overall ecosystem around it. If a species is nonnative and its population explodes, yet it does not affect the ecosystem around it negatively because it serves similar purposes to existing native species, is it still considered “invasive”? Would one still want to exert efforts to reducing its population, as scientists and environmentalists are attempting to eliminate the Callery tree?

Ramchandani, A. (2017, March 15). The Business of Shooting Pigs from the Sky. Environment | Pacific Standard. Retrieved March 16, 2017, from https://psmag.com/the-business-of-shooting-pigs-from-the-sky-5e46b8798975#.yqucghdi5.

The state of Texas faces a pig crisis – over 2.6 million feral pigs wreak havoc on the landscape, harming agriculture and personal property. The hogs were originally brought to the United States from Europe in order to provide game for hunting activities; no one, however, guessed that the population would spring so out-of-control. The hogs now cause $50 million per year of damage. Recently, however, Texans have reached out to hunting outfitters to decrease the population – they, in turn, are selling helicopter trips to willing customers, allowing the customers to hunt for leisure, the helicopter outfitter to gain money, and the landowners to limit the feral boar population sizes.

I find it ironic that the boar population was first introduced to the United States for hunting activities, and its eradication is being implemented through hunting activities as well. We generally seem to hold expectations that we can continuously alter the environment around us in order to fit our current needs. However, I do find it pretty cool that three parties are able to benefit from this new business of hunting trips. This is the kind of cooperation that will probably have to happen in the future, combining financial benefits with ecosystem restabilization, in order to incentivize private institutions to work in the favor of environmental issues. It is sad, however, that the boars were brought in by humans and are now being shot – we need to be more hesitant about introducing species into their nonnative environments, calculating in the possible ecosystem consequences that may ensue.

Ferro, J. (2017, March 6). Stink bug killers: Scientists to release Samurai wasps. Poughkeepsie Journal | USA Today Network. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2017/03/06/stink-bugs-samurai-wasps-invasive-species/98593216/.

Eight states, particularly New York, are facing a stink bug epidemic. The brown bug is an agricultural nightmare and residential nuisance because it invades homes and feeds wood, fruits, and vegetables. The main problem posed by this insect is that it eats a very large variety of plants, thus making it a generalist species and easily populable – it sucks the sweet liquids out, thus drying out crops and produce in homes. So far, it has cost $37 billion in agricultural damage and, in 2010, depleted New York state’s produce by 18 percent. The state is currently trying to genetically modify a certain wasp species and eventually release it to deplete the stinkbug population.

This conflict in New York seems eerily similar to that of the cane toad epidemic that hit Australia in the 20th century. In an effort to deplete the invasive sugar cane beetle that was hurting sugarcane populations there, the cane toad was introduced to prey on the beetle. However, the cane toad had extremely unexpected consequences on the country – the population exploded, and the poisonous toads were invading backyards and countrysides everywhere, often posing a danger to younger children who were unaware of their poisonous pores. While introducing wasps to prey on the stink bug population sounds like a great idea on the surface, introducing a genetically strengthened wasp species into its nonnative climate may lead to unwanted consequences.

Brown, N. (2017, February 24). Invasive mollusk could leave Idaho waters, boats, hydro plants mussel-bound. State Politics | Idaho Statesman. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article134868869.html.

Quagga mussels are threatening the endangered fish population in Bear Lake, a watershed in southeastern Idaho. The mussels, if they make it to the lake, will starve out the four fish species which are already at risk. The invasive population would also damage water systems that provide water to the surrounding communities, leading to a possible $94 million a year conflict. The mussels are native to Ukraine, but were introduced to the United States by freight boats in the St. Lawrence Seaway. They have moved their way across the country, entering Montana and the Columbia River last year, and are now throwing ecosystems off-balance in Idaho.

It seems like invasive mussel populations are not uncommon – I remember researching the zebra mussel population earlier this year, which is also causing notable damage. These paralleling issues point to the fact that we need higher standards of boat and waterway checks in order to prevent foreign species from coming into our ports and throwing off the native ecosystems. While these additional checks may be expensive to enforce, they can save lots of expenses in the long term, such as the $94 million per year that Bear Lake may now potentially face. However, it seems that, environmentally, the tragedy of the commons prevents our national population from serving long-term interests in favor of short-term financial convenience.

Martin, C. (2017, March 7). Invasive Species, Climate Change Threaten Great Lakes. Ecosystems | Science News. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/invasive-species-climate-change-threaten-great-lakes.

In the last 200 years, the Great Lakes have become a hotspot for invasive aquatic species. The lakes contain 20 percent of all of Earth’s freshwater, and receive travel from freighters coming from all over the world. Almost 200 nonnative species now have established populations in the lakes. Alewives, sea lampreys and zebra and quagga mussels have thrown off the food web and the ecosystem stability of the lakes is, as a result, at risk. Scientists, however, are making progress in combating these issues by doing gene research on slowing nonnative population growth, as well as more effective solutions for releasing ballast water that has been carried thousands of miles.

This article illustrates how invasive species can quickly dominate an entire region and throw its ecosystem off-balance. Many ecosystems in the United States have become so influenced by nonnative species that it’s difficult to even determine what the area looked like and how the food web functioned without outside species from Europe or Asia. Another example of an invasive species that has come to dominate, and even become representative, of its new region is the Mediterranean grass found all throughout California. The grasses have become so out-of-control that, at this point in history, it is impossible to try to eliminate the species from the state. A result of this has been an increasing number of wildfires that thrive on the dead grasses during hot, dry seasons. Scientific research is thus crucial to understanding how we can restore these ecosystems back to their original, and most stable, populations before the species explode and make ecosystem restoration impossible.

In 1920, the Eastern gambusia, also known as the mosquitofish, was introduced from the United States into Spain to control the population of mosquitoes and other insects containing malaria and other diseases. However, the species soon backfired as it had damaging effects on the local food chain, preying on predators and taking food supplies from other insects, thus earning its position among the 100 Most Harmful Invasive Exotic Species list, according to IUCN. The key to the mosquitofish’s success lies in its genetic variability, and ability to adapt quickly to changing external circumstances.

This article makes a really good point that can be witnessed in many similar situations as well. Just because a species does really well in balancing one ecosystem, this doesn’t mean that it will provide the same services for a different ecosystem. We have come a long way in science in understanding biodiversity and the complexity of the food web, but we will never understand just how truly susceptible it is to every minor change; therefore, we cannot make assumptions and add or subtract species, relying on our limited knowledge of that ecosystem to make possibly damaging decisions. Particularly species like the mosquitofish, which are very varied genetically, can become almost an entirely new species in a short amount of time and will thus contribute an unpredictable effect to their surrounding environments just a few years down the road.

Vera, M. (2016, July 12).The Invasive Success of the Mosquitofish is Due to its Genetic Variability. Phys.Org. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from http://phys.org/news/2016-07-invasive-success-mosquitofish-due-genetic.html.

Surrounding the Barbados Island in the Caribbean, a new invasive species, known as the lionfish, has manifested itself and dominated the surrounding coral reefs. The fish species is especially dangerous because it has no known predators except for humans, and it reproduces in the tens of thousands. Originally from the Indian and South Pacific oceans, the fish is also venomous and can grow up to 18 inches in length. Lionfish “derbies” have been organized where participants dive in the coral reefs and capture as many of the fish as possible. So far, no significant impact in the native fish populations has been measured, but it is still too early to determine the consequences.

This fish is one of the fastest-spreading marine species in recorded history. The reason it has posed such a threat is because the lionfish is an extreme generalist. It can reproduce more than six times a year, and it lays microscopic eggs that float for miles in the current before they settle and hatch. It’s difficult to determine whether or not human involvement should occur in this type of situation, where they most likely began to spread through hurricanes and other natural causes. Is it our responsibility to protect all species from both artificial and natural causes, even if they had been wiped out without our existence? No fish species have been impacted significantly, so it may be appropriate to wait it out until the first signs of damage before organizing “lionfish derbies” to kill off a species.

Evanson, H. (2016, November 14). Lionfish Like Peas. Nation News. Retrieved November 19, 2016 from http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/89106/lionfish-peas.

The cane toad has been a huge problem in Australia for the past 80 years; however, a new invasive toad species, which may be just as damaging, is currently destructing the food chain (from the top down) in Madagascar. The bumpy, toxic toad from Southeast Asia, Duttaphrynus melanostictus, has spread rapidly throughout the island in the past year. Scientists suspect that the campaign to eradicate the toad would cost $2 million to $10 million if they take action now. However, the toad currently inhabits a major canal, which could be like “building them a highway to the rest of the country”, and possibly the world through shipping.

Sometimes, we just don’t learn from history. The can toad infestation was a national crisis for Australia, and scientists are trying to point out that Madagascar’s situation will dramatically worsen to a similar disaster if action isn’t taken soon. However, the mining company whose shipping containers provided the pathway for the invasion aren’t claiming responsibility, so funding is lacking. It is discouraging to watch such situations from afar; 70% of Madagascar’s species live nowhere else on Earth, so it is especially crucial that these species, who can provide a lot of insight into evolution and biodiversity research, are protected.

Carver, E. (2016, November 14). Invasion of the Toads. Cosmos Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/invasion-of-the-toads.