Photo By Scott Sturkol | Goats are penned in on the Fort McCoy, Wis., cantonment area July 9, 2024, eating away...... read more read more
Subscribe
Invasive species are any species — plant, animal, fungus, pathogen or other microbe, that are introduced through human activity to new places outside their native range and thrive to the point of being problematic — causing a loss of biodiversity, economic harm, or harm to human health in the affected area.
For instance, cheat grass is an annual grass that is flammable when it dies back in late summer, which has increased fire frequency and severity in impacted areas, ultimately altering arid western ecosystems.
Spotted knapweed and leafy spurge take over grazing lands reducing forage available to livestock.
Emerald ash borer is decimating ash trees in northern Midwest forests, threatening black ash, which is used in some Native American traditional basket weaving practices and white ash used for manufacturing baseball bats.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, economic impacts include direct and indirect effects on property values, agricultural productivity, public utility operations, native fisheries, tourism, and outdoor recreation. In North America, costs exceed an estimated $26 billion per year, including the cost of control efforts. On military lands, invasive plant infestations are responsible for damaging infrastructure and equipment and creating safety and security concerns.
At Fort McCoy, they impact the quality and availability of training areas and present additional hazards to Soldiers training here. Woody invasive plants including glossy and common buckthorn, autumn olive, barberry, and honeysuckle form dense thickets that are difficult to traverse in both prairie and wooded areas.
The densely branched shrubs also create a microclimate favorable for ticks, some of which can transmit Lymes disease and other illnesses. Wild parsnip is another plant of concern. If the plant’s sap contacts a person’s skin while out in the sun it can cause an itchy, burning rash with blisters that doesn’t show up until the next day.
Invasive plant infestations also threaten the endangered species calling Fort McCoy home by crowding out the native plants necessary for their survival. Both the Karner blue butterfly and Frosted Elfin require lupine for the development of its larvae — it’s the only plant they can eat at that life stage.
Buckthorn, spotted knapweed, and leafy spurge fragment lupine populations and will completely crowd it out if left unmanaged. They also reduce or replace other flowering plant species the adults use as nectar sources and contribute to habitat fragmentation, making it difficult for the butterflies to disperse and find other suitable areas.
Fort McCoy uses an integrated pest management (IPM) approach for managing invasive plants on the installation. IPM is a sustainable approach that combines a suite of techniques to minimize economic, environmental, and health risks. A treatment plan is developed that considers the biology of the target species and the level of severity, location, and context of infestations.
Mechanical, chemical, and biocontrol treatments are used in combination with early detection and rapid response (EDRR), monitoring, and prevention measures to manage existing invasive species infestations as well as reduce the potential for new introductions.
Mowing, shredding, hand pulling, and goat grazing are all types of mechanical treatments in use. Precision application of safer herbicides is conducted by trained and certified personnel wearing appropriate protective gear. For both knapweed and leafy spurge, biocontrol insects have been identified and released to add additional pressure on these species. For a biocontrol to be released, decades of research and trials are conducted to make sure the insects won’t attack native non-target species.
To help prevent new species from establishing or moving existing species to new locations, Fort McCoy also includes requirements in all contracts that vehicles and equipment must be cleaned prior to arriving on site and again when they leave.
Dirt and debris found in tire tread and on vehicle bodies can move invasive seed. Forestry and other heavy equipment may also be cleaned when moving between units, especially if a unit contains Garlic mustard or other species that are still limited in distribution.
Fort McCoy also participates in the Monroe County Invasive Species Working Group along with the Monroe County Land Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry, Monroe County Natural Resources Conservation Services, Monroe County Highway Department, University of Wisconsin Extension, and dedicated individuals. Partnerships and information sharing are other ways Fort McCoy fights invasive species on and off the installation.
Prevention is the most efficient and cost-effective way to manage invasive species. The time and money required to keep species from becoming established is a fraction of what is required once they do become established.
Fort McCoy currently manages about 40 species of invasive plants and every new one taxes available resources further. However, there are successes to report. Vigilance in EDRR has prevented the establishment of a handful of species and the effort put into management has resulted in a significantly reduced invasive plant component within high quality, high priority woodlands and prairie/savanna areas.
Purple loosestrife is present, but through targeted control work it never became extensively established within installation wetlands and wild parsnip remains in very localized scattered patches that are easier to keep an eye on. The goal sometimes isn’t eradication but instead reducing negative impacts to the greatest extent possible.
Everyone can play a role in preventing or slowing the spread of invasive species:
— Check for and remove any seeds or burrs clinging to clothing and clean any mud off boots before heading out hiking or hunting and check again when you leave the trail or move between locations.
— Make sure your vehicle/equipment is free of dirt and debris before heading out to your favorite hunting spot, mountain bike trail or off-roading location and check again before you leave the site.
— Clean and dry waders, fishing equipment, and watercraft between water bodies.
— Don’t move firewood long distances, purchase it where you camp or vacation.
— Avoid planting invasive species in your landscaping. Consider adding native species as well.
— Volunteer at a local park or with a local invasive species group or citizen science organization to help remove or map invasive species populations.
For more information visit Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin at https://ipaw.org, Wisconsin Invasive Species Rule NR40 at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/invasives/classification, Midwest Invasive Plants Network at https://www.mipn.org, Monroe County Invasive Species Working Group at https://www.co.monroe.wi.us/departments/land-conservation/invasive-species-workgroup, Play Clean Go at https://playcleango.org, and Clean Drain Dry at https://stopaquatichitchhikers.org/aboutus/#cleandraindry.
(Article prepared by Jessica Salesman with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.)
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2024 17:41 |
| Story ID: | 475996 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 66 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Understanding impact of invasive species helps reduce their impact on environment, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
