Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

The red necked cane borer, Agrilus ruficollis (F.), is a buprestid beetle that infests wild and cultivated blackberries and raspberries in the eastern states from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Adults are about 6-7 mm (1/4 inch) long, with an iridescent coppery pronotum. A related species, Agrilus rubicola, may occur concurrently. This species is uniform in color, ranging from copper-colored to iridescent green. On galled plants, there is less live vegetative growth and more dead wood. There is often reduced berry size and number, as well as vegetative growth with increasing number of galls per plant. Affected canes may not produce fruit. Canes weakened by galls are more subject to winter injury.

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) has long been recognized as a major producer of timber along with providing habitat and browse for numerous animal species such as deer (Cervidae spp.) and elk (Cervus canadensis) (Packee 1990). Western hemlock is known to grow like a weed throughout most of its range which makes it an important species for esthetic backgrounds for many national parks in the United States and Canada. Western hemlock as a long range along the Pacific coast; extending along the Coastal Ranges from central California all the way up to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. This covers a distance around 2,000 miles making it a dominant species within British Columbia and in Alaska along the coastal zones. Western hemlock is also found inland occupying the upper eastern slopes of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington and has been found in the northern Rocky Mountains west of

The Asian and Citrus Longhorned Beetles was accidentally brought to the US from China through solid wood shipments. The movement of lumber and firewood around the continent is also responsible for the rapid spread of the invasive longhorned beetles. These beetles favorite prey are maples, birches, buckeye, elm and willow trees. Longhorned beetles mainly fed on citrus trees in China, but these trees in the US are similar enough to serve as alternative food.

A specie that is in need of help in Maryland is the Baltimore Checkerspot or euphydryas phaeton. This butterfly is native and considered the official insect of Maryland. However, its population has decreased significantly due to reduction of natural habitat, human impact, and invasive species. Several Baltimore Checkerspot habitats have been wiped out and occupied by humans. Invasive species also take over habitats that belong to native species which leads to reduction of habitat and a decrease in the population within a specie. Due to this, the Baltimore Checkerspot is considered a threatened specie in the state of Maryland. The Baltimore Checkerspot’s environment consists of wet meadows, trees, and a lot of weeds. This environment is due

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a beetle that was first discovered in 2002 in the US near the Detroit area and southeastern portions of Michigan. This beetle is believed to have originated in Asia. The theory is that they arrived in the states in packing material made of wood on cargo ships traveling on the St. Lawrence River, which then leads into the Great Lakes. Since 2002, this beetle has made its way into parts of Canada and now in at least eighteen states in the US (Emerald, n.d.). They are causing major destruction of Ash trees in all of these areas, and Vermont is starting to take precautions to be prepared if and when these beetles show up in The Green Mountain

My invasive species that I’m investigating is the American mink it is invasive in England. The American mink came from North America, and got brought to England in 1929 for fur farming.

What is an invasive species? An invasive species is a species not native to an area, in this case not native to the Great Lakes area. A non-native species is a species that originally was not in a certain location but was brought there and causes a lot of damage. An invasive species also is a great danger to the environment and can cause damage to humans, plants, and animals. In Illinois and the Great Lakes area there are more than 180 invasive and non-native species. That means a lot of damage is made into our environment. One particular invasive species is Agrilus planipennis, more commonly known as emerald ash borer.

The Maryland ecosystem is being ravaged by several invasive species. These species are introduced into the ecosystem in several ways, with several discoveries of invasive species every year. Whether it be Wavyleaf basketgrass or Purple loosestrife, these plants are capable of outcompeting with native plants and causing devastation to the native ecosystem. These invasive species are damaging to the environment and we should work as a community to halt the spread and limit its impact on the ecosystem of Maryland.

The first link is the the USDA website. They have some information on the Asian Longhorned Beetle and about some of the areas that have been affected. You can also look up your states department of agriculture website or the department of natural resources to find different species of insects, animals, and plants that are invasive to your area! The second link is the website that I found most of my information from! The third link is just Ohio's department of natural resources, where you can see a list of all invasive

The ancient forests of the Northeast aren’t the only aspect of the bioregion that’s fate have been at perpetual risk since the early settlement of Europeans. There is no question that forests still dominate the landscape of Northeastern region accounting for “60% of the total land area, and in New England alone, the coverage is 80%”. Still the species that exist within the understory of the forests have undergone an equally dramatic transformation because of human interaction with the land and the harvest of its resources. Some species in the understory of the mixed forests of the Northeast have been driven out of the region, are under intense ecological pressure, are on the brink of extinction, or have already gone extinct in the region. Perhaps one of the most harmful and impactful effects colonization of the Northeast has had on the resources of the land is the introduction of non-native species and diseases into the region. Over time the overall makeup of the forests have changed drastically as an example, “…the American chestnut once made up as much as 25% of the trees in some areas and was economically the most important hardwood in the Eastern forests”. The introduction of chestnut blight at the turn of the century accounts for

Originating and found from countries near the Mediterranean, the French Broom was brought to California, more specifically the Bay Area, as a decorative plant in the 1800’s. The plant grows rapidly, with thousands of seeds being produced every year, especially through the months of April and July. Seeds scatter more than 10 feet away from its plant, and animals scatter them away even farther. French Broom prevents native plants from growing and reproducing. For example, the article explains, “It is a strong competitor and can dominate a plant community, forming dense monospecific stands” (“Invasive Plants”). Eating the seeds has also been known to cause paralysis and digestive disorders in animals. The seeds can also survive in icy and chilly

The Dendroctonus ponderosae (Mountain Pine Beetle) is estimated to have killed 46 million acres of trees from 2000 to 2012 - an area nearly the size of the state of Colorado, as stated in an article released by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In response to this epidemic, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that “as many as 100,000 beetle-killed trees fall to the ground every day in Southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado alone”. The results of the early 2000’s outbreak clearly reflect the devastation, but the reasons behind the infestation are not as defined. It 's commonly believed that the cause of the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak was warmer temperatures that decreased winter larvae

Are your evergreen branches brown on the end? Or have you seen new, yellow needles? This tree fungus may be hurting your trees.

One of the biggest problems surrounding the protection of California’s plants and crops, is the threat of pests and invasive species. Pests are a constant danger as they can ruin plants by infecting them, or destroying them by eating away at the inside. There is also the danger of invasive species. The National

Eradication, containment, control and mitigation are the four main strategies for dealing with established invasive species (Wittenberg & Cock, 2001). The options for each management strategy are varied based on the complexity of ecosystems, species richness, and climatic regions involved (Huston, 2004). During the implement of management programme, it is important to simultaneously monitor the impact of the actions, as some native species can also be affected by newly disturbances, the monitoring can identify negative unexpected results and allow us to change and adapt the programme to new approaches and situations (Huston, 2004; Wittenberg & Cock, 2001).