invasive species Articles
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The Giant hogweed, an invasive species
What is an invasive species? Plants, animals or other organisms that do not naturally occur in a country, but are brought in by human activity, are called invasive species. Some feel so at home in their new environment that they establish themselves in nature and multiply, becoming invasive and sometimes harmful to the native flora and fauna. The giant hogweed is such an invasive species and ...
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Biosecurity, international trade and invasive species: improving US capacity to assess risk
Well-informed policy decisions are based upon high-quality data. In September 2005, the US Environmental Protection Agency engaged the International Union for Conservation of Nature to evaluate opportunities for routine evaluation of the linkages between the US market access agreements and invasive species. This study, led by the authors of this article, assessed the ability of US commodity ...
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On the economics of controlling an invasive plant: a stochastic analysis of a biological control agent
Invasive plants can cause significant problems in natural and agricultural ecosystems. It is recognised that biological agents may assist in controlling invasions, but due to stochastic effects of biological control, the biological agent may not be effective. In this article, we analyse to what extent the stochastic effects of a biological control agent affect the optimal choice of control ...
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Effects of climate change on aquatic invasive species and implications for management and research
Global change stressors, including climate change and variability and changes in land use, are major drivers of ecosystem alterations. Invasive species, which are non-native species that cause environmental or economic damages or human-health impacts, also contribute to ecosystem changes. The interactions between stressors and invasive species, although not well understood, may exacerbate the ...
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Towards an early warning and information system for invasive alien species (IAS) threatening biodiversity in Europe
Acknowledgements We would like to thank EEA staff, in particular Ivone Pereira Martins (Head of Biodiversity Group), Ahmet Uludag (Project Manager, Invasive Alien Species) and Carlos Romao (Project Manager, Biodiversity and Ecosystems), for the support in realising the present report. Special thanks also go to Tor-Bjorn Larsson who contributed to the launch of this initiative and provided useful ...
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Biosecurity from the ecologist's perspective: developing a more comprehensive approach
National planning for biological security should encompass more than just protection against biological weapons. Global forces such as the introduction and spread of invasive species (including emerging infectious diseases), in conjunction with population growth, climate change and sea-level rise, also constitute threats to security. These linked biological and abiotic phenomena make the United ...
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Spring is coming, just like the giant hogweed
Spring is coming. The season in which the giant hogweed also comes up again. Make sure this plant does not cause any nuisance. Buy our giant hogweed Auger today. The giant hogweed has been on the European Union's list of invasive species since August 2017. Control of giant hogweed is mandatory in all European Union countries. In order to make the control even more effective, a hand auger was ...
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Drainage System Stabilization Project case study
In 1997, a residential development was built upslope from this golf course drainage ditch. It began to erode, but because the ditch was filled with invasive species such as Blackberry and Reed Canary Grass, the erosion was not visible. When the non-native plants were removed to create a new golf course hole, the erosion was evident – in some places more than four feet deep, all the way ...
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Why Eating Invasive Species Is a Bad Idea
Gastronomy is no silver bullet for controlling invasive species. It seems like whenever an edible animal becomes an invasive pest, someone suggests that getting people to eat it will solve the problem. For instance, in 1998 the state of Louisiana induced famous New Orleans chefs to develop recipes for nutria, which are eating away the state’s coastline. Even highly visible invasive plants ...
By Ensia
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The meaning and practice of biosecurity
This special issue demonstrates the breadth and range of topics subsumed under the term biosecurity. It also makes apparent that this diversity of topics is a challenge for developing a coherent view and approach to biosecurity. Though my initial desire was to provide a measure of coherency to this topic and to this special issue, I increasingly came to question whether an overall unified view of ...
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The marine environment and ballast water management law
This article contains a study of international and national measures dealing with the potential threat of pollution and the introduction of alien species that may come from the discharge of improperly treated ballast water. Ballast water management policy, law and coastal biosecurity strategies are considered. There are challenges to achieving the ideals of ballast water laws, as correctly ...
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Project - NYPD Harbor Unit SCUBA Team
The NYPD Harbor Unit SCUBA Team is responsible for protecting one of the world’s most populated, most visited, and most targeted islands - New York City. Since 9/11, port security has become an even more critical concern, especially in cities as globally connected as NYC. Today, counterterrorism duties account for about 50 percent of the NYPD Harbor Unit’s work. Whether conducting ...
By VideoRay LLC
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Anaerobic batch co-digestion of Spartina alterniflora and potato
The potential of mesophilic anaerobic batch digestion for the treatment of Spartina alterniflora, an invasive species widely distributed along Chinese coastlines, through co-digestion with readily biodegradable organics has been assessed. The accumulative biogas yield from S. alterniflora alone was 251 ml/g Total Solid (TS) (at 35°C), at TS of 6%, co-digestion with 80% of S. alterniflora and 20% ...
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Effects of leachate from tree leaves and grass litter on tadpoles
Tree species composition can change as a result of succession, climate change, fire suppression, and invasive species. These changes clearly affect forests, but they can also affect aquatic ecosystems based on differences in the input quality of leaf litter, such as plant secondary compounds. These compounds vary in type and concentration depending on species and can be toxic to aquatic ...
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Re-writing the ecological metaphor: Part 1
Biological, evolutionary or ecological metaphors underpin much of theorisation in the social sciences in general, and the themes of inter-firm competition and technological change in particular. The argument advanced in this paper is that the use of ecological metaphors has been partial and selective. In key areas of theorisation such as industrial ecology the selective use of ecological ...
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Conservation is complicated, and all approaches need to be on the table
Dispatches from the front line suggest an important role for a novel ecosystem approach to conservation In a recent essay in this magazine, Daniel Simberloff and co-authors liken the novel ecosystem concept to “a Trojan horse for conservation.” Although I understand their concern, I find their outright condemnation of the idea shortsighted. As one who has published with authors on ...
By Ensia
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Agricultural trade liberalisation and the global environment: evaluating the linkages
A reduction of trade barriers will influence the overall scale of agricultural activities, the structure of agricultural production, the mix of inputs and outputs, the production technology, and the regulatory framework. These adjustments, in turn, will influence environmental quality by increasing or reducing environmental harm and creating or destroying environmental amenities. International ...
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How invasive species trigger algal blooms and linger toxins
We said countless times that algae blooms are a growing concern for many freshwater ecosystems around the world, and explored why and how they affect humans and nature. We even looked at how humans play key roles in this issue directly, by polluting the water systems, and indirectly, due to climate change. However, there is a whole other dimension left to talk about: These blooms are often ...
By LG Sonic
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An evaluation of the residual toxicity and chemistry of a sodium hydroxide‐based ballast water treatment system for freshwater ships
Non‐native organisms in the ballast water (BW) of freshwater ships must be killed to prevent the spread of invasive species. The ideal BW treatment system (BWTS) would kill 100% of BW organisms with minimal residual toxicity to organisms in receiving waters. The residual toxicity and chemistry of a BWTS was evaluated: sodium hydroxide was added to elevate pH to > 11.5 to kill BW organisms, ...
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Assessing pesticide risks to threatened and endangered species using population models: Findings and recommendations from a CropLife America Science Forum
This brief communication reports on the main findings and recommendations from the 2014 Science Forum organized by CropLife America. The aim of the Forum was to gain a better understanding of the current status of population models and how they could be used in ecological risk assessments for threatened and endangered species potentially exposed to pesticides in the United States. The Forum ...
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