invasive species, insects, nutria, wisteria

1. Invasive Species
that are found in North Carolina
By Kella Randolph M. Ed.

2. http://www.rowland.harvard.edu/rjf/lewis/herron.php
http://www.chgardens.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/08/invasive-species-word-cloud1.jpg

3. http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/monitoring_invasiv
es.htm
Many insect species have invaded our
forests

4. The North Carolina Forest
Service monitors invasive forest
pests.
Some invasive species do not come from
across the ocean. They may also come from
other areas of our own lands. New pests can
arrive in North Carolina in a number of ways,
including through infested or infected
nursery plants, wood packaging material, and
even firewood.
Though there are many examples of invasive
forest pests causing damage to trees in North
Carolina, one of most significant pests over
the last century, and one to which most
others are compared, is the Chestnut blight
(Cryphonectria parasitica).
http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/moni
toring_invasives.htm
http://ncforestservice.gov/forest_health/moni
toring_invasives.htm

5. Tiny pests create big problems
 All four native ash species – pumpkin, Carolina, green and white – are susceptible
to attack by the borer. That means an estimated 2.5 million ash trees in the state
are at risk. Damage caused by emerald ash borers may kill trees within three to five
years of initial infestation.
 Adult beetles are metallic green, ½-inch long and 1/8-inch wide, and are active in
North Carolina from late spring through mid-summer. Larvae can be found
underneath the bark throughout the year. The natural flight of the beetles is five to
seven miles per year, but rapid spread has been attributed mostly to the movement
of firewood, Suazo said.

6. Emerald Ash Borer
 http://wakeaudubon.org/three-major-invasive-
species-threaten-north-carolina-forests/
 Who would suspect this cute little bug could
destroy millions of acres of North Carolina
forests?
 Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

7. Walnut Twig Beetle
Another pest, the walnut twig beetle, carries
the fungus Geosmithia morbida. This fungus
causes thousand cankers disease, which
threatens North Carolina’s native black
walnut trees. After infestation, a tree dies
within two to three years. Walnut twig beetle
was first found in the eastern U.S. in 2010
and was detected in Haywood County in fall
2012. Black walnut is valued for its wood,
nuts and ornamental features. It is also
important for wildlife, as its nuts provide
food for birds, squirrels and other small
mammals.
Authored by Andrea Ashby, Assistant
Director, NCDA&CS
http://wakeaudubon.org/three-major-
invasive-species-threaten-north-carolina-
forests/
Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

8. Thousand cankers disease
Photo; Ned Tisserat
Organization: Colorado State University
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
3.0 License.
Map graphic from the Arbor day
bloghttp://arbordayftp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2010/11/thousand-
cankermap.jpg

9. Invasive Plant Species
 Crested floating
 All photos are courtesy
of Creative Commons
Kudzu smothers other
plants

10. Chinese Wisteria: a beautiful
menace
Chinese wisteria is a deciduous, woody twining vine that climbs up
tree trunks to heights of 60 feet or more. It twines upwards in a
clockwise direction. The stems are stout, gray-brown and covered with
fine white hairs
ECOLOGICAL THREAT
The hard woody vines of Chinese wisteria twine tightly around host
tree trunks and branches and cut through the host tree bark,
eventually girdling and killing it. On the ground, new vines
germinating from seed or sprouting from rootstocks form dense
thickets that smother and shade out native vegetation and impede
natural plant community development. As girdled trees die, canopy
gaps are created which increase the amount of sunlight reaching the
forest floor. While this may temporarily favor some native species, it
also stimulates vigorous growth and spread of wisteria.

11. Girdled trees
Over time, the wisteria vine grows so large and strong
that it squeezes through the bark of the host tree and
cuts off the flow of sap. The tree dies due to lack of
nourishment.
https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/wisi1.htm
Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

12. Along the Atlantic intertidal coastline from Maine to North Carolina, this crab is now breeding and increasing rapidly in
number. Because it tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions, it seems all too likely to continue to multiply
and to spread. Because it is not a picky eater, it outcompetes native species such as crabs, fish, and shellfish for food–-
or it eats them, being an opportunistic omnivore that feeds on algae, saltmarsh grass, larval and juvenile fish, and small
invertebrates such as amphipods, gastropods, bivalves, barnacles, and worms. http://eattheinvaders.org/blue-plate-
special-asian-shore-crab/
Asian Shore Crab
Invasive range of the Asian shore crab.
Courtesy of USGS.

13. Lionfish:
killing coral reefs
 www.noaanews.noaa.gov 629x477
A new study looking at how to curb the rapid
growth of lionfish, an invasive species not native
to the Atlantic Ocean, suggests that
approximately 27 percent of mature lionfish will
have to be removed monthly for one year to
reduce its population growth rate to zero.
But the good news is that the invasive fish
happens to be delicious—and NOAA is
encouraging chefs to find new ways to introduce
it to U.S. consumers.
Lionfish are native to the western and central
Pacific Ocean, but have established themselves
from North Carolina to South America. They are
a popular aquarium fish that were likely first
released in Florida waters in the mid-1980s. Since
then, the species has spread rapidly. Scientists
and public officials are seriously concerned at
the effect lionfish are having on reef ecosystems,
since this predator is capable of rapid population
growth and outcompeting native fish for food
and territory.
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100806_lionfis
h.html
lionfish

14. Coypu (Nutria)
(Myocastor Coypus)
This semi-aquatic rodent is
native to southern South
America, but has been
introduced extensively around
the world for the fur industry
and to control water plants.
Nutria began appearing in fur
farms in Louisiana in the 1930’s.
Since then the population has
expanded throughout the
southeastern United States.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

15. Burmese pythons are sold as pets, but they grow to be very large (up to 200 lbs). A few have killed
household pets and even humans. Some have escaped and others have been set free in the
Everglades. With no natural predators, pythons have become a major threat to all other wildlife there.
All photos courtesy of Creative Commons

16. Invasive Exotic Plants in North Carolina
 Invasive exotic plants disrupt the ecology of natural ecosystems, displace native
plant and animal species, and degrade our biological resources.
 To see a very long list of these, please go to the link below.
 http://www.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/invasives_list

17. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
 To see a list of wild animals that live in North Carolina, go to the link below. There
you will find many animals, some familiar, and some new to you. The North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has photos and descriptions of each as
well as a history of how long each has been here.
 http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species#7085666-endangered

18. Invasive species are plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under
consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm.
https://repeatingislands.com/2014/04/16/results-of-the-invasive-alien-species-video-competition-held-by-the-regional-mtiasic-project/

19. Thank you for viewing.
Humankind has not woven
the web of life. We are but
one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the
web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound
together. All things
connect.
- Chief Seattle, Duwamish
(1780-1866)