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Displaying 1 to 15 of 15
Turning Back A Silent Invasion
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Nov 11, 2021
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Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (New Zealand).
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New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is calling for the Government to lift its game in protecting native ecosystems from the thousands of exotic plants spreading throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. “Rampaging weeds pose a deadly threat to our native ecosystems by smothering, outcompeting and preventing regeneration of native plants,” the Commissioner says in a report released today. The report, Space invaders: A review of how New Zealand manages weeds that threaten native ecosystems, explains that protecting our native ecosystems from being overrun by weeds not only helps our native taonga plants, but also saves crucial habitat our taonga fauna need to survive.
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Scientists Uncover How Invasive Plants Gain a Head Start After Fire
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Mar 12, 2020
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University of Western Australia.
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New research from The University of Western Australia has shed light on why some invasive plants make a better comeback after a fire, outstripping native species in the race for resources.
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Report Lifts Lid on Australia's International Bug Superhighway
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Apr 15, 2020
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Australian Invasive Species Council.
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A new report has identified an international 'bug superhighway' capable of carrying a large variety of environmentally destructive overseas insects into Australia. The study, led by Monash University, rated the environmental harm being caused by 100 of the worst overseas insect species and recommends a string of actions to keep them out of Australia. The most dominant group of invasive insects by far are the hymenopteran insects – ants, bees and wasps – making them the world's most environmentally harmful invasive insect species.
"Our report found that environmentally harmful bugs, beetles, ants and moths are most likely to hitch a ride into Australia along an international bug superhighway made up of imported plants, nursery material and the timber trade," said report author Professor Melodie McGeoch from Monash University. The report identifies the international trade in cut flowers and foliage as a high-risk pathway for more than 70 of the species studied. Invasive Species Council CEO Andrew Cox said this is the first time Australian and international scientists have comprehensively analysed which invasive insects overseas are doing the most environmental harm and could therefore threaten Australia's natural environment if they breach the nation's borders.
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Pacific Islands Marine Bioinvasions Alert Network (PacMAN) Project Officially Launches
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Dec 7, 2021
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University of the South Pacific.
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The Pacific Islands Marine Bioinvasions Alert Network (PacMAN) Project, which aims to monitor and identify marine biological invasive alien species, was officially inaugurated on November 24 in collaboration with the Institute of Applied Sciences at The University of the South Pacific (USP-IAS).
USP-IAS Acting Director, Dr Isoa Korovulavula stated it was a significant occasion as they moved collaboratively to a new "frontier" of protecting the local marine environment from invasive species. "The PacMAN Project is expected to boost local capability for early identification and warning of maritime invasive alien species. We are using revolutionary technology, such as DNA metabarcoding, to identify and deal with marine invasive alien species in our local marine environment," he explained.
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Invasive Pests Have Cost New Zealand Billions
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Aug 15, 2022
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University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom).
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Invasive species are well known for their huge ecological costs, but they also bring a massive economic burden with sociological, environmental and health impacts. New research led by the University of Aberdeen and the University of Auckland in collaboration with CNRS, France has established that invasive species have cost the New Zealand economy almost $100 billion in the last 50 years. While damage costs remain high, this total includes spending far more than most other countries on pre and post-invasion management techniques relative to its GDP.
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Invasive Brown Treesnake Present on Cocos Island, Agencies Working to Prevent Further Spread
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Nov 5, 2020
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DOI. United States Geological Survey.
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For the first time, an invasive brown treesnake population has been found on Cocos Island, an 83.1 acre atoll located 1.5 miles off the southwest coast of Guam. The brown treesnake was a major contributor to the loss of nine of 11 native forest birds and significant population declines of several native lizards, bats and other bird species on Guam. They now pose a threat to the wildlife of Cocos Island. Guam Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources is working with partners to better understand how many brown treesnakes are on the island and the best way to remove them.
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Interior Office of Insular Affairs Announces Nearly $3 Million to Protect Coral Reefs and Combat Invasive Species in the Insular Areas
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Sep 29, 2021
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DOI. Office of Insular Affairs.
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The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has announced $2,772,443 in Coral Reef and Natural Resources Initiative (CRNR) grant funds to protect coral reef resources in the U.S. territories and the freely associated states. The funding includes $1,541,421 that will support efforts to control and eradicate invasive species in the insular areas. Grants for fiscal year 2021 to combat invasive species have been awarded as follows:
- University of Guam for research and related efforts to counter the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle - $866,423
- Micronesia Conservation Trust, a regional non-governmental organization, for the eradication, control, and management of invasive species in Kosrae, Chuuk, and Yap - $300,000
- Island Conservation, a non-profit organization, for the removal of invasive rats in Mili Atoll, Marshall Islands - $299,838
- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Government for Sabana Pandanus Forest control and native trees restoration project - $75,160
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Interior Awards $942,206 to Eradicate Invasive Species in Insular Areas
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May 20, 2020
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DOI. Office of Insular Affairs.
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U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, Douglas W. Domenech announced $942,206 in fiscal year (FY) 2020 Coral Reef and Natural Resources Initiative grants to eradicate and control the spread of invasive species in the U.S. territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), as well as in the Republic of Palau, and Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Funding will be used to introduce biological control of coconut rhinoceros beetles, control and eradicate feral cats and monitor lizards, and destroy wild vines, all of which are disruptive to ecological systems and impacting communities and livelihoods in the islands.
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Four New Resources for Pacific Invasive Species Battlers!
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Aug 24, 2020
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Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
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Four new publications have been added to the 'Pacific Invasive Battler Series,' and are now available for free download from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), to help Pacific practitioners, environmental managers, government and community members in specific areas of invasive species management.
Developed through the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS), the Battler Series is an important resource for those working to restore ecosystems and manage invasive species. It provides tested best practice approaches through step by step guidance, case studies and visual aid for those battling invasive species. The series provides information and case-studies that can assist those working in the field and is written in a user-friendly way. There are now 15 publications in the Pacific Invasive Battler Series, and they are available for download on the Battler Resource Base.
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Fall Armyworm Detected in Australia
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Feb 12, 2020
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Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
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The exotic plant pest fall armyworm has been detected for the first time in Australia, in a network of surveillance traps on the northern Torres Strait islands of Saibai and Erub. Head of Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Lyn O'Connell, said the caterpillar stage of the fall armyworm, also known as Spodoptera frugiperda, damages many crops across Africa and Asia vital to human food security, such as rice, maize and sorghum. "Everyone can do their part to protect Australia from biosecurity risks like fall armyworm by being aware of what can and cannot be brought to Australia from overseas or from the Torres Strait region and reporting any unexpected pests, plant matter or soil."
Adult moths of fall armyworm were detected in surveillance traps monitored by the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy. These traps were set up as part of preparedness activities for early detection as fall armyworm is a strong flyer and has been spreading rapidly through Southeast Asia countries in recent months. For more information, see Fall Armyworm and Other Exotic Armyworms from the Australian Department of Agriculture.
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Economic Costs of Biological Invasions within North America
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Jul 29, 2021
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NeoBiota 67: 485-510.
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Invasive species can have severe impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human health. Though the economic impacts of invasions provide important foundations for management and policy, up-to-date syntheses of these impacts are lacking. To produce the most comprehensive estimate of invasive species costs within North America (including the Greater Antilles) to date, we synthesized economic impact data from the recently published InvaCost database (see related research article: InvaCost, a public database of the economic costs of biological invasions worldwide (Sep 8, 2020).
See also: This article is part of NeoBiota 67: The economic costs of biological invasions around the world.
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Battling Exotic Ant Pests in American Samoa
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Jan 5, 2023
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USDA. National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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Invasive species pose a threat across the United States and its territories, but they can be especially challenging for the U.S. South Pacific territory of American Samoa. Among the invasive pests menacing the territory are several non-native fire ant species.
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Australia’s 10 Worst Invasive Species
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Feb 19, 2019
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National Environmental Science Programme (Australia). Threatened Species Recovery Hub.
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New research by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub has shown that invasive or pest species are a problem for 1,257 threatened species in Australia, or about four out of five species. The research which has been published in the scientific journal Pacific Conservation Biology also identified the top ten invasive species based on how many threatened species they impact. Lead researcher Stephen Kearney from the University of Queensland said many people may be surprised at which species top the list. “Rabbits, a plant root disease and feral pigs are the top three pest species impacting Australia’s threatened species,” Mr Kearney said.
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Australia's Native Wildlife in Grip of Unprecedented Attack
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Nov 23, 2021
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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia).
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A new report, Fighting Plagues and Predators: Australia’s Path to a Pest and Weed-Free Future [PDF, 12 MB], reveals the environment is facing a "sliding doors" moment, with two possible futures for Australia, depending on the decisions made today. It highlights a looming wave of new extinctions and outlines two futures for Australia, one based on an unsustainable ‘business as usual’ approach and the other based on implementing targeted actions that will help save our unique biodiversity. The report pegs the conservative cost of damage caused by invasive species in Australia – predominantly weeds, feral cats, rabbits and fire ants – at $390 billion over the past six decades and around $25 billion each year and growing.
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Australia State of Environment Report Highlights Invasive Species Still a Major Threat
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Jul 19, 2022
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Australian Invasive Species Council.
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The 2021 independent State of Environment Report has highlighted that invasive species are identified as the most prevalent threat to Australian wildlife and are the primary cause of extinction events. The report warns of the compounding and devastating impact of multiple threats to Australia’s environment, especially invasive species, habitat destruction and climate damage.
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