Les Mehrhoff - botanist and pioneering giant in the field of invasion biology

Picture courtesy Randy Westbrooks
SCC Camp

Les Mehrhoff, botanist at the University of Connecticut, and a pioneering giant in the field of invasion biology, has passed away leaving ecosystems a little less protected and all of us a much more beholden to his work in championing biological diversity.   Doing justice to his work fills a web site and attempting to describe the reach of his work will be a task for future historians of ecology and horticulture.  But, perhaps the towering monument to his life's work is the creation of The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England - the  IPANE project - whose mission is a testimony to his drive to protect the last native landscapes.


 
From early detection and rapid response, to high tech mapping by citizen scientists, Dr. Mehrhoff worked tirelessly to find new ways to offset the harm caused by invasive species.  He sought to understand how the mechanisms of invasion worked and how one might use the knowledge to prevent further damage.  Focusing on plants, Les was determined to find a way to protect the indigenous species of New England and North America and eventually the world.  Les spoke to me about the impact of ornamental horticulture on native plant communities, about claims of sterility and about ways of assessing a consensus about the valuation of ecological systems.


The disappearance of species and the homogenization of place concerned Les Merhoff.  He studied the effect of invasive species on ecological interactions in natural areas.  He sought to understand the impact of introduced species on the rate of species loss in non-managed natural systems.  He was a leader both in the on the national stage as well as a visionary to grassroot-movements that struggle to reverse the tide of ecosystem altering invasive species.  Les was like a gardener who did not need to wait for more information when considering the removal of a weed from a favorite display.  He saw first hand the changes that were happening with greater and greater speed to the native flora and therefore ro whole ecosystems.


Today, the political winds have shifted, and the invasive species conversation has been pushed to the local level.  There is no effective national conversation today, but rather a rising tide of citizen scientists who owe much to Les Mehrhoff's tenacity and determination to organize and train citizen scientists to help stem the flood of invasive species into native species communities.  Because interest groups have stifled any near term hope of an effective national management strategy, state and local activists are creating regulations and legislation to begin to address the impacts of invasive species.

 
 
Les would have been proud to see action rather than talk; in his shadow the work goes on.

Invasive species – quietly change our world

    Invasive species cause problems for us. Invasive species issues are a member of the set of current "really" big problems that we consign to the realm of national or global politics but react to locally and personally. At some level most of us understand that when we participate in the global market we are facilitating the homogenization of the world's human cultures and biological systems. Our needs and desires conspire to demand produce and products to address our current conditions in a more cost effective way; that is we ask for more choices at lower costs. This market force creates pathways of products and systems to move them cost effectively through out the world. In order to drive down the costs the pathways externalize some of the operational costs on to the global environment including the opportunity costs of the accidental or intentional introduction of a novel species into a local ecosystem or even our personal space.     We condone this externalization of costs in the global market because we feel that nature has several qualities that allow us to do so at no cost. These qualities include a feeling that nature is in some sense infinite and its forces are asymmetrically arrayed against human activities. In other words, the force of nature can overwhelm and reset any small imbalance that may arise from our dumping or moving market-place excesses from one ecosystem to another. Simply put we have a history of dumping unwanted or unneeded things over the garden fence into wild, natural areas in the knowledge that nature will somehow decompose this refuse. With such thinking a small animal, insect, or plant that accidently comes with our latest consumer needs in the shipping packing and escapes into our natural areas is of no immediate consequence, and in the long term will be absorbed by the overwhelming infinite forces of nature.
    Another quality of nature that comes into play for many of us is the idea that human artifice enhances or betters the "work' of nature. This idea reflects the view that nature is waiting for us to add value through human activities and technology. Nature is a resource to be exploited (in a positive sense of the word) for the well being of humanity. In order to support the growing population of the world, technology will have to reset and reorder natural processes for it is understood that the carrying capacity of the world's ecosystems as presently constituted are inadequate to projected increase in human population. In a local sense this is called development and falls under the politics of land use. The issue of the impact of an invasive species on a local system can seem to pale in consideration of the impact of a new shopping malls parking lot. The idea of saving the natural world is juxtaposition with the need to exploit its services for the betterment of mankind. In this scenario an invasive species is simply an early symptom of the change that is coming to the ecosystem and therefore the cost of prevention is too high and not justifiable.
    Invasive species are symptoms of humanity's footprint, and they are agents of environmental change . This dual nature makes it hard to pin them down for they can slip between the two concepts of symptom and agent. Because, quoting Bertrand Russell, everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise, invasive species are conceptually so slippery that they provide no common basis for understanding or consensus. What this means is that even with a common set of :facts a stakeholder can arrive at equally valid but completely different outcomes. One view may lean towards denial of entry and presumption of caution tending to zero risk, while another would tend towards management of risk by setting on a level of acceptable impact. We ignore the ecosystem impacts that invasive species create because it suits our near term desires and our cost benefit analysis. With our heads firmly in the sand, a sturdy sense that technology will rescue us in a world overflowing with crises we take comfort in ignoring the quiet ecological alterations that we choose to ignore.

Proposed Invasive Plant Legislation in Maryland

Report to MNLA
By John Peter Thompson
Legislation attached at end of report
November 2010
    

    Legislation is being proposed to address invasive plant concerns and issues in Maryland. Invasive species which include more than just plants continue to affect Maryland's ecosystems. An invasive species according to US Executive Order 13112 is "an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health." Invasive plants introduced into Maryland are affecting the health and ecological functioning of plant and animal communities in natural areas such as wildlands, parks, forests, lakes and rivers, and managed areas such as farms and backyards. Invasive plants can cause ecological damage in numerous ways, which include outcompeting native species for resources, reducing biological diversity, disrupting food webs, degrading food and shelter for native animals, altering flooding and fire impacts, and modifying nutrient cycling. Some invasive plants have major economic consequences, including reducing, degrading or causing movement of valuable species, compromising farm production and food security and the mounting costs of control or management on public and private lands. Certain invasive plants can have human health impacts, due to toxins or allergens they contain. Many plants that are invasive in Maryland or elsewhere in the mid-atlantic region were introduced through ornamental horticultural commerce before their invasive habits were realized. Others have been inadvertently introduced through regular commercial shipping activities. Limitation of invasive plants' potential to negatively affect natural areas' species and functions provides a clear benefit to Maryland citizens.

    Legislation was introduced into the Maryland General Assembly in 2009 that would have prohibited the production or distribution of over 100 plant species including burning bush, Chinese wisteria, and Japanese barberry. The Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association through its representatives on the Maryland Invasive Species Council reached out to interested parties in order to formulate a more equitable, science based strategy to deal with invasive plants in Maryland.

    A working group of interested parties came together in early 2010 to begin crafting legislation that would address the concerns of all the stakeholders including state agencies, natural area land managers, gardeners and the nursery and landscape industries. The intent of the legislation is to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit invasive plants from being introduced, produced, distributed, sold or planted in Maryland; to require the Secretary to adopt lists and protocols for identifying certain invasive plants; to provide notice and signage requirements; to require the Secretary to establish an invasive plant risk assessment protocol to designate certain invasive plants as prohibited; to create an Invasive Plant Advisory Committee; to define the membership and duties of the committee; to provide powers of the Secretary to stop prohibited activities; to provide civil penalties and injunctive relief for violations of this Act; and generally related to the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to enforce, prohibit or control invasive plant species.

    The center piece of the proposed legislation is the creation of an invasive plant advisory committee within the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Unlike comprehensive efforts in many states that consider all invasive species,, Maryland's committee will focus solely on plants. Membership is defined as follows:

        (1) The secretary or the designee of the secretary;

        (2) The secretary of natural resources or the designee of the secretary of natural resources;

        (3) The secretary of transportation or the designee of the secretary of transportation;

        (4) The secretary of the environment or the designee of the secretary of the environment; and

        (5) The dean of the university of maryland college of agriculture and natural resources or the designee of the dean of the university of Maryland college of agriculture and natural resources.

    (d) The following six members shall be appointed by the secretary:

        (1) A representative of the landscaping industry regulated by the department, in consultation with the secretary of natural resources;

        (2) A member of the plant wholesale industry or plant retail industry regulated by the department, in consultation with the secretary of natural resources;

        (3) A non-governmental environmental advocacy organization, in consultation with the secretary of natural resources;

        (4) Two individuals with experience regarding invasive plants, agriculture, horticulture, gardening, conservation or other relevant experience; and

        (5) A consumer member.

    Within one year of the effective date of legislation, a science-based risk assessment protocol for invasive plants will be adopted that considers economic, ecological, environmental and human health harm within the state. A two-tiered system will be established. The first tier will consist of invasive plants that cause or are likely to cause severe harm within the state of Maryland. It shall be unlawful to propagate, import, transfer, sell, purchase, transport, or introduce any living part of an invasive plant classified by the secretary as a "tier 1 invasive plant," except with permission from the secretary for disposal, control, research, educational purposes, or for the purpose of exportation outside of Maryland

    The second tier will consist of invasive plants that cause or are likely to cause substantial negative impact within the state. Tier 2 plants will need signage as prescribed by the legislation and recommended by the advisory committee. Retail outlets will have to post a sign as determined by the secretary in a conspicuous manner in proximity to all displays that include any "tier 2 invasive plant". Landscaping services will have to provide to their customer the list of "tier 2 invasive plants" developed by the legislation.

     Invasive plants cause economic damage over 30 billion dollars a years; invasive species in general range as high as 132 billion dollars per year. This effort attempts to find a compromise between outright bans as found in other states and the recognition of the importance and value of the contributions of the nursery and landscape industries to the economic and aesthetic well being of the citizens of the State of Maryland. MNLA and other members of MaGIC (Md Green Industry Council) need your comments and suggestions.

    

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning

Secretary of Agriculture – Invasive Plant Prevention and Control

 

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit certain invasive plants from being introduced, produced, distributed, sold or planted in Maryland; requiring the Secretary to adopt at certain times certain lists and protocols for identifying certain invasive plants; providing certain notice and signage requirements; requiring the Secretary to establish an invasive plant risk assessment protocol to designate certain invasive plants as prohibited; creating an Invasive Plant Advisory Committee; defining the membership and duties of the committee; providing powers of the Secretary to stop prohibited activities; providing civil penalties and injunctive relief for violations of this Act; and generally related to the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to enforce, prohibit or control invasive plant species under the Act.

 

BY adding to,

    Article – Agriculture

    Section 5-1001 through 5-1010 to be under "Subtitle 10, Invasive Plant Prevention and

    Control"

    Annotated Code of Maryland

    (2007 Replacement Volume and 2010 Supplement)

 

    SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

 

 

Article – Agriculture

 

§ 5-1001.

 

    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES THAT CERTAIN INVASIVE PLANTS INTRODUCED INTO MARYLAND ARE AFFECTING THE HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING OF PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES IN NATURAL AREAS SUCH AS WILDLANDS, PARKS, FORESTS, LAKES AND RIVERS, AND MANAGED AREAS SUCH AS FARMS AND BACKYARDS. INVASIVE PLANTS CAN CAUSE ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IN NUMEROUS WAYS, WHICH INCLUDE OUTCOMPETING NATIVE SPECIES FOR RESOURCES, REDUCING BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, DISRUPTING FOOD WEBS, DEGRADING FOOD AND SHELTER FOR NATIVE ANIMALS, ALTERING FLOODING AND FIRE IMPACTS, AND MODIFYING NUTRIENT CYCLING. SOME INVASIVE PLANTS HAVE MAJOR ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING REDUCING, DEGRADING OR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF VALUABLE SPECIES, COMPROMISING FARM PRODUCTION AND FOOD SECURITY AND THE MOUNTING COSTS OF CONTROL OR MANAGEMENT ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS. CERTAIN INVASIVE PLANTS CAN HAVE HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS, DUE TO TOXINS OR ALLERGENS THEY CONTAIN. MANY PLANTS THAT ARE INVASIVE IN MARYLAND OR ELSEWHERE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION WERE INTRODUCED THROUGH ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURAL COMMERCE BEFORE THEIR INVASIVE HABITS WERE REALIZED. OTHERS HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY INTRODUCED THROUGH REGULAR COMMERCIAL SHIPPING ACTIVITIES. LIMITATION OF INVASIVE PLANTS' POTENTIAL TO NEGATIVELY AFFECT NATURAL AREAS' SPECIES AND FUNCTIONS PROVIDES A CLEAR BENEFIT TO MARYLAND CITIZENS.

 

§5-1002.

 

    (A) IN THIS SUBTITLE, THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS INDICATED.

    (B) "COMMITTEE" MEANS THE INVASIVE PLANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (C) "INVASIVE PLANT" MEANS A TERRESTRIAL PLANT SPECIES THAT DID NOT EVOLVE IN MARYLAND WHOSE INTRODUCTION, AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY, CAUSES OR IS LIKELY TO CAUSE ECONOMIC OR ENVIRONMENTAL HARM OR HARM TO HUMAN HEALTH WITHIN THE STATE.

    (D) "LANDSCAPING SERVICES" INCLUDES SERVICES FOR ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURAL DESIGN, MAINTENANCE AND INSTALLATION OF LIVING PLANTS.

    

§5-1003.



    (A) THERE IS AN INVASIVE PLANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN THE DEPARTMENT.

    (B) THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF 11 MEMBERS.

    (C) THE FOLLOWING FIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHALL SERVE AS EX OFFICIO MEMBERS:

        (1) THE SECRETARY OR THE DESIGNEE OF THE SECRETARY;

        (2) THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES OR THE DESIGNEE OF THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES;

        (3) THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION OR THE DESIGNEE OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION;

        (4) THE SECRETARY OF THE ENVIRONMENT OR THE DESIGNEE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ENVIRONMENT; AND

        (5) THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES OR THE DESIGNEE OF THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

    (D) THE FOLLOWING SIX MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY:

        (1) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY REGULATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES;

        (2) A MEMBER OF THE PLANT WHOLESALE INDUSTRY OR PLANT RETAIL INDUSTRY REGULATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES;

        (3) A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES;

        (4) TWO INDIVIDUALS WITH EXPERIENCE REGARDING INVASIVE PLANTS, AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, GARDENING, CONSERVATION OR OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE; AND

        (5) A CONSUMER MEMBER.

    (E) THE TERM OF AN APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED IS 3 YEARS AND BEGINS ON JANUARY 1. AN APPOINTED MEMBER MAY NOT SERVE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS ON THE COMMITTEE.

    (F) THE APPOINTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHALL SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE SECRETARY.



§5-1004.



THE COMMITTEE SHALL:



    (1) ANNUALLY ELECT FROM ITS MEMBERS A CHAIRPERSON, A VICE CHAIRPERSON, AND A SECRETARY;

    (2) HOLD MEETINGS AT LEAST ONCE DURING EACH CALENDAR QUARTER OF THE YEAR UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE SECRETARY HAS ADOPTED REGULATIONS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBTITLE, AND THEREAFTER AS NEEDED;

    (3) ADVISE THE SECRETARY REGARDING REGULATIONS TO BE ADOPTED TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND

    (4) CONDUCT AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL ADOPTED PURSUANT TO §5-1005(1) OF THIS SUBTITLE AND REPORT TO THE SECRETARY REGARDING ANY PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL.



§5-1005.



THE SECRETARY, WITH THE ADVICE OF THE COMMITTEE, SHALL:


(1) WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBTITLE, ADOPT REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING A SCIENCE-BASED RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL FOR INVASIVE PLANTS THAT CONSIDERS ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH HARM WITHIN THE STATE, AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY;



(2) WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBTITLE:



(A) ADOPT REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING A LIST OF "TIER 1 INVASIVE PLANTS" ACCORDING TO THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION THAT INCLUDES INVASIVE PLANTS THAT CAUSE OR ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE SEVERE HARM WITHIN THE STATE;



(B) ADOPT REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING A LIST OF "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANTS" ACCORDING TO THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL REFERRED TO IN THIS SECTION THAT INCLUDES INVASIVE PLANTS THAT CAUSE OR ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACT WITHIN THE STATE;



(C) ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT PROVIDE A PROCESS FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OR DECLASSIFICATION OF ANY INVASIVE PLANTS AS "TIER 1 INVASIVE PLANTS," OR "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANTS";



(D) ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR A PHASED-IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATIONS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBTITLE TO CONSIDER ANY ECONOMIC IMPACT ON NURSERIES, LANDSCAPERS, PLANT WHOLESALERS, PLANT RETAILERS, AND ANY OTHER INDUSTRY THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THIS SUBTITLE AND THE REGULATIONS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBTITLE;



(E) ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR THE FORMAT, SIZE AND CONTENT OF THE SIGNAGE AND NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO §5-1006(A)(2) AND (3) OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND



(F) ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF A LIST OF "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANTS" TO LICENSED NURSERIES, PLANT DEALERS AND PLANT BROKERS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.



(3) WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBTITLE, ADOPT REGULATIONS GOVERNING:



(A)    ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS THAT THE SECRETARY MAY ISSUE TO ENFORCE THIS SUBTITLE; AND



(B)    THE PERMISSION THAT IS TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY FOR THE PROPAGATION, IMPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, TRANSPORTATION, OR INTRODUCTION OF ANY "TIER 1 INVASIVE PLANTS" FOR DISPOSAL, CONTROL, RESEARCH, OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPORTATION OUTSIDE OF MARYLAND;



§5-1006.



    (A) A PERSON MAY NOT:



                    (1) PROPAGATE, IMPORT, TRANSFER, SELL, PURCHASE, TRANSPORT, OR INTRODUCE ANY LIVING PART OF AN INVASIVE PLANT CLASSIFIED BY THE SECRETARY AS A "TIER 1 INVASIVE PLANT," EXCEPT WITH PERMISSION FROM THE SECRETARY FOR DISPOSAL, CONTROL, RESEARCH, EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPORTATION OUTSIDE OF MARYLAND;



                    (2) SELL, OFFER TO SELL, OR EXPOSE FOR SALE AT A RETAIL OUTLET ANY INVASIVE PLANT CLASSIFIED BY THE SECRETARY AS A "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANT," UNLESS THE RETAIL OUTLET POSTS A SIGN AS DETERMINED BY THE SECRETARY IN A CONSPICUOUS MANNER IN PROXIMITY TO ALL DISPLAYS THAT INCLUDE ANY "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANT"; OR



                    (3) PROVIDE LANDSCAPING SERVICES TO PLANT OR SUPPLY FOR PLANTING ANY INVASIVE PLANT CLASSIFIED BY THE SECRETARY AS A "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANT," UNLESS THE PERSON IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING LANDSCAPING SERVICES PROVIDES TO THE CUSTOMER REQUESTING THE SERVICE THE LIST OF "TIER 2 INVASIVE PLANTS" TO BE DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE SECRETARY PURSUANT TO THIS SUBTITLE.



    (B) THE PROHIBITION SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (A)(1) OF THIS SECTION AGAINST TRANSFERRING, SELLING, OR PURCHASING ANY LIVING PART OF AN INVASIVE PLANT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE TRANSFER, LEASE, SALE, OR PURCHASE OF REALTY IF THE INVASIVE PLANT IS ALREADY GROWING IN, OR OTHERWISE AFFIXED TO AND A PART OF, THE REALTY.



§5-1007.

1. (1) IF THE SECRETARY FINDS ANY TIER 1 PLANT, THE SECRETARY SHALL ISSUE A CONDEMNATION SEIZURE ORDER AND MARK OR TAG THE PLANT IN A CONSPICUOUS MANNER. THE SECRETARY SHALL GIVE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE OWNER, TENANT, OR PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PREMISES.
   
   
   
   (2) IF THE PERSON NOTIFIED DOES NOT DISPOSE OF THE TIER 1 PLANT PURSUANT TO THE DEPARTMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS, THE SECRETARY SHALL DESTROY THE PLANT. THE SECRETARY SHALL PREPARE A STATEMENT OF THE EXPENSES OF DESTRUCION AND SHALL TRANSMIT A COPY OF THE STATEMENT AND ACCOUNT TO THE STATE'S ATTORNEY OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE OWNER OF THE PREMISES RESIDES. THE STATE'S ATTORNEY SHALL COLLECT THE EXPENSES AND ACCOUNT TO THE SECRETARY. THE COPY OF THE STATEMENT AND ACCOUNT IS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE CLAIM.
   
   
   
   (B)    IF THE SECRETARY FINDS ANY TIER 2 PLANT THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED SIGNAGE, THE SECREARY SHALL ISSUE A STOP SALE ORDER AND MARK OR TAG THE PLANT IN A CONSPICUOUS MANNER. THE SECRETARY SHALL GIVE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE OWNER, TENANT, OR PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE PREMISES. THE STOP SALE SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE PERSON NOTIFIED POSTS THE REQUIRED SIGNAGE.
   
   
   
   §5-1008.
   
   
   
   (A) INSTEAD OF OR IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER PENALTY AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS ARTICLE, THE SECRETARY MAY IMPOSE ON ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES ANY PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE OR ANY ORDER WHICH THE SECRETARY HAS ISSUED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE, A CIVIL PENALTY NOT EXCEEDING $500 FOR EACH VIOLATION.
   
   
   
   (B) PENALTIES COLLECTED BY THE SECRETARY UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE PAID INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE.
   
   
   
   §5-1009.
   
   
   
   (A) THE SECRETARY MAY APPLY TO A COURT FOR RELIEF BY INJUNCTION, WITHOUT BOND, TO ENFORCE ANY PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE ANY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OR TO RESTRAIN A VIOLATION OF ANY PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE.
   
   
   
   (B) IN THESE PROCEEDINGS THE SECRETARY DOES NOT HAVE TO ALLEGE OR PROVE THAT: 
   
   
   
   (1) AN ADEQUATE REMEDY AT LAW DOES NOT EXIST; OR 
   
   
   
   (2) SUBSTANTIAL OR IRREPARABLE DAMAGE WOULD RESULT FROM THE CONTINUED VIOLATIONS. 
   
   
   
   §5-1010.
   
   
   
       ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES ANY PROVISION OF THIS SUBTITLE IS SUBJECT TO THE PENALTIES AND FINES SET FORTH IN TITLE 12 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   
       
       SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect October 1, 2011.

Invasive species are ubiquitous

    Invasive species are ubiquitous. They are chewing and chomping, growing and spreading their way through our forests, parks, landscapes, gardens and homes. They are directly altering the ecological systems in which we live while at the same time reflecting the activities of human life. In a very real sense they are evolving with mankind, and together we are coevolving with them. Our plowing, shopping, paving and voiding activities pressure the environment around us weakening the existing interactions of the existing ecosystems. In other words our regular chronic disturbance of the natural word not only provides a platform for new species to enter, but lessens the existing ecosystems ability to respond. The continuous activity, the unrelenting disturbance, lowers the ecosystems resiliency. At some point the impact of new species may cause the original system's overall patterns to shift into a novel or new set of patterns with a corresponding set of unexpected or unintended consequences


    The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is today's example of a rapidly spreading non indigenous species. Seemingly harmless except for the acute discomfort it brings to home owners, the lack of a comprehensive early detection and rapid response plan allowed the new species to get a firm foothold in the Mid-Atlantic and to naturalize in its new home so to speak. Even though we knew full well that, "[i]n its native range, it feeds on a wide variety of host plants. Fruits attacked include apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, citrus fruits and persimmons. This true bug has also been reported on many ornamental plants, weeds, soybeans and beans for human consumption. Feeding on tree fruits such as apple results in a characteristic distortion referred to as "cat facing," that renders the fruit unmarketable as a fresh product", we had no mechanism in place to deal with it early. [Steve Jacobs, Sr. Extension Associate

University of Pennsylvania]
     The invasive stink bug has many traits that will allow it to comfortably integrate, or perhaps I should say, insinuate, itself into our lives and landscapes. Maryland's Home & Garden Center repots that the stink bug is a strong flier and will quickly "drop" downward when disturbed, emit a strong, unpleasant odor when threatened or crushed. (the smell goes away quickly), are more sluggish on cool, overcast days, tend to congregate late summer/fall on warm, elevated surfaces. In addition, pesticides are generally ineffective and not recommended for controlling this pest inside or outside your home, according to the web site information page.
     As with most invasive species, by the time we get annoyed enough to thyink about doing something, the cost effective window is way past. The stink bugs are now moving out from our homes and gardens and attacking agricultural crops like corn and apples. And we shall surely pay the price in reduced yields of some of our favorite fruits and foods (like my peppers and tomatoes). We need to be changing how people think about the environment. We need to find away to make clear the interactions between our human activities and the patterns of nature upon which we depend.

Invasive Species Issues - Flailing in the Wind

    Invasive species are all around us. They are so ubiquitous that they are accepted as part of the fabric of daily life with little to no consideration given until they reach out and bite us. Then, they become personal, and we reach for the quickest most toxic solution which fixes the symptom, fills the individual which caused the immediate problem, and does nothing at all about the problem. The spread of invasive species is like a global oil spill, so large that we cannot absorb the slow alteration of the landscapes around us. Because the problem pervades our world, our community and our person we integrate it into the background of our lives.  P. ramorum, commonly known as sudden oak death, check; 15 plus foot Burmese pythons, check; 80 pound Asian carp, fish that fling themselves into the air, check; vines that cover 8 million acres of the country, check; Asian fish that walks from ponds into our rivers, the northern snakehead well on its way to becoming a naturalized resident of the United States, check; millions of dead 100 foot tall ash trees from which we might have made baseball bats, killed by the Emerald ash borer, check; the European corn borer taking out a staple of our food supply, check; purple loosestrife, a beautiful garden flowers creating acres of monotony, check; non native brown marmorated stink bugs that devour our crops and then move inside our homes for the winter; and the list goes on and on, too large to be kept in the forefront of our day to day plans.     
   One might expect a robust national policy to address and manage this invasion of our environment, and, indeed, there is a management plan with no funding, a council with no teeth, and a government with no will. The Department of Energy for example is not even a member of the National Invasive Species Council and has no intention so far of becoming a member. The Department of Energy does have intentions of funding biofuel programs that use invasive species such as Arundo donax with plans to intentionally introduce the species under the usual understanding that impacts to the general good is acceptable cost of producing energy. While considerable thought has been put into what a robust national policy might look like, the lack of political will and funding support has crippled any effectiveness.    This lack of national will results in a patch-work of local efforts each struggling to contain the dramatic affects of invasive species. With little support, "weed warriors" valiantly try to contain their own invasive species of the moment. Even though study after study, and common sense, suggests that any reduction of introduction is the most cost effective approach, the lack of a national policy makes this hard to do. However, local action and determination are beginning to propose state laws and regulations to address the movement and introduction of invasive species. Each state will have its own system and specifications addressing the local needs. Because of the lack of national funding, the policies of the several states will be loosely coordinated at best.
    And so, the optimization of our local ecological systems proceeds in the hope that our local actions will stabilize the overall environment. Unfortunately, the lack of national coordination almost certainly guarantees unintended and unsuspected outcomes. In addition, optimizing the outcome of a subsystem by trying to mitigate the damage of invasive species on a local level will in general not optimize the outcome for the larger system as a whole. The result can even become the "tragedy of the commons": the exhaustion of shared resources because of competition among local ecosystem stakeholders. And worse, the optimized ecosystems may not actually preserve the larger environmental picture as wished or planned, or further the general sense of human societal well-being.
    In short when we try to achieve the "greatest good for the greatest number", we soon find that the greatest good (optimal outcome) for the individual in general differs from the greatest group good for the larger system of individuals or society as a whole. Protecting our local park from invasive species may benefit us locally, but restricting global trade may impact our larger system dynamics. The only way to "manage" the process is to establish both local and national activities linked by intensive feedback loops. We seem to be creating the local system; we are dismantling any semblance of a national decision making platform through inattention and distraction.
    Invasive species are a wicked inconvenience that alter the environment around us in ways we cannot imagine. We need a national policy that is backed by funding for research, outreach and support for grass root and state efforts. We need to be continuously reexamining our national focus in light of local conditions, and we need to coordinate information in a timely manner. We need to fund Early Detection and Rapid Response efforts, and we need to continue fine tuning our risk assessment tools. Mostly, we need to wake up and notice there is a problem, before all we can smell are the stink bugs.

History of Horticulture Sept 2010

View more presentations from http://www.slideshare.net/ipetrus1.

Stink bug species invades our space

    Invasive plants are spreading through parks, woodlands and natural areas. These new species alter the landscapes and in many instances reduce the free services that local ecosystems provide. Their damage is quiet and increases without fanfare hidden from the view of much of the public and most of the media. A rampant new invader like wavy leaf basket grass gets little mention. Like an oil spill's under water plume, what is not obvious is not of much interest in our event-filled lives. However, when the invasive species comes inside our homes, then we get excited. The multicolored Asian lady beetle (Invasion of Ladybugs: Friends or Foes? 2006) and the new "hot" brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), invade our homes and create a news buzz. While we are very concerned about these unwanted house guest, until recently, they seemed rather benign to the natural area landscapes as a whole, and even, in the case of the lady beetle, possibly beneficial as biological pest control agents that could reduce the need for chimerical pesticides.

    Surprise, surprise; the stink bug has exploded as a major agricultural pest. Very soon business and industry will be calling for effective control at public expense, and the engines of state quarantine programs and federal programs may be brought to bear to protect the crops of farmers and our food supply. We will hear gnashing of teeth and calls for public funding for more protection and control efforts. We may consider restricting the movement of certain products if deemed productive in the control of the spread of the harmful new invader of our agricultural landscapes. Notice well that the engines of early detection and rapid response start rolling only when the interests of private business come calling. Who, I ask, comes calling on behalf of natural places?

    The same stakeholders that resist any efforts to control natural area invaders will be calling for stringent policies to reduce the damage from this new farm pest. If the invader is destroying trees in a forest on public lands, however, then the only voices are those of the agencies charged with the management of the public lands and a few environmentalists who found themselves arrayed against the interests of business and the marketplace. But woe unto the novel species which attacks business interests, for then the full force and majesty of the government is expected to weigh in with all the regulation and legislation necessary to control the invader.

    If on the other hand the invasive species is simply upsetting the balance in natural areas because of trade, commerce and the movement and production of goods, then business interests are fully committed to stopping any government program that might mitigate the spread of the invasive species and the collective impact it may have. For example, creating a voluntary program to certify that landscape plants transferred from state to state or county to county are free of insect and diseases known to wreak havoc in natural areas is mostly unsupported by the nursery industry as an unnecessary additional cost that fixes a problem not existing adding to to the current suite of programs and policies that overwhelm business today..

    Someday the consumer will ask for a third party invasive species free certification of the plants they buy, but by that time the change or damage in our natural places will be so great as to be mostly an academic effort. The homeowner today expects that when he or she buys a plant, it is free of harmful pests, and the industry has worked tirelessly with government agencies and researchers since 1912 to insure that that is indeed true – for pests of horticulture that would harm the plants in the garden, greenhouse or designed landscape. A pest that hitchhikes and hops off into the woods is not considered a problem of the nursery industry or for that matter a problem of the gardener for, after all, the gardener is busy trying to transform the woods in the first place so why should there be a worry about some invasive species altering the system ahead of the planned disturbances of the gardener.

    In the end the problem of invasive species, like the problem of oil spills or other ecosystem "spilsl" is one of externalizing the costs of our immediate desires onto the held-in-common processes of the biological and physical landscape in which we live. We throw the clippings and refuse from our gardens and our lives over the fence in to the park and our community commons because, we tell ourselves, we are recycling, or because, we believe we are doing no harm in the disposal of our unwanted detritus of our search for well-being. We plant the vine because it grows fast and has pretty flowers, and never think about the impact it may has when it escapes and begins to alter the ecosystem that surrounds us. An most importantly because the ecosystem services that are being damages are those that are "free", we think there is no cost to our actions and are unwilling to pay to protect the free services themselves. It is only when the stink bug runs amok that we begin to panic, much too late, after the feral cat is out of the bag so to speak, do we begin to react. In our endless pursuit of human well being and quality of life, we do not see the dramatic changes and the decline in the ecological systems services that havce supported humanity since the dawn of our time on this planet.

    

    

Connecticut keeps trying to ban plants

    In 2006, I blogged about Maryland's early attempt in 1663 to deal with pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.  Maryland is still trying to figuire out a solution almost 350 years later.  Many states have issues which they try to fix through repeated legislation through the ages. Florida trying to get its presidential voting straight comes to mind, with two tries at the apple so far, 1876 and 2000.   Now, I offer up Connecticut's multi-century attempts to ban plants starting with barberry in 1726 and again in 2004. Below is a copy of legislation in the colony of Connecticut – a first try at a plant ban predating the establishment of the United States.

 

1726.] OF CONNECTICUT. 11

An Act concerning Barberry Bushes. Whereas the abounding of barberry bushes is thought to be very hurtful, it being by plentiful experience found that, where they are in large quantities, they do occasion, or at least increase, the blast on all sorts of English grain, Be it therefore enacted by the Governour, Council and Representatives, in General Court assembled, and hy the authority of the same, That the inhabitants of the several towns within this Colony may, and they are hereby fully impow'red, at their annual town meetings, to determine and agree upon the utter destroying of the said bushes within their respective townships, and the time when and manner how. And if any of the inhabitants of such town or towns so agreeing shall oppose the cutting down said bushes within their fields and enclosures, and forbid the other inhabitants coming thereinto for that end, they shall incur the penalty of twenty shillings, to be paid into the treasury of the town wherein they dwell. And if any such person shall thenceforward continue to oppose the cutting said bushes as aforesaid, they shall also incur the penalty of ten shillings per month until they shall declare to the selectmen their free consent for their entering into such inclosures and destroying the said bushes therein growing. Said penalties to be recovered by distraint on the goods and chattels of the person or persons so offending.

Provided nevertheless, That if any person or persons have any of said bushes, the which they make use of or depend upon for a fence, such person or persons shall not incur either of the aforesaid penalties till after just satisfaction to them made by the town, as they and the selectmen can agree, or as by two or three indifferent men, chosen by said parties or appointed by the civil authority, shall judge reasonable. (page 10-11)

Works Cited

Hoadly, C. J. (Ed.). (1873). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut from May 1726 to May 1735 trasncribed and edited in accordance withwith a resolution of the General Assembly (http://www.archive.org/details/publicrecordsofc007conn ed., Vol. 7). Hartford, Connecticut: Case, Lockwood & Brainard.

Invasive species are not going away no matter how much we ignore them

    Invasive species are in one sense a giant symptom of the speed of change of climatic conditions.  Invasive species, moreover,  are a reflection of the change in mankind's relationship with nature; once nature was asymmetrically arrayed against the efforts of men; now the work of men is overwhelmingly arrayed against the random diversity of the natural world.  Invasive species issues are dangerously close to being an accepted state of the human process, an externalization of our social dynamics.  Humanity is a decision or two away from saying it is not necessary to weed the garden we call Earth; that the few species left should be of no concern and allowed to move freely with trade and people across the globe without concern to their possible negative impact to indigenous species at a local level. As we homogenize our resources through the "McLeveling" of business choices, so we are homogenizing the landscapes of the world.   Moreover, invasive species problems are hard to quantify before hand in economic terms, as we more or less severely underestimate the value of infinity. We have yet to successfully quantify the opportunity costs of invasive species. Society's needs are moving us towards rapid hybridization of new bio-solutions to resource demands faster than invasive risk assessments can be constructed and performed. Already we hear that bio-fuels may spring forth to save us, from genetically modified algae and microbes. What is the risk? How do we measure this risk against the human condition? In some sense we are conversing with Dr. Malthus, of whom many of us have conveniently forgotten, when we speak of invasive species; for we are speaking of natural resource access and the resiliency of the planet's ecosystems. It took ten thousand years to figure out how to feed 3 billion people; 75 years to work out the food production for another 3 billion. What then is our plan for the next 3 billion citizens of the world coming in 30 years? Invasive species will be nibbling away at our resources and harvests. Invasive species will respond in unexpected ways to our actions or lack thereof.

Invasive species, gardening and nature in the 1860s

Invasive species problems can sometimes divide gardeners from environmentalists. The work of the gardener in choosing the right plant is viewed with suspicion when that plant is not known to be from the local ecosystem. A fear that the gardener's choices may hop the garden fence and take up residence in the forests, woodlands, and other natural areas, may give rise to the erroneous notion that gardeners are only thinking about themselves. However, the history of horticulture and, therefore, gardening in America as well as Europe is the history of making community decisions as to the landscape both particular and in general. Gardeners were thinking and practicing green before the current movement was born. A major point of horticultural discussion for over three centuries has been the proper role of gardening and the greater landscape. The challenge for gardeners and landscape designers was and is to find a balance between the localized landscape needs and the impact of these needs on the greater environment. It is interesting for me to read about our current choices between formal gardening and the preservation of our natural areas in essays and articles written over 150 years ago. Note the description of purple loosestrife a present day disruptive plant in many natural ecosystems with a long history as a workhorse of the ornamental, managed landscape.

"BOTANICAL NOTES OF THE YEAR. DURING 1865 but few plants new to the  British Isles have been observed, at least, as regards the higher orders, though, among the lower, various novelties have been recorded….Now is the season for " Seed-Catalogues," the authors of which appear to have generally some rather loose ideas regarding the extent of the British Flora: a list of the "plants new to Britain," which are given as natives of that favoured country, would take up considerable space. Our Crowfoot tribe is increased by a new Columbine (Aquilegia glandulosa); our Candytuft receives a companion, under the name of Iberis coronaria; Dianthus punctatus is ranked with our British pinks; Impatiens noli-metangere finds a brother in I. glandulifera; and many other examples might be added. The name Lythrum Salicaria is not, we may suppose, sufficiently grand for our Purple Loosestrife, as this plant is rechristened Lythrum roseum superbum! More than one firm offer for sale a mixture of flowerseeds for woodland walks, shrubberies, railway embankments, &c. ; but as botanists we may hope that their customers in this department are few; for does not Nature herself supply an abundant and beautiful " mixture" of flowers, and grasses, and ferns, in far better taste than we can hope to emulate, or attempt to improve upon ? There are those who would endeavour to "paint the lily and add perfume to the rose," but no lover of nature will wish to be ranked among them." (Edited by: M. C. Cooke. Feb1, 1866. Science-gossip, Volumes 1-3. Robert Hardwicke, London. p.39)

"NOTES ON A FEW PLANTS SUITABLE FOR THE WILD GARDEN…Of the old double Pæony (Pæonia officinalis) I have three colours—pink, a bright rosy orimson, and the old dark maroon, and a white I think not quite so robust (I should like to know whether there are any other colours). They like a rich, deep loam, but will live and bloom in soil not quite so good. For effect they are best planted on a moist bank side quite above the eye. The flowers are heavy and sprawl about, and would be lost amongst the Grass. They are mueh better under the shade of trees, as the flowers fade in the full sun. If in a garden, they should have three or four sticks and a cord round to support them. The Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale) and its var. bracteatum, flowers a brilliant scarlet and crimson, size of a dinner plate; would make glorious masses of colour. They are tap. rooted and rather difficult to transplant, but when once rooted are not easy to get quit of. Lyme Grass (Elymus glaucifolius) is a grand-looking Grass, quite tropical in appearance, and worthy of a prominent position. I believe it is naturally a marsh plant. At first it was planted on my rockery, but it ran about so that I was obliged to have taken up. I then had a large sanitary pipe sunk in the rock, in which it was planted, and here it has flourished for some years past without a drop of water, excepting what it gets from the clouds. Its beauty is, however, somewhat hidden by the encroachment of another fine

Slant, Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum), a plant that will grow in the worst soil and situation possible, but worthy of the best; it is beet planted on a level with the eye, and you then see the beautiful arching of the stems, and the lovely pendant white bells beneath. It seems to like stony, dry places. There is a pink Spire* (S. venusta), 1 believe, a splendid plant when well grown (all Spireas like moisture). It should have plenty of room to develop its beauties. As a contrast to this, but equally fine, is Lythrum roseum superbum; in any soil, but plenty of moisture, it will make a mass of rosy colour. The Day Lilies (Hemerocallis fulva and flava), easily grown; the foliage is rather coarse for a border, But then what lovely flowers! tawny yellow and yellow, the latter fragrant withal; and then, if you have a damp, or, better, wet spot in your garden, what so beautiful as the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)? The single form is finer than the double. A few plants together glitter like gold in the sun. The small-leaved Cotoneaster (C. microphylla) is one of the most useful shrubs I know. It makes a nice covering for a wall where more choice and tender things would not grow ; but nowhere does it look more lovely than when rambling about amongst old logs, or hanging over alow wall. All the above are hardy and robust, and will hold their own when established, and will increase in beauty from year to year." (Edited by: William Robinson. Gardening illustrated, Volume 7 .1886. p. 303)

 

Invasive species confusion confounds

Invasive species are everywhere. One man’s invasive species, feral animal, or weed is another one’s native plant, garden favorite or cherished pet. And even more troublesome are aggressive wandering opportunistic species that come with multiple uses for mankind. Kudzu, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. Almeida, loose-strife, Lythrum salicaria L. and burdock, Arctium minus Bernh. were brought to North America for their medicinal, aesthetic and culinary uses. Kudzu, the invasive species, can provide a biofuel source, fiber for textiles, food through its starch content, forage and feed for cattle and other farm animals, pharmaceutical potential, arts and crafts, and a fragrant flower on a vine that could cover unsightly disturbances in landscape settings.  Purple loose-strife, an invasive species, has given the ornamental gardener a beautiful flower and garden workhorse that blooms through out the growing season oblivious to the damage of insects and diseases, withstanding a wide range of temperatures, and growing through flood and drought. Lesser burdock is also a medicinal and food source but interestingly enough gets classified as a weed rather than an invasive species.


The weed or invasive species question is a reflection of one’s point of view. If you are standing in a managed landscape, a garden or a farm, then a species that invades and reduce your harvest or your view, is a weed, and invader a pest to be removed. If you are standing in a natural area, park or wilderness than a species that comes in from other ecosystems, and is not native, is an invasive species that needs to be weeded, culled and removed. In both cases the best strategy is to detect the plant early and remove it at once. This is called is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy in managed landscapes and is called Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) in natural landscapes. And while we are speaking about plants, the idea of perspective extends to animals. For example I have written about the third rail of invasive species issues, the feral cat (Are cats an invasive species - a wickedly inconvenient conversation), and I have also noted that the problem of invasive species context extends to insects too.

Invasive species are those that are transported by human activity easily and readily establish in new ecosystems. Taking advantage of our global trade they hitchhike on our human provided pathways. In this way they have spread with humanity across the earth. Mankind is perpetually disturbing or “plowing” the land. This chronic disturbance favors certain companion species that “travel” with us. Some of the species come with our knowledge and some come unbidden; the ability to survive and reproduce within a large range of conditions allow these invasive species to take advantage of and work with mankind’s grand disruption of local native or natural ecosystems.

It is easy to chastise ornamental gardeners for introducing new species of colorful plants that may escape or to rail against pet owners that discard over grown species into supposed natural recycling systems (Invasive issues and complicated species) The cost of mitigating the impact of invasive species has been calculated to be around 132 billion dollars) plants, animals, disease); the size of the nursery industry is approximately 140 billion dollars setting up a perfect storm of competing interests. However, things get more complicated when basic human need such as food or fuel is involved. We quickly forget that the major impetus behind kudzu and its spread was the search for a legume that could survive in the US southeast. The collision of desires that surround our pets and our interests, wants and needs clouds the issues of invasive species. Do we save the charismatic non indigenous swan (Wicked Invasive Swans) or save the native flora long the water’s edge? Considering the problems of invasive species is to take a look at our human activities and our place in the world. How will we resolve the conflict between our immediate needs versus our long term wants?

Southeastern Community College, North Carolina, speaker serious about invasive species

Invasive species talk - Southeastern Community College (announcement)

Southeastern Community College – Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Environmental Issues – Invasive Species

2010 Summer Science Enrichment Camp

Evening Seminar – SCC Main Auditorium

Tuesday Evening – July 27, 2010

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

“The Rise of Ornamental Invasive Species: A History of Landscaping”

Featured Guest Speaker:

John Peter Thompson

Invasive Species and Sustainability Consultant

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Invasive species are everywhere - pushing out our prized garden plants as well as our favorite lunch time vegetables. As weeds, they crowd our gardens and overwhelm the plants we so carefully planted. And, even worse, some of the plants we choose to buy turn out to be among the worst invasive offenders spreading death and destruction beyond our garden fences into our parks and woodlands. And, if that was not bad enough, they can help hitchhiking insects and diseases spread into natural areas completely changing the environment.

How did the gardener who tries to bring beauty to the world become the unwitting agent of such change? How can it be that some of the most useful plants in the garden could become eco-criminals? What is the history behind some of our cherished garden traditions that may unintentionally lead to plant choices with dire consequences to our ecosystems?

We will explore the art and science of gardening and horticulture from the time of Eden through the Rennaissance and Romantic Eras - right up until today, in a whirlwind conversation that will focus on the collision of desires and the unintended consequences that face the gardener today.



Biographical Sketch. John Peter Thompson grew up in the family nursery and garden center business (Behnkes Nursery) in Beltsville, Maryland. His formal education was in music composition and historical linguistics at the University of Maryland. After returning to the family nursery business in 1988, John Peter managed Behnkes’ perennial production and sales, and eventually served as the Chairman of the Board until 2008. He was awarded the Perennial Plant Association Retailer of the Year award in 2000. He is a past President of the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as a founding Director and President of the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council. He served as the Vice-chair of the National Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee, and is working on invasive species issues with the Maryland Invasive Species Council and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Agriculture’s nursery industry outreach project. He also works as a volunteer advocate for the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland. On the local level, John Peter is a former Chair of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the Prince George’s County Historical Preservation Commission; as a trustee of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System; and as a director of the Prince George’s County Community Foundation.



Camp and Seminar Information: Rebecca Westbrooks (910-642-7141, Ext. 291)

Seminar Registration for Continuing Education Credits: Brenda Orders (910-642-7141, Ext. 419)

Invasive species - Russian pickler versus American Caterpillar - & the winner is?

Invasive species issues can be confusing, obtuse, complicated, ill-defined and contentious. And invasive species problems and their solutions become vaguer the closer one looks. Can a native species be invasive, and who defines this invasive quality?  Are all invasive species bad?  Are pet cats that become adapted to the parks and natural areas around our homes and fields invasive species?  If an invasive species has a economic or social benefit is it still an invasive species?  How long does an exotic alien have to be in the country before it becomes naturalized?  Sometimes it is helpful to limit the scope of inquiry so that the imponderables do not overwhelm the questioner.

In our garden, my wife carefully cultivates three non indigenous plants so that she can make home made organic Russian-style pickles; cucumbers, garlic and dill.  She also plants fennel, onions, tomatoes and peppers some of which, though American species, are not native to our east coast Mid Atlantic ecosystems.  With the exception of fennel, she has to yearly disturb the land in her small garden (cultivate) and re-plant each year from seed or bulbs she has collected the year before.  The fennel might be considered somewhat aggressive as it invades small sections of the flower bed nearby, but it confines itself only to those areas already massively altered and no longer in any sense a native species habitat.  From her pickling project point of view, the invaders are weeds and insects - insects we call by words not suitable to polite audiences; colorful vocabulary known well to organic and ornamental gardeners.

From the picklers point of view, even the aggressive non native weeds can be tolerated to some extent, but when the American caterpillar appears, it is a no-holds battle to the finish. The game is on; we have my Russian wife in a life or death match with the American champion tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata, (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).  The ability of the hornworm to devour 5 foot tall tomato plants in a single bound (gulp) gives proof through the night, and day, that enternal vigilance and steely determination are the only tools. The voracious appetite of the caterpillar is matched by the eagle eyes of the organic gardener who refuses any and all chemical aid. Out she goes, her arm up to the elbow enclosed in the day's newspaper's plastic bag, to the pickling patch. Round one, sees her grab the hornworm; round two sees him grab bag; round three sees her jump a kilometer; and so on until the iron resolve of Russia conquers the stubborn American fighter. It is a classic collision of desires; natures systems arrayed against man’s needs.  (and makes it hard for me to know which side to cheer for)

Picture from: Moths of Southeastern Arizona: Sphingidae ( Hawkmoths )

In the case of the hornworm, the end game is "... a brown moth that rarely shows up on the top ten wish-I-had-in-the-garden list. The adult moth, sometimes referred to as a "sphinx", "hawk", or "hummingbird" moth, is a large, heavy-bodied moth with narrow front wings. The moth is a mottled gray-brown color with yellow spots on the sides of the abdomen and a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches. The hind-wings have alternating light and dark bands."    Relegated to second class oblivion and adult obscurity without the protection of charismatic status, the hornworm lacks a fan club clamoring for its immediate local victory.  The tomato hornworm caterpillar is labelled invasive because it comes into this little patch of Russian pickling heaven and negatively impacts, or drastically disturbs the carefully planned interconnections between selected plants and human dinner. The caterpillar is a classic, traditional example of an invasive species from a gardener’s point of view.

Photo by Fred Goodwin - 9/6/2002 Massachusetts Audubon Society  Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary Male

This limited area of consideration in our investigation of invasive species quickly turns fuzzy when we look at the dill plants next to the tomatoes.  For here yet another American champion with a photogenic quality and a fan club is chomping through promise of  the morrow's Russian dill pickles.  And so the charismatic black swallow-tail causes consternation when I gently point out the potential loss of beauty as the pink army of the kitchen methodically removes and destroys the black swallowtails, Papilio polyxenes  that are devouring the one meter square patch of dill.  The ferocious American insect onslaught is match by the focused determination of Russia to have a harvest, and if I want to eat, my thoughts are best expressed to the mocking bird above.

In a garden patch of several square meters, the world of invasive species problems is lit by the harsh light of the infinite choices of complex systems with all the human values and physical complexities easily seen.   Invasive species in a general sense are species that, due to human actions, disturb a complex adaptive biological system, causing a turbulence that can lead to unexpected outcomes or even the collapse of the system.  What belongs in a system is defined by humans; what is expected from the system is also defined by humans.  What seems like a strict scientific investigation is overlaid with human value judgments and therefore politics.  Even ideas of native take on a fuzzy vagueness that is based upon expected or desired outcomes.  Should native caterpillars be eating Asian dill planted by legal alien Europeans or naturalized Americans?  Is there any sense to the question at all?  Are there any truly “natural” areas left or has the fragmentation of the landscape in the lower 48 states left behind a mosaic of novel ecosystems that need to be managed (even if the management decision is to leave them alone)?

In the world of invasive species all of us are stakeholders and all of us have a duty to be part of the conversation bringing the “rightness” of our positions to the debate. In the end science cannot provide policy and value answers but rather it can give us the tools for identifying the limits of our knowledge.  It is up to each of us to address the value system that best supports the world we want to live in and how much we want our children to pay for our actions and our dreams.

Terrific Tree Tour Along the Patuxent River, MD Sat., July 10, 9 a.m.-11:00 a.m. updated water restriction information

Invasive species problems are the flip side of endangered and native species challenges. If we did not think our natural areas were worth saving, we would not be concerned about the impacts and effects of invasive exotic aliens on our local ecosytems. So it is important to get out and mingle with the natives and see what we are trying to protect and preserve.

Terrific Tree Tour Along the Patuxent River -- Sat., July 10, 9 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Pigtail Recreation Area 5500 Greenbridge Road, Dayton. 301-206-8233.

Free and open to everyone. Learn about trees from MD DNR Forester James Eierdam. Sponsored by Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, this tour will show mature trees that are native to the mid-Atlantic region and can add beauty to any landscape.  
Join your neighbors in Prince George's, Montgomery and Howard counties in helping to keep the watersheds along the Patuxent a delightful home for wildlife and a wonderful place to visit. These watersheds are under the stewardship of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Brighton Dam is at 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville, MD. 

Have you joined our "Friends of Brighton Dam" or our "Friends of Western Branch" Facebook Pages? By becoming a fan, you'll get all of the latest information about environmental education events and cleanups around WSSC's property on the Patuxent and Western Branch. Check us out!


http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=56844268643&ref=ts


http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135296253164704 


http://www.meetup.com/WSSC-Patuxent-Corps/calendar/list/

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UPDATE July 5th  

Don’t Start Watering in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties Yet

WSSC’s mandatory watering restrictions are still in effect. This applies to all WSSC customers, both residential and commercial in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. The earliest that the mandatory water use restrictions could be lifted is Tuesday, July 6.

Mandatory watering restrictions include no outside water use, use only full loads for clothes washers and dishwashers, limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use), and use water only when necessary (shorter showers, turn off faucets after washing hands, etc.)

For more information, go to: http://www.wsscwater.com/home/jsp/homeAlert.faces

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For my local readers please note that there is a water restriction advisory in place that affects our water use and therefore our gardens.

 Tips on Keeping Your Plants Happy

During Mandatory Restrictions

Contact: Kimberley Knox (301) 206-8100 kknox@wsscwater.com

WSSC’s Mandatory Restrictions require that WSSC customers NOT use WSSC water on their lawns, gardens and other landscaping. But here are some ways that your landscape can still keep green during the mandatory water restrictions:

Place one to two inches of mulch around your plants.

Use water from bathing or washing dishes. Soap will not harm plants

Use water from cooking vegetables or pasta.

Collect rainwater and use it on the plants that need the most help.

Collect water from your shower rather than letting it go down the drain.

While waiting for you shower to heat up, collect that water in a bucket for your plants.

In the kitchen, rather than letting the water run until the water is cold (or hot), collect the water and use it for your plants.

Use water collected from your dehumidifier on your plants.

For the future, drought-tolerant plants make a lovely garden. For an example, go to WSSC’s demonstration garden at Brighton Dam Visitor’s Center’s parking lot.  

Have an idea of your own? Go to WSSC’s “Friends of Brighton Dam” Facebook’s Discussion Page and share it with others.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56844268643&v=app_2373072738&ref=ts

Suggestions Courtesy of:  Wanda MacLachlan, Area Educator - Residential Landscape Management,
University of Maryland Extension