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LEGACY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM In 1990, Congress passed legislation establishing the Legacy Resource Management Program to provide financial assistance to Department of Defense (DoD) efforts that focus on preserving our natural and cultural heritage. The program assists DoD in protecting and enhancing resources while supporting military readiness.
A Legacy project may involve regional ecosystem management initiatives, habitat preservation efforts, archaeological investigations, invasive species control, Native American consultations, and/or monitoring and predicting migratory patterns of birds and animals. Three principles guide the Legacy program: stewardship, leadership and partnership. Stewardship initiatives assist DoD in safeguarding its irreplaceable resources for future generations. By embracing a leadership role as part of the program, the Department serves as a model for respectful use of natural and cultural resources. Through partnerships, the program strives to access the knowledge and talents of individuals outside of DoD. Read about the 2007 Invasive Plant Management Workshop Invasive Species Project
The Wildlife Habitat Council, with funding from the Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program and under cooperative agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers, is managing invasive species on military installations in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This multi-faceted effort focuses on creating conservation partnerships to control invasive plant species at Fort Belvoir Army Garrison, Naval Support Facility Indian Head and Naval Support Facility Carderock. Working with the installations’ natural resources personnel and community partners, WHC created an invasive species management plan for each site. The WHC project manager carries out day-to-day control activities (digging invasive plants, monitoring for re-growth, etc.) and organizes volunteers and employees who help implement the management plans. The ultimate goal is to create self-sufficient partnership programs that will function even after WHC’s Legacy project ends. As part of the Legacy project, WHC produced a guidebook designed to address the needs of those controlling invasive species on military installations. The guidebook is available to DoD personnel and civilians, free of charge, and can be downloaded here. To complement the guidebook, WHC is developing an invasive species management plan template that will guide decision-making for invasive species control programs. This document will be posted for free download when it is finalized. The third component of the Legacy project is education for DoD personnel and community members. In October of 2007, the WHC project manager organized an invasive plant workshop at the ~~ INVASIVE SPECIES NEWS AND RESOURCES ~~ Featured story: Researchers at Delaware University have discovered a toxic substance exuded by roots of common reed (Phragmites australis) that aids the spread of this highly invasive plant. In this prime example of allelopathy - where a plant produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of competing plants - the acidic exudate produced by Phragmites is so toxic that it is capable of distintegrating the structural integrity of neighboring plants' roots. The substance works by targeting tubulin, a structural protein that helps maintain cellular integrity and straight growth in the soil. Native varieties of Phragmites also produce the toxin, but in much smaller quantities than the invasive Eurasian strains. Results of the research have been published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
Managing Invaders in the Birthplace of Speciation
Botanists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) have conducted surveys in Puerto Villamil, Isabel Island, the third largest town in the Galapagos, establishing baseline data for the presence of invasive species. They have published a list of 261 species that were recorded in the survey, 39 of which were found to be naturalized, growing in the wild, and five of which were considered potentially serious weeds that require immediate eradication. Echoing sentiments of prevention and early detection, CDF botanist Anne Guezou states, "Early detection must go hand in hand with preventing the arrival of more non-native plants into Galapagos." Fungus Holds Potential for Cheatgrass Control Researchers at Gonzaga University have identified a naturally occurring soil fungus (Pyrenophora semeniperda) that attacks the seeds of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), a ubiquitous invasive grass species that has significantly contributed to the rampant wildfires throughout the western U.S. The fungus has been observed to kill cheatgrass seeds and then send out black, stubby, tendril-like sporocarps, which led to researchers naming it "Black Fingers of Death." Further research into the fungus' cheatgrass biocontrol capabilities will occur over the next three years through $247,000 in federal funding. Move Over Zebra Mussels There is a new mussel species threatening the health of the Great Lakes. The quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis), a larger relative of the zebra mussel, has colonized large areas of lake bottom throughout the Great Lakes in recent years. According to NOAA data, the quagga mussel population tripled in Lake Michigan last year. Though the rapid expansion of the quagga mussel has dramatically increased water clarity, the benefits end there. The prolific filtering by the mussels has reduced plankton and other microscopic food that many fish species depend on. Additionally, the mussels promote conditions that allow cladophora algal blooms. The algae, in turn, are known to host a number of potentially harmful bacteria, including E.Coli and Type E botulism. Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Pennsylvania On June 22, 2007, USDA APHIS officials detected two emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) adults in western Pennsylvania while performing surveys in Cranberry township, Butler County. The discovery is the first in the state and has prompted quarantine restrictions on the movement of wood in surrounding counties until further surveys are completed. The emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle species native to Asia that was first discovered in North America near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. Adult EAB beetles feed on the leaves of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), but inflict minimal damage to the trees. It is the EAB’s larval stage that causes ash mortality when larvae feed on the inner bark of trees and restrict the trees’ ability to transport water and nutrients – effectively cutting holes in the transport tissues. Since its introduction, emerald ash borer populations have killed millions of ash trees across several Midwestern states – Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Read Full Article Invasive Species Resources: National Invasive Species Information Center - USDA - State-specific Resources Invasive Species Information and Images - Bugwood Network, USDA Forest Service, USDA APHIS Global Invasive Species Team - The Nature Conservancy Global Invasive Species Database - ISSG USDA Forest Service Invasive Species Program Exotic Forest Pest Information System - North American Forest Commission Weeds Gone Wild - Plant Conservation Alliance National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils Center for Invasive Plant Management - Montana State University - Invasive Plant Management Online Textbook Marine Invasions Research Lab - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Armed Forces Pest Management Board Plant Management Information System - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Aquatic Plant Information System - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
