Invasives in the News

Eco Talk: Five challenges to our northeastern forests

January 22, 2016

There are five challenges that are inhibiting our forests' ability to regenerate successfully and remain a productive land use and a healthy ecosystem: Invasive species, deer, fragmentation, habitat diversity and private owner stewardship.

New Release! Earthworms in Forests

January 21, 2016

A new resource has been released, discussing the impact of earthworms in Vermont.

"Where Are They From?

All earthworms in Vermont are non-native. Approximately 12,000 years ago the state of Vermont was covered by glacial ice. This event removed any native earthworms which may have evolved with our forests.

Earthworms were inadvertently imported with soil and plant...

A Big-Picture View of the Invasive Plant Problem

January 13, 2016

"Invasive plants are increasingly altering the structure and function of our natural environment, and now researchers have determined how far-reaching the problem has become.

Scientists seek to sic microbes on invasive plants

January 7, 2016

"There are tiny, unseeable creatures doing tiny, unseeable things to help people, wildlife and plants all around us.

Microbes are everywhere—inside the dirt, on your dog and even in your stomach. And scientists increasingly want to harness their powers for good.

One way could be to manage invasive species

New rule would ban import of untreated firewood into state

January 5, 2016

MONTPELIER >> A new rule is being considered that would ban the transport of untreated firewood into the state of Vermont, in order to prevent the spread of invasive pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer.

Invasive Ornamental Plant Invading Tropical Forests

December 21, 2015

"Miconia trees with their ginormous green and purple leaves are invading botanic gardens all around the world. While the plant is aesthetically pleasing, it is also called the "green cancer" for its ability to claim and overwhelm new territories, according to researchers from the University of Alcalá.

A recent study revealed 91 countries that are at risk of being colonized by these...

Be Prepared for the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Entomologists Warn

December 17, 2015

The Scout Motto is the best advice for pest managers who want to establish a first line of defense against problematic invasive insects even before they become established, according to Dr. Surendra Dara, an IPM and crop advisor at the University of California.

New Invasive Pest Found in Vermont: Red Pine Scale confirmed in Rutland and Orange Counties

December 7, 2015

For some time there have been reports of “hot spots” of red pine mortality across our region. An effort funded by the US Forest Service and led by a graduate student from UNH is looking into the situation and beginning to find some clues. While the team continues to look at a variety of possible causal agents, one result of this research is that red pine scale (RPS) has been...

Knot amused: Spotlight on an invasive plant in Vermont

December 7, 2015

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), native to Eastern Asia, was introduced to North America in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant. This plant is found in most U.S. states, and many countries worldwide, exhibiting invasive behavior outside of Asia*.

Japanese knotweed was identified in Vermont as early as the 1920s**. In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont...

New Information Calls Didymo's “Invasive” Status Into Question

December 3, 2015

For years, Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo, for short) has been on many states’ high-priority aquatic invasive species lists. Didymo, a freshwater diatom, has the potential to form dense mats on stream and river bottoms, making...

Eradication Nation: What Boston’s battle with the Asian longhorned beetle can teach us about stopping an invasive pest in its tracks

December 1, 2015

Clint McFarland didn’t want to believe the pictures he was looking at on his smartphone.
A Worcester, Mass., neighborhood before ALB-infested tree removal

Western weed summit takes aim at invasive plants

November 23, 2015

"BOISE, Idaho —

Finding a way to stop fire-prone cheatgrass and other invasive species is unavoidable if sagebrush ecosystems in the West are to remain viable for native plants and animals, experts say.

More than 200 federal and state land managers and scientists trying to figure out how to do that took part in the three-day 2015 Western Invasive Weed Summit that wrapped up...

Notes From the Garden: Pulling Up Invasive Plants Calls for New Devices

November 19, 2015

"Going for a walk the other day along a public trail I was struck by the number of invasive shrubs I saw. Most trees and shrubs have shed their leaves, but burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) still have leaves on their branches. Holding leaves and producing food by photosynthesis gives them extra energy to take over the world...

Learn To Battle Invasive Plants At Free Sterling College Workshop

October 27, 2015

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

SHELBURNE CENTER, Massachusetts — It was only a year ago that Norman and Lisa Davenport first noticed sunlight flickering through the once-dense shade of a stand of hemlocks on their hilltop farmland.

And now those first trees look more like utility poles than conifers.

As the twin evils of elongate hemlock scale and hemlock woolly adelgid spread...

Why do bad things happen to good trees? VT Annual Tree Stewards Conference Converges around Healthy Trees, Healthy Communities

October 20, 2015

Over 30 participants attended the recent 4th Annual Vermont Tree Stewards Conference to explore that question and many more on how to keep our trees and communities healthy. Held at the historic Holly Hall in Bristol, this conference provided an educational and networking opportunity for the stewards of Vermont's urban trees and community forests.

Patrick Olstad, Landscape Architect...