A very informative
evening of presentations and exhibits with refreshments. Exhibitors
were the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Fisheries
and Oceans Canada, the Wildlife Festival, the Ottawa Stewardship Council,
and the Canadian Museum of Nature. Four outstanding speakers discussed
the effects of invasive species on our native eco-systems:
Dr. Naomi Cappuccino, Carleton
University, an entomologist, received her PhD from Cornell University
in 1988, and did post-doctoral studies at UQAM from 1988-1991. She joined
the Faculty of Carleton University in 1998. Her graduate and postdoctoral
work focussed on the population and community dynamics of herbivorous
insects on goldenrods, and on spruce budworm population dynamics. Her
interest in plants, particularly invasives, came to the fore when she
joined Carleton and noticed the huge populations of dog-strangling vine
(swallow-wort) around the campus. Dr. Cappuccino's work now focuses
largely on invasive plants.
Dr. Paul Catling, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, received his PhD in Systematic Botany
from the University of Toronto in 1980 and subsequently joined Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada as a research scientist where his work includes
crop germplasm protection, native biodiversity protection, and aquatic
weed management. He is Curator of the Vascular Plant Herbarium at AAFC,
one of the largest such herbaria in the country, as well as an Adjunct
Professor at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Catling is also extremely
interested in the problem of invading alien vascular plants and has
done extensive research in the area, particularly on glossy buckthorn
and European frog-bit. His other
interests and areas of expertise include ornithology and entomology,
and he is a well-known expert on Canadian dragonflies. Dr. Catling has
served on various environmental committee including Nature Conservancy
and the IUCN, and has produced over 300 publications.
Dr. Henri Goulet, Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, received his PhD in Insect Taxonomy from the University
of Alberta, where he studied the ecology, biology and taxonomy of Ground
Beetles. In 1978 he joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a research
scientist working on the taxonomy of Saw Flies and Braconid Wasps. Dr.
Goulet, who has published over 40 papers on the systematics, ecology,
morphology, and diversity of sawflies and ground beetles, is also President
of the Entomological Society of Ontario, a position he has held since
1989. For over forty years he has studied invasive insects, particularly
ground beetles. As an avid gardener studying the interactions between
plants and insects, he has been very aware of the many invasive species
establishing themselves often with alarming results for native flora
and fauna. The use of insects as bio-control agents is another area
of interest for Dr. Goulet.
Dr. Andre Martel, Canadian Museum of Nature, has a PhD in zoology from the University
of Alberta. In 1990 he became a research scientist in the area of Malacology
and Aquatic Biodiversity at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Recently,
he completed a 3-year term as Assistant Director of the Bamfield Marine
Station in BC. He is a Sessional Instructor in Biology at Carleton University,
and has published a number of papers in peer-reviewed journals. As a
member of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada) he works with the Mollusca Sub-Committee Group. Dr. Martel's
research interests focus on the ecology and conservation of native freshwater
mussels in our lakes and rivers. Impacts of exotic species on mussel
diversity and populations are a particular concern. He has done field
work on freshwater mussels across Canada, and locally has been very
involved in the Rideau River Biodiversity Project.
Other Invasive Species
Links The Plant Conservation Alliance
"Weeds Gone Wild. Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas" provides.
background information on the problem of invasive species, illustrated
fact sheets that include plant descriptions, native range, distribution
and habitat in the U.S., management options, suggested alternative native
plants, and other information, and selected links to relevant people
and organizations. Guide
to Monitoring Exotic and Invasive Plants by Erich Haber
Prepared for: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Environment
Canada 1997. Federation
of Ontario Naturalists site on invasive plants - mostly for gardeners. The Center for Invasive
Plant Management
represents a coalition of agencies, organizations, and individuals interested
in managing invasive plants and maintaining healthy ecosystems in western
North America. They have a good set of links to other sites, lots of
information about invasives, applicable to NA. The Invasive Species Specialist
Group (ISSG)
is part of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation
Union (IUCN). ISSG provides advice on threats from invasives and control
or eradication methods. http://invasives.eeb.uconn.edu/ipane/ Invasive
Plant Atlas of New England. The site is maintained by theUSDA and University
of Connecticut. Has a very good data base of images, information about
species, regional distribution maps, etc. Internet
Directory for Botany Images
Provides numerous images of invasive plants. Internet Directory
for Botany
is an index to botanical information available on the internet. The Nature
Conservancy
Wildland Invasive Species Team. A compilation of information on invasive
plants and their control including photos, the Weed Control Methods
Handbook which can be downloaded, much more. Worth investigating. The Ontario
Vegetation Management Association An annotated list with images of Ontario's noxious weeds, as defined
by the provincial government. Invasive Species other than plants: The
Nations's Biological Information System (NBII)
website on invasive species contains a wealth of information on all
invasive species, not just plants. The Nonindigenous
Aquatic Species (NAS) (US Geological Survey)
species. Provided are scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial
data sets, regional contact lists, and general information on all invasive
aquatic species, not just plants. The
US Geological Survey - a list of links to sites about invasive species,
not only plants.
A gateway to federal and state invasive species activities and programs.
Developed and maintained by the National Agricultural Library
for the National Invasive Species Council (US). Global
Invasive Species Programme
Laying the groundwork to address invasive alien species in science,
education, management and policy through collaborative international
action. Looks at all invasive taxa. The Bugwood Network
and Forestry Images
(Image Archive and Database Systems. The University of Georgia). A good
repository of images for public use.
Links to other resources.
Alien Invaders in Canada's Waters, Wetlands, and Forests. Ed. by R.
Claudii, et al. 2002. Natural Resources Canada.
Alien Invaders. The Continuing Threat of Exotic Species. Sneed B. Collard
III. 1996.Franklin Watts.
Faut-il avoir peur des especes envalissantes? Quatre-temps, Vol. 27,
No 1, mars 2003 - Un numero de la Revue des Amis du Jardin botanique
de Montreal qui traite des plantes et insectes envahissants.
Bio-Control Part of
the above Bugwood Network site.
Extensive information about biological control of invasive plants in
the Eastern United States. Detailed species accounts. Cornell
University. Provides photos and descriptions of bio-control agents
of insect, disease and weed pests in North America.
