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Workshop Scheduled to Address Concerns About Invasive Species in Coastal Georgia

August 18, 2003—Conservationists throughout the world are contending with the problem of non-native invasive species and the threats they pose to native plants, animals and natural areas. Coastal Georgia is no exception. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the public is invited to attend a free workshop at the Continuing Education Center at Coastal Georgia Community College to learn about the impacts invasive species are having on the coastal region's native flora and fauna.

Hosted by The Nature Conservancy and Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR), with funding from NOAA, the workshop will feature a wide range of expert speakers, including keynote speaker Dr. Lorne Wolfe of Georgia Southern University. Other speakers include Dr. Gene Keferl of Coastal Georgia Community College, Carmen Martin of Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Jesup landowner Mickey Whittington. Topics will cover the status and management of such devastating invasive species as Chinese tallow, flathead catfish, zebra mussels, feral hogs and the green porcelain crab, as well as the impact of invasives on coastal Georgia's ports. The workshop topics will be of interest to landowners, backyard gardeners, academics and professional conservationists

The invasion of non-native species is a world-wide ecological crisis with disastrous results, both environmentally and economically. While it is impossible to put a price tag on a species that has been lost forever due to competition from invasives, a Cornell University study estimates that non-native invasive species cost Americans $138 billion annually, in terms of environmental damages, losses and associated control techniques.

"The need for recognizing and addressing issues associated with the spread of exotic species on a global scale has never been greater," said Dorset Hurley, research coordinator for SINERR. "Regardless of its geographic isolation, no ecosystem – marine, terrestrial or aquatic – has been immune from the effects of exotic introduction."

Invasive species threaten to degrade habitat, jeopardize the recovery of rare and endangered plant and animal species, and reduce biological diversity. According to the federal government’s National Management Plan for Invasive Species (invasivespecies.gov), non-native species negatively impact up to 46 percent of federally listed plant and animals.

"Exotic species effect the energy flow and pathways of biological feedback into and among natural systems," Hurley said. "These ecosystem-level disruptions have been linked to significant declines and, in severe cases, extinction of both economically and ecologically important species."

The Conservancy and SINERR have identified the following species as potentially the most devastating to the natural balance of the coastal region: (These are just a few of the invasive species that are present in south and coastal Georgia.)

• Water hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes)
  This floating aquatic plant from South America is liked by gardeners and horticulturists for its showy purple flowers in the warmer months. This invasive can double in numbers within two weeks and forms large floating mats in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. It shades out native aquatic vegetation and reduces oxygen in the water. It can block waterways completely, causing a hazard to recreational users.
• Chinese tallow(Sapium sebiferum)
  This small tree from Asia can grow up to 40 feet in height, with aspen-like leaves and white popcorn-like fruit that grow in the fall. The tree grows along rivers, creeks, ponds and wetlands, typically in thickets. It displaces native vegetation, depletes oxygen from oxbow lakes and streams, and is toxic to fish and animals.
• Common reed(Phragmites australis)
  This tall wetland plant can grow up to 15 feet in height and has very wide leaves. It produces a large seed inflorescence. It has been found in North America for centuries, but the invasive form of the plant has been thought to have been brought over from Europe. It is common along roadsides in ditches and marshes, and is usually found in large colonial groups. It displaces native vegetation by producing many plants and lots of seeds.
• Kudzu(Pueraria montana var.lobata)
  "Mile-a-minute" vine, or kudzu, was introduced in the late 1800s and has been used for erosion control, a forage crop for cattle and an ornamental. It is a perennial deciduous vine with purple fragrant small flowers. Kudzu destroys native vegetation by smothering, up-rooting and breaking limbs and branches of native flora.
• Rattlebox(Sesbania punicea)
  Also known as Chinese wisteria, this small South American shrub has a hat-rack shape and will grow to about 10 feet in height. It has 10 to 40 leaflets on a branch and its showy scarlet red flowers in late spring and early summer are unmistakable. This small shrub grows along roadsides and in wetland areas. It produces abundant seeds, reproduces quickly and forms dense thickets, thereby replacing native vegetation.
• Feral hogs(Sus scrofa)
  Feral hogs, or wild boars, were brought to North America several centuries ago by European settlers for food, as well as hunting. A female can breed several times a year and can produce one to seven young. These animals are detrimental to wildlife and natural communities as they are known to dig up native vegetation, eat small wildlife and consume foods that native wildlife need to survive.
• Flathead catfish(Pylodictis olivaris)
  Pale yellow catfish with flattened body and head, this invasive can weigh over 50 pounds and is found in large streams and rivers. A voracious predator, it preys on native fish species.
• Green porcelain crab(Petrolisthes armatus)
  A small flattened crab olive green to dark green in color, it is found in great density and thought to displace native bottom-dwelling crabs.
• Green mussel (Perna viridis)
  Growing to approximately six inches high and twice that size in length, this native mussel of the coastal and tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific region is recognized by the brilliant green of the young and the darker green to brown color of the adults.
• Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense)
  A shrub that can grow to twelve feet in height with oval or elliptical leaves, Chinese privet is distinguished from other privets by the presence of fine hairs on the twigs and underside of leaves. Chinese privet can dominate the shrub layer of an invaded habitat, thus altering species composition and natural community structure by choking out native plant species. It can shade out all herbaceous plants.

"This workshop is among the first steps to abate the threat invasive species pose to the natural environment," said Christi Lambert, southeast Georgia conservation director for The Nature Conservancy. "With the help of the local community, particularly landowners and those who use the land and waters for work and recreation, we can identify where these species are occurring and take measures to control their populations and save the native species and natural communities from disastrous ecological consequences."

The workshop is free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register, please call Christine Griffiths at The Nature Conservancy, 912/437-2161.

For more information about invasive species, visit The Nature Conservancy’s website: nature.org/initiatives/invasivespecies/.