A major link in the food web is disappearing from the Great Lakes. Researchers are concerned that its absence will damage fish populations. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:
Tag: exotic species
Zebra Mussel Adapts to New Environs
New research shows one invasive species in the Great Lakes is even more resilient than originally thought. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl reports:
Park Service Combats Exotic Plants
There’s a silent danger creeping through national parks across the
country. The parks – like many other wild areas – are being invaded by
alien species. Officials say these exotic plants are the most
significant threat to the parks’ natural resources. And now, the
National Park Service is taking action. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:
Will Legislation Ground Shipping?
Exotic species may claim another victim on the Great Lakes. If
proposed federal legislation passes, shipping industry experts say Great
Lakes commerce could be shutdown. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Mike Simonson reports:
Bird Decline Tied to Exotics
According to the National Audobon Society, some species of
songbirds have experienced a 30 percent decline in their population
over
the past decade. Now, there’s evidence that non-native plant species
may
be contributing to the problem. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Karen Kelly reports:
Transcript
According to the National Audubon Society, some species of songbirds have experienced
a thirty percent decline in their population over the past decade. Now, there’s
evidence that non-native plant species might be contributing to the problem. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports:
American robins and wood thrushes like to build their nests in shrubs. Typically, they
choose tall bushes with long thorns that keep predators away. But as those plants are
replaced by non-native species, the birds are forced to move into the new shrubs. And
that makes them vulnerable to predators.
Christopher Whalen is an avian ecologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. His
study found birds that nest in exotic shrubs were twenty percent more likely to lose
their eggs to a predator.
Because of the different way these plants grow, the exotic shrubs provide a
suitable-looking confluence of branches at a lower height above the ground. So, nest
height drops a meter and a half to two meters on average.”
That makes it easier for raccoons to invade. Whalen’s study focused on Illinois, but
he says birds are doing this throughout the Northeast and Midwest.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Karen Kelly.
Success in Controlling the Lamprey
Sea lampreys feed on a lake trout. The invasive species damages the Great Lakes fishery. (photo courtesy Great Lakes Fishery Commission)
A new effort to eradicate the sea lamprey is attacking one major
trouble spot. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham
reports… the parasite is being trapped and poisoned:
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Invasive Fish on the Move
An exotic species is making its way toward Lake
Michigan… from Lake Superior. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Mike Simonson reports that the Eurasian Ruffe (ROUGH) fish is
multiplying at a rate wildlife specialists can’t control, threatening to
spread to other Great Lakes:
Appreciating the Exotics
If you live in a city or a suburb, chances are that you see non-native
species every day. They might be birds originally from Europe, or a
tree imported from Asia. They’re almost always referred to as pests and
weeds. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator, Chuck Staresinic
, suggests that instead of despising these invaders,
perhaps we should admire them. At the very least, we should get used to
them:
Beetle Controls Purple Loosestife
A European plant called purple loosestrife is increasingly making
itself at home near lakes, wetlands, and meadows throughout the Great
Lakes region. That’s bad news for native plants that are pushed out by
the aggressive newcomer. But help could be on the way. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports on a program to
introduce a loosestrife-munching beetle:
Zebra Mussels Affect Drinking Water
Researchers know zebra mussels have altered the Great Lakes. They
believe those changes are not finished. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports… the invasive species might be
upsetting the food chain and making tap water drawn from the lakes taste
bad: