HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism, such as a disease, parasite, plant or animal, that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy or human health.
So what invasive species are of most concern for Indiana and Illinois? And can anything be done about it?
Indiana
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), in order to be officially called an “invasive species” in the state of Indiana, it needs to be two things: one, it cannot be native, and the second, it causes harm to property or humans. Primarily, these invasive species cause harm by outcompeting their native counterparts and taking over areas, reducing the diversity of the native flora and fauna.
IDNR says when it comes to invasive species, it all depends on the type of invasive species people are talking about.
- For insects, the Asian Longhorned Beetle is of the most concern.
- For mammals, feral pigs are a “big deal.”
- For plants, there are just way too many that are of concern to list.
According to IDNR, the plants that would be at the top of the list of concerns would be honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed or callery pear. These plants, once believed to be an asset to people’s personal gardens, have now escaped into the forests and are starting to take over. The average forester now reports anywhere between $100 and $1,000 annually being spent to manage invasive species in their woodlots.
To break down just how bad the above plants are, these are the reasons the USDA gives:
- Honeysuckles
- Can displace native understory vegetation
- Form an impenetrable understory layer
- May degrade wildlife habitat
- Can cause long-term decline of forests by shading out other woody and herbaceous plants
- May compete with native plants for pollinators, reducing seed set of native plants
- May not serve as a source of high-fat, nutrient-rich fruit for migrating birds
- Japanese knotweed
- Spreads quickly to form dense thickets that exclude native vegetation
- Can alter soil chemistry, out-compete native plants and displace animals that depend on native plants.
- Shades out everything underneath it, preventing forest regeneration, eliminating populations of understory plants and essentially stopping natural succession
- Callery pear
- Forms dense thickets
- Displace native plants
- Degrade wildlife habitat
- Cause problems along roadsides
- Can also pose a safety hazard as their poor structure causes the trees to easily split
As for the Asian Longhorned Beetle, the USDA says the beetle is an invasive insect that attacks and kills maple and other hardwood trees. The insect grows inside trees and feeds on the living tissues that carry nutrients. Trees cannot heal from the damage this beetle causes. Infested trees can become safety hazards since branches can drop and trees can fall, especially during storms.
IDNR officials say the average person can help with all these by first keeping an eye on their surroundings and making sure to report anything that they see that is different or not common in an area. But more importantly, they must be aware of what they are introducing to the area and make sure that anything that they introduce to that area does not take over or spread into areas that they were not supposed to be in. Hitchhikers are often a result of people not paying enough attention to what they might be transporting unwittingly into a new area.
IDNR officials say, “It is critical that we all take responsibility in the future for what we introduce into our surroundings. As globalization continues and we are able to move goods farther and faster than we ever have before, we must increase our awareness of what that means for the natural world surrounding us.”
Illinois
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Illinois DNR), the topic of invasive species is a broad topic. As a result, the organization didn’t specify which invasive species was of most concern for the state.
According to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, such invasive species include the spotted lanternfly, the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the red imported fire ant. It should be noted that a 2022 list of the most “unwanted” invasive pests can be found below.
According to the USDA, imported fire ants are invasive pests that may feed on crops such as sorghum, corn and small grain seeds, forage grass and citrus seedlings. They can also girdle young trees and injure animals and people. A single fire ant can sting repeatedly.
USDA officials say their large nests located in fields interfere with and damage equipment during cultivation and harvesting. They can move to non-infested areas by hitchhiking on agricultural commodities.
According to USDA officials, to help keep these pests from spreading to new areas, people are asked to follow the regulations on moving baled hay, soil, plants, soil-moving equipment and other items out of imported fire ant quarantine areas. According to this map, the closest quarantine area for these ants is in the majority of Tennessee.
According to the map linked above, Illinois does not currently appear to be a federal quarantine area for imported fire ants.
