“Invasive” species refer to organisms not endemic to an ecosystem that cause widespread harm to the area. These species often reproduce rapidly and spread aggressively, outwitting other organisms and disrupting natural landscapes. Invasive species can alter the diversity of species important to native wildlife and rapidly replace diverse ecosystems with strict monocultures. In some cases, invasive species can alter ecosystem conditions, such as soil chemistry, contributing to wildfire intensity and other conditions.

What threatens one part of the web threatens the whole system.according to National Wildlife Federation, invasive species are responsible for approximately 42% of the decline in nationally endangered or endangered species and are seen as a major threat to native wildlife. We are directly affected by widespread change, and impacts on natural ecosystems cost billions of dollars each year. Invasive forest pests are causing unprecedented declines in many tree species worldwide. Within the United States, this includes the near-extinction of American chestnuts, the death of ash species, and the death of five-needle pines.

Invasive in Northern Arizona alien species Increasingly changing the native landscape.

A significant area along the edge of a body of water, the riparian zone occupies less than 2% of the land area of ​​the southwestern United States. Riparian areas provide habitat, maintain water quality, stabilize vegetation, and serve as estuaries for numerous endemic species. Unfortunately, exotic fish crayfish, american bullfrog and himalayan blackberry These are just a few of the invasive species that inhabit Sedona’s Red Rock Ranger District riparian zone. Himalayan blackberry is a vigorous, vine-like evergreen shrub that spreads easily by seed and displaces native plants. This edible perennial produces dense thickets in which understory plants are restrained from shade and crowding.

Other exotic plants invading riparian areas include the notorious tamarisk, Arundo (giant reed), Russian olive and johnson glass.

“The Verde River is in much better shape than most other southwestern rivers when it comes to tamarisks, arundos and other invasive woody species,” says a botanist at Coconino National Forest. Andy Pig said. “Both Arundo and Tamarisk have been successfully biocontrolled and are approved by the United States. Aphis It is being used in various watersheds as part of an integrated management strategy.of Tamarisque potato beetle In certain areas of repeated defoliation, it has performed particularly well in the Colorado Tributaries, the Virgin River and the Lower Colorado River Basin. “

The Lower Rio Grande in Texas is Representative example of the impact of the Arundo invasion, in which the uncontrolled growth of the species caused significant ecological and economic damage. Fortunately, Verde stays away from these affected waterways due to research and management efforts by the U.S. Forest Service and local partners such as: Friend of the Verde River.

The American bullfrog is the largest frog in the country and is cultivated around the world for its mouth-watering hind legs. After numerous aquaculture escapes, natives from the eastern United States invaded the western part of the country. Bullfrogs are rapidly taking over new environments due to the lack of natural predators and their common eating habits. increase. A female bullfrog can lay up to 20,000 eggs at a time, while native frogs only lay 2,000 to 5,000 eggs.Federal threats in Arizona chiricaua leopard frog It has declined by 80% since 2002, mainly due to predation by bullfrogs, disease and habitat degradation.

Like the bullfrog, the northern crayfish is an opportunistic and invasive omnivore that has merged in northern Arizona riparian areas and has been attributed to the decline of native species such as the lowland leopard frog, mud tortoise, and Little Colorado spine dace. increase.Over the past few years, crawfish numbers have exploded throughout the Southwest, causing ecosystem debris.To Harvest Crawfish in Arizona license is necessary.

In the Red Rock Ranger District alone, more than 20 species of invasive fish plague the riparian areas.These include red eye bass, green sunfish, several catfish species, and both large and smallmouth bass. Arizona even has invasive species freshwater jellyfish Native to the Yangtze River Basin in China, it has not yet been recorded in the Coconino National Forest. Adaptable fish species can tolerate a wide variety of habitats, making them ideal resource contenders with no predators. These fish, like bullfrogs and crayfish, outsmart and dislodge native species. In addition, aquatic invasive plants create monocultures, reduce species diversity, and choke important waterway and riparian areas.

Above the Mogollon Rim, alien species change with the terrain. Dubbed a “raging biological wildfire,” invasive plants pose a significant threat to native species and threaten to form a permanent monoculture in Flagstaff.

introduced a century ago, spreading cornflowers It is an incredibly hardy and persistent invasive noxious weed that easily dominates pastures and disturbed areas. The first report of diffuse cornflowers in Arizona was in 1979 along Highway 89, seven miles north of Flagstaff. The plant now occupies a substantial area north and east of Flagstaff Mall and dominates the landscape across a desolate open field. The plant is a prolific seed producer. Individual plants can produce up to 140,000 seeds per square meter. These seeds remain dormant for 5 to 10 years, making weeds very difficult to eradicate.Diffuse cornflowers like invasive cornflowers russian thistle, Propagate seeds by forming tumbleweeds that roam open areas. In addition to rampant cornflowers, Arizona is also home to looting. square,Russia and spotted Cornflowers with similar rosettes and environmental impact.

yellow blue stem grass It is a class B pest listed in Arizona Noxious Weed List, has become a high priority for land managers. The yellow-green grass is allelopathic and deposits biochemicals in the soil that limit the growth of nearby organisms. It completely occupies a large area. This not only reduces the diversity of other species such as birds and mammals, but also increases wildfire fuel and danger to nearby communities.

It is one of the more concerning new insect species found within the Coconino National Forest. oyster shell scales It is a small, armor-scaled insect that can cover entire branches of trees and shrubs, causing branch blight and ultimately killing the entire plant. Scales have been recorded in 168 plant species, predominantly hardwoods, and have been identified as widespread in the quivering aspen stands of northern Arizona. This insect is particularly infested and damages poplar enclosures designed to protect young regenerating aspen stems from viewing by wild and domestic ungulates.

Coconino National Forest and Northern Arizona University are jointly investigating potential management strategies for this invasive insect. Potential prevention strategies for managing oyster shell scale in naturally swaying aspen stands include afforestation strategies such as clear-cutting, sanitary thinning, prescribed fires, and the application of insecticide sprays or biological controls. will be

Non-native invasive species pose some of the greatest environmental and economic threats to northern Arizona, but there are several ways to mitigate the spread between them. National Invasive Species Week from. An important first step is to replace invasive houseplants in your garden with native plants. Choose to landscape with native species rather than non-native species. Replace Dalmatian Toadflax with Desert Marigold, English Ivy with Arizona Grape, and Russian Olive with Emory Oak. Familiarize yourself with local invasive species, properly remove them from the landscape, and attract populations before they spread. Do not move firewood. Always clean your gear after use and rinse your boat thoroughly before moving to another body of water.

Interested citizen scientists should Wild Spotter App Help map invaders in the wilds of America. Volunteers can identify, map, and prevent the spread of alien species through the app. In addition to being a “wild spotter,” “Weed Warrior” By following invasive plant best practices organized by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Coconino County, and the Flagstaff Chapter of the Arizona Native Plant Society.