Invasive EcologyInvasive EcologyUnit Seven

ObjectivesObjectives Identify plant pests common to Western

Washington◦ Insects◦ Weeds◦ Disease ◦ Animals

Describe the signs of pest damageDifferentiate between types of pests in

diagnosing pest damageDemonstrate the use of appropriate control

(integrated Pest Management) and eradication methods

Various case studies

VocabularyVocabulary Abiotic *Allelopathy Auxins *Bacterium Biological weed control *Mycoplasma Biotic *Cytokinins Disease *Fungus Gibberellins *Incubation Infection *Infectious disease Viroid *Weed Inoculation *Inhibitors Integrated Pest Management *Perennials Nematodes *Noninfectious disease Noxious weeds *Pathogens Plant growth regulators *Pre emergence

herbicides Herbicides *Rhizomes Viruses *Winter annual

Invasive EcologyInvasive EcologyIs the content area that covers any

insect, fungus, or plant invasive species.

These invasive species will negatively affect the host plant or host location.

One invasive could have a very wide and detrimental affect on an ecosystem.

How can an invasive plant cause damage to an ecosystem

Chestnut blightChestnut blightwww.teachersdomain.org/

resource/ket08.sci.life.gen.amchestnut/

Chestnut BlightChestnut BlightWhy are the researchers pollinating this

chestnut tree manually?Why does it take three visits to the tree to

do what nature normally does on its own?The scientists do not manually pollinate

every flower on the Adair Count tree because the tree is so large and because this leaves some flowers as a control.

Explain how the untreated flowers are a scientific control and why having a control samples is important to any scientific endeavor.

Estimate how long it takes to produce blight resistant progeny in a program involving one cross, three backcrosses, and intercross.

Entry TaskEntry TaskBecause crop yields or quality may be

reduced by weeds, it is important that farmers receive a higher price for these products to help offset these losses. For example, if corn yields are reduced from 100 to 80 bushels an acre by weed competition, then the farmer would have to receive an increase of 25% in price to offset the loss in yield:◦If farmer A sold 100 bushels @$2.00=$200◦If farmer B sold 80 bushels and made $200

how much did he charge per bushel

WeedsWeedsWeeds are plants that grow

where they are not wanted.A plant may be a weed growing

in one location and not a weed in another.

Negative affects of weedsNegative affects of weedsWeeds are a very problematic matter

for many things from basic gardening to agricultural crop production.

Weeds lower the yield of many crops by competing for water, nutrients, light, and space.

One wild mustard plant can remove as much nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil as two oat plants….decrease the amount of nutrients available for crops or natives.

Indirect effects of weedsIndirect effects of weedsIf cows eat weeds such as wild garlic

or bitter sneezeweed the milk will have an unpleasant odor and taste.

Weeds can stain the lint of cotton, causing the lint to be graded lower.

Interfere with harvest causing delays and greater harvest loss. They often necessitate drying of harvested grain…increasing cost of production

How to identify the How to identify the problemproblemCareful identification of a problem is

essential before control practices can be used.

Some insect damage may appear to be a disease, especially if no visible insects are present.

Nutrient problems may also mimic diseases.

Herbicide damage resulting from misapplication of chemicals also can be mistaken for other problems.

Plant damagePlant damage

Abiotic…..nonliving Biotic…..living

Anything nonliving that causes damage to a plant.◦ Wind

◦ Rain (lack of or too much)

◦ Sun (lack of or too much)

◦ Lawn mowing equipment

◦ Rocks

◦ Heat

◦ Nutrients (lack of or too much)

Anything living that causes damage to a plant.◦ Bacteria

◦ Virus

◦ Fungus

◦ Insects

◦ Humans

◦ Animals

Biotic damageBiotic damage

Insects Insects

Sucking◦ Misshapen leaves or flower

petals.

◦ Younger leaves will appeared curled or puckered.

◦ Thinning of leaf tissue

◦ Look on underside of leaf to locate these insects.

◦ Insert their mouth parts into plant tissue and suck out the sugars created during photosynthesis.

Chewing◦ Chewed leaves and

flowers

◦ It is often easy to identify insect damage because they will be present on the plant. In some cases the insect may not be present you must rely on damage created.

Biotic damageBiotic damage

Insects

Boring◦ Boring into stems, fruits,

and leaves.

◦ Disrupts plants ability to transport water.

◦ You may suspect the presence of boring insects if you see small accumulations of sawdust like material on plant stems or fruits.

Boring damage

Chewing damage

Sucking damage

Biotic: DiseaseBiotic: Disease

Methods Symptoms

Attack leaf surface and limit the plants ability to carry on photosynthesis.

Production of substances that clog plant tissues that transport water and nutrients.

Production of toxins that kill the plant or replace plant tissue with their own.

Mushroom like growth around trunk or leaves

Grayish mildewy apperance

Spots on leaves, flowers, and fruits

Sudden wilting or death of plant

Stunted growth

AbioticAbiotic

Nutrients Pesticides

Yellowing of leaves starting from the bottom

Stunted growthThis can often look like

disease or damage from sucking plants.

To confirm a nutrient problem double check for presence of insects or substance on leaves that may be a mold or fungus.

Beneficial Insects Control

Green lacewings

Ladybugs

Praying mantis

Ground beetles

Parasitic nematodes

Trichogramma wasp

Seedhead weevils

Aphids, mealy bugs, thrips, spider mites

Aphids, Colorado potato beetle

Almost any insect

Catapillars that attack trees and shrubs.

Grubs, beetles, cutworms, army worms

Corn borer, cabbage looper, other worms

Weeds

Sign Vs. SymptomsSign Vs. SymptomsA sign is the actual identification

of the problem causing agent…actual insect

A symptom is an indicator that something is wrong with your plant…..chewed leaves, mildew, fungus

What questions to ask What questions to ask yourselfyourselfWhat species is this plant?Are leaves normally discolored?Does the plant normally have

weird bumps

Abiotic: non-uniform Biotic: uniform

Generally uniform damage is cause by non living things◦ Even

◦ Looks the same

◦ Initial damage is total damage

◦ Appears on exposed leaves…not shaded ones

◦ Develop quickly

Non-uniform damage is caused by living factors.◦ Scattered

◦ No pattern

◦ Spreads from point of attack

AphidsAphidsAre tiny green or black sticky blips on the

stems of annuals, perennials, and woody ornamentals. These minute insects in large numbers have the capability to kill any plant by sucking out all the plant sap, thereby reducing the plant's ability to utilize food. Aphids secret a honey-like substance, and ants on your plants is a good indication of aphid infestation, as seen in photo 1

CaterpillarCaterpillarregardless of how beautiful the resulting

butterfly or moth may be, if you have caterpillars in your garden, you'll have chewed leaves! When you notice this type of chew-damage, inspect the leaves just beneath the affected leaves. If you see little black dots of poop, you have caterpillar damage.

Earwigs also cause similar damage by chewing the leaves and blossoms of low-growing flowers and vegetables.

Grasshoppers: these voracious eaters

can consume their own weight in food in 16 hours. Leaf damage is quite distinctive, as they only eat the flesh between the veins and stems, leaving a skeleton.

•Leafminers:

•distinctive tunneling between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf shows up as light-colored trails. The leaves eventually turn brown and shrivel.

Entry taskEntry taskUse your information collected

yesterday and describe the difference between damage caused by an insect that chews and an insect that sucks……how do they look different?

Entry taskEntry task

What is wrong with this picture. Write three negative ways that Kudzu (plant in picture) affects this ecosystem