With the past winter being as warm
as it was and the predicted warming climate and winters, the threat of invasive
species becomes bigger than it already is. Cold winters help kill aquatic
invasive species during cold periods. Without spans of cold weather, more invasive
remain alive and thriving in the park. The consequences of a warm winter can be
seen in the mortality rates of the invasive species Asian clams (1). The lack of
a cold winter leads to even greater problems with the Asian clams in Lake
George. There has been evidence to suggest that if it’s not cold enough, the Asian
clams do not have as high of a winter mortality rate. The past two cold winters
have showed a clam mortality rate of about 90 percent (1). However, the current
warm winter is leading to a lower mortality rate, which will cause problems in
the upcoming summer.
There are many different invasive
species within the park, but some of the most prominent species include Zebra Mussels,
Emerald Ash Borer, and Hogweed. With each species, there are different methods
and precautions that can be taken to prevent the spread of them. As the climate continues to warm, efforts for
controlling, preventing, and treating invasive species should be a main priority
of the Adirondack park officials, residents, and visitors.
Zebra
Mussels are filter feeders who remove particles from the water, disturb the
clarity, content, and food chain of aquatic ecosystems. The mussels “displace native
species, attach to and cover many surfaces, have sharp shells, and are a
nuisance to humans” (1). In addition to disrupting natural food chains, they
can disrupt water treatment plants and risk human exposure to pollutants. There
are few predators controlling the zebra mussels, and the mussels are able to
breed fasted than they can be consumed. Once the species is established in an environment,
there is very little that can be done. The best way to prevent the spread of this
species is to thoroughly clean boats, bait buckets, and gear every time they
leave the water.
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| Zebra Mussels attached to a boat (1). |
The Emerald
Ash Borer is an invasive species that has not yet entered the Adirondacks.
However, if it is introduced into the park, the species will kill many trees,
as it has already killed tens of million trees in the U.S (2). One of the best
ways to kill EAB is exposure to cold weather (3). Exposure to temperatures -30
degrees Celsius and colder “could hold the EAB population to densities to which
ash trees can tolerate infestation” (3). Clearly, if introduced to the park and if
temperatures continue to rise, EAB could have negative impacts on the
Adirondack forests. This species spreads through the transportation of firewood
from one location to another, and the best way to prevent the introduction of
this species is to buy your firewood locally.
 |
| Damage done by Emerald Ash Borer (1). |
Giant
Hogweed is another invasive species responding to the warming climate. Hogweed
is a biennial herb, which sprouts in early spring (2). The plant is listed on
the federal noxious weed list because of its dangerous sap, as it “threatens
riparian areas by displacing native plants and exacerbating soil erosion” (2).
It also causes skin irritation, blistering, and scarring to humans. As the
climate continues to warm, thaws come earlier and “temperature-senstive plants
are getting an earlier start and are slowly squeezing out plants that bud the
same time each year regardless of how warm it is” (4). Treatments for this
invasive species includes two of three sessions per year of root cutting,
flower head/seed head removal, cutting and mowing, and cut and cover (5). These
treatments need to over for multiple years to have an affect of getting rid of
the species from a region.
(1) http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2016/jan/30/warm-winter-hurts-battle-against-lake-invasives/?print
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