#599: SISI Invasive Species Images

If you are after images of invasive species, the SISI Flickr page has plenty for you to use.

They cover a few plant species, and also some work to control mink and other animals as well.

It is likely that the impact of invasive species on a range of environments will form part of the investigative work of the new specification as it is an example of where humans and nature overlap.

Invasive species can often cause problems for ecosystems, competing with local species or even damaging properties in the case of Japanese knotweed or out competing the natural residents e.g. red squirrels.

What invasive species might students be introduced to in the new specification?

Here's perhaps one of the most famous pieces of music about invasive species. A classic from early Genesis, with Peter Gabriel on vocals.

#540: A thorny problem

Kenya's Samburu county has marginal land which is prone to desertification. 

To try to keep it in place, they decided to introduce a thorny tree called mathenge (also known as mesquite).

This article looks at what happened next.

Mathenge was planted... and got a little out of control.

#458: Hitching a ride

A story in the news recently about the rise in species which are finding their way into the UK, not through illegal trade and smuggling but by hitching a ride in plants.

This was also featured on a recent issue of Countryfile.

The rise of invasive species is an area which may or may not form part of the final specification.

This article suggests the problems.

Image: Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license

#295: Asian hornet (Vespa velutina)

Asian hornets (Vespa velutina) are being spotted in the UK. 

We need to keep these out to protect our native bees.

This webpage on the Natural England website explains how to report a sighting.

You can report a non-native species on apps and via this website as well, which includes links to posters and other resources to help identify a whol range of native species.

It is important to report any suspected sightings of this species as soon as possible. Vigilance is particularly required in southern parts of England and Wales and around major ports. Asian hornet is active mainly between April and November (peak August/September) and is inactive over the winter.

Recruting all those who participate in the GCSE Natural History as an army of citizen scientists and hornet spotters would be a good thing to have achieved.

#260: Center Parcs and muntjac

I recently spent a weekend at Center Parcs in Elveden Forest. 

This is one of several pictures I took which featured the very common muntjac which prowl the site. They are Reeves Muntjac. They are very common in Norfolk and Suffolk.

They are native to China and Taiwan. The animals which we see today are related to animals which are thought to have escaped from Woburn Abbey and other locations in the early part of the 20th century, and have adapted well to the UK's landcape and climate. They don't really have predators (although I wiped one out with my car, which was written off in return). They also don't really compete with the native deer. They are common in SE of England and are heading north and west.

They are not too fussy about what the eat which means they can cause damage to woodlands, and eat rare plants. The loss of these plants affects insects and birds. 

The local 'KL Magazine' had a piece recently, which suggested that the loss of woodland ground cover is a key impact that they have. One suggestion has been to reintroduce the lynx - even the smell of a lynx is enough to keep muntjac from grazing an area.

Keep an eye out for them, but remember that their presence has an impact on woodlands.

Image: Muntjac, Alan Parkinson, and shared under CC license.

#239: Natural History Podcasts #7: NatureScotland's Podcasts

I've previously added the NatureScotland website to the blog.

As I said in the entry, this has a large collection of podcasts.

They are badged under the hashtag #MakeSpaceForNature

They are on a wide range of topics, many of which are definitely within the realms of natural history and would make useful resources for both students and teachers to access. 

I also like the idea that some schools may encourage their students to record their own podcasts as part of the lesson activities. There are many options out there to do this free of charge, or at minimal cost.

#211: Gunnera

Students studying the GCSE Natural History will become aware of the impact of invasive species on the native plants and animals in an area. 

Several of these were originally introduced because of their ornamental appearance in the estates and gardens of wealthy people. They are now being removed, which is costing a lot of money in some cases.

One of them is gunnera. It looks like giant rhubarb.

UK bans popular garden plant Gunnera after study finds it an invasive species https://t.co/xKmxTudYxm

— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) December 8, 2023

Many years ago, I spent time working as a volunteer for Scottish Natural Heritage on the Isle of Rum. One of the jobs we had was to do was to remove rhododendrons from the vicinity of Kinloch Castle with chainsaws and burn them. I also painted a few doors in the cellars of the castle. This was a huge job as many of the slopes in the area around the castle were covered in the plant, which produced shade which led to the disappearance of other plants. There is a concerted effort to remove it from Scotland if possible.

Rhododendron ponticum is the most expensive alien plant conservation problem in Britain and Ireland. It was introduced in the eighteenth century, probably in 1763 from Spain, and was then described as a not fully hardy plant. 

It was expensive to buy. 

It was made hardier by artificial and natural selection and by hybridisation with Appalachian and other Rhododendron species. It is easy to propagate and became cheap and popular in the mid and late nineteenth century as an ornamental, for game cover and as a root stock for other ornamental rhododendrons.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233485570_Rhododendron_ponticum_in_Britain_and_Ireland_Social_Economic_and_Ecological_Factors_in_its_Successful_Invasion 

Image source: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-gunnera/