Invasive Species
Two newspapers have produced noteworthy reports on non-native plants and animals that harm local environments. The Statesman Journal's ten-month series, "Invasive Species of Oregon," written by Beth Casper and Henry Miller, covers a wide range of species. Here's an excerpt on water weeds.
When it comes to the obnoxious, choking water weeds Egeria and watermilfoil, it's a case of yesterday's aquarium ornamentals becoming today's aquatic nightmare….
Once Egeria and milfoil become established in a body of water -- with no natural enemies and an ability to outcompete native plants -- they spread rapidly, growing thick enough to make recreation, such as boating and even using the ramps, impossible.
The weed growths can be lethal to humans. In August, a 22-year-old Washington man died when he got tangled in a milfoil bed while swimming in the Columbia River.
Every month, as a part of Newspapers in Education, the series offered materials for teachers and parents. The multimedia page links to a wealth of videos, photos and documents.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's special report, "Great Lakes, Great Peril" by Dan Egan, chronicles the enormous damage caused by zebra mussels and other invasive species in the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes today are home to more than 185 exotic species, and the overwhelming majority of those that have colonized the world's largest freshwater system in recent decades did it the same way as the mussels. They arrived as accidental cargo aboard overseas freighters sailing up the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of channels and concrete-lined canals that form an artificial shipping link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.
The scope of the ecological damage of the biological pollution linked to overseas shipping is matched by its staggering economic toll.
Have you seen an outstanding report on the environment? We'd like to read it. Please send us an email at newsgems@sbcglobal.net or click on the "comments" button below.
statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=INVASIVE
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=766864