Tuesday, September 25, 2018

A Friendly Foe



A Friendly Foe

               Along the desolate coastline of Iceland, a small glimmer of life begins to bloom. With its conical purple flowers and radiating leaflets, Lupinus nootkatensis, blue Nootka lupine, starts to take hold. Forty years later, L. nootkatensis is found covering most of the eastern side of the island, from sea to mountain.  L. nootkatensis, has invaded Iceland.
               In the early 1970’s L. nootkatensis was planted along the coastline of Iceland as a way to limit erosion due to wind. The government began a program that distributed the seeds of the plant to coastal neighborhoods so that the residents could take them and plant them in areas that are highly affected by erosion. Fast-forward forty years and the people of Iceland is trying to stop the spread of this invasive plant, as it has covered many areas that contain native flora species.
               Even though many people of Iceland are trying to control the spread of this invasive plant, many people still believe that the plant is a good thing for the island, according to the New York times article, “Beauty or Beast? Iceland QuarrelsOver an Invasive Plant”.  These people have good reason to believe so as well. L. nootkatensis, stabilizes coastal banks, provides nutrients to the soil, and makes the desolate landscape look full of life. Because of these properties, residents have seen a decrease in dust storms and road closures and increases in overall soil nutrients and tourism. For many people these pros out way the cons, stopping many of the efforts to reduce or limit the growth in population of L. nootkatensis. With public outcry to stop the spread of L. nootkatensis and those that want to see it spread, the government has yet to put forward money or programs to limit the incredible populations of L. nootkatensis. But, if action is not taken on a large stage then the damage might be irreversible.
               Now is the time to take action against invasive plant species, not just in Iceland but globally. As the world continues to get warmer, the range that these plants can grow gets larger, meaning these invasive plants will spread further and faster than ever before putting critical environment in even more precarious positions.

-Posted by Francis Hoey (2)

12 comments:

  1. Can there be a middle ground found on this topic wherein we could harness the benefits of this plant but not let it take over habitats as an invasive species? Perhaps one could genetically engineer a pest that preys solely on this plant and we might be able to introduce it to areas of high density of the plant.
    - Priya Bikkani

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Priya that is an excellent point. We would have to make sure, however, that the pest doesn't become invasive. I guess if it only eats that species, then it would die out after the species completely disappeared. But the pest might alter the ecosystem in unforeseen ways, perhaps inducing explosions in the toad and spider populations, which is honestly a plus for everyone. Perhaps we could genetically alter the seeds of this plant to make it less invasive, while keeping its soil contributions and other positive traits, and reintroduce it after the extinction of its derivative counterpart from the island.

      Delete
    2. The only issue with a biological control in this case is that there aren't any species of animal that specifically only eat the blue lupine. This non-specificity would cause other endemic and native species to also be threatened by this control.

      Delete
  2. This truly is a hard decision to make on what should be done. Are there any natural none predators of this plant? Also is it native to Iceland or can this invasive species be found elsewhere? Above commenters mentioned genetically making a predator for this species, another solution may be to make an engineered version of the plant itself. People have been engineering, selecting, and domesticating plants for thousands of years and I'm sure with a focus and funding (which seems that it would be available based on public and government interest) to modify and select desirable traits from the plant that could somehow decrease its invasiveness.

    -Maddie Powers

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, the government was giving out seeds to people all over the country for 42 years as well being able to just grab handfuls at gas stations. I find it hard to believe it took the government this long to halt the initial project, was this outcome not accounted for? Either way, it seems like natives of Iceland will have to deal with this for quite some time and seeing how destructive invasive species can often be, the outcome doesn't seem to harmful when put into perspective.
    -Matt Murdoch

    ReplyDelete
  4. The term invasive species has a negative connotation because it not only is native to a location, but it also wreaks havoc on the ecological order. What is the extent to which the invasive species has on the Icelandic ecosystem? It was mentioned in your blog post that the plant species has encroached on the area that native flora species once occupied. Are the native flora species a resource for Icelandic herbivores and how have they been affected since the introduction 42 years ago? Alternatively, are there different species that have utilized the invasive flower and how have they been affected?

    Posted by Jamie Courtney

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The issue with this taking over areas of native flora is that there really isn't that much plant matter on the island, and where there is it's usually quite small and low to the ground. The Lupine grows to around 3 feet in height and easily out competes the lower native mosses and shrubs. Also, with the lower amount of plant matter on the island, the more valuable it is, so to lose any of it is incredibly detrimental to overall biodiversity. Most of the larger animals on the island are actually carnivores like arctic foxes, Polar bears, and American mink, while the only large mammalian species that is herbivorous, is the reindeer which does not eat blue lupine.

      Delete
  5. Invasive species has always been a hard thing to deal with and once a species has been labeled invasive it could possibly ruin the whole ecosystem of the environment they where introduced in. Thats why it is so dangerous to introduce species into a foreing environment because it could turn invasive, sadly there is not easy ways to stop species like this and one way could be killing most of the species. Invasive species could be compared to parasites as they are the only organisms that benefit and every other organism is harmed. Even introducing a predator to that species could prove harmful to other species. Dealing with this problem is like walking on thin ice, any step could lead to a worse result.
    Posted by Edwin Montecinos

    ReplyDelete
  6. The blue nookta lupine seems fascinating as a case study for invasive species. Their expansion on the coastline of Ireland shows the opportunity of niches available during the 1970s. The reckless efforts of the Irish government to distribute these seeds should have been given more thought. Is there a direct solution that can counteract this species exponential growth? How much time is left until the booming population destroy the native flora?

    Posted by "Chorryi Chin"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Icelandic peoples are trying there best to stop the spread of blue lupine through the use of lawn mowers as it seems to be the most effective way of controlling there numbers in specific areas. Well at the moment it is limited to the eastern part of the island but it is wreaking havoc on that side of the island, that being said I don't think the lupine will ever destroy the native flora species.

      Delete
  7. There are many forms of invasive species even in New England. Invasive plants and animals are usually spread by humans as means of using them for their own benefit or by chance. There are many species of invasive animals and plants spread all over the world by men through ships and colonialization. However, there are also species introduced to a region by humans to control specific pests or for nutrients. Though these methods prove worthy, the organism soon starts invading the native regions and could or could not wreak havoc. A list of invasive species of Massachusetts is presented in the link below.
    https://massnrc.org/pests/factsheets.htm

    Posted by Veshal Venkat

    ReplyDelete