Progress 08/29/05 to 02/28/10
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Observe and quantify Diorhabda elongata populations, tracking spread and population density. 2) Assess defoliation levels caused by D. elongata and measure impact on saltcedar. Approach (from AD-416) 1) A combination of field scouting and pheromone trapping will be used to assess beelte numbers and distribution. This will include GPS documentation of populations of both larval and adult Diorhabda. 2) Visual assessment and digital camera samples will be collected in areas infested with D. elongata, along with specific GPS coordinates. 3) Summary data evaluations will be made in cooperation with USDA-ARS entomologists at the Reno, NV laboratory. Documents SCA with U. of Nevada. Formerly 5325-11220-003-01S (3/07). This agreement was established in support of Objective 4 of the inhouse CRIS Project to help evaluate the effectiveness of Diorhabda elongata that was introduced into Nevada to help control saltcedar in riparian areas of the state. This cooperative effort between USDA and the State of Nevada addressed the use and assessment of the biological control agent, Diorhabda elongata that were used to help control invasive saltcedar in western watersheds. This invasive species is uneconomical to control using conventional methods such as herbicides or burning. Thus scientists with the Nevada Department of Agriculture cooperated with ARS scientists in Albany, CA , Reno, NV and Temple, TX to introduce and assess biological control agents from Eurasia that are known to significantly impact this plant under field conditions. This biological control agent from western China, Diorhabda elongata, has successfully expanded from initial release levels of 1400 beetles in 2001 to literally billions of beetles in 2009. The cooperator (State of Nevada) has measured its spread over 100,000s of acres and where it has totally defoliated the saltcedar for several consecutive seasons in many areas of the state. This natural enemy is continuing to increase in numbers, spread across infested sites and is defoliating these weedy shrubs over wide-areas where it is expected to significantly reduce saltcedar populations at little or no cost to farmers, ranchers, land managers or the general public of the United States. The project is now considered finalized in USDA-ARS and cooperating Agencies such as the Nevada Department of Agriculture have now redistributed this natural enemy within the state and adjacent areas such as Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, have resulted in substantial impacts on saltcedar, especially on BLM managed properties near Delta Utah where this invasive weed has shown mortality levels approaching 90% over a very wide area (nearly fifty miles along the Severe River). These redistributions have resulted in establishment of the beetles in many sites throughout the state of Nevada. Although it is too early to estimate saltcedar mortality in most areas, the impact seems to be high and beneficial outcomes are expected in many locations. This project was managed through a combination of both site visits and contact with the Nevada Department of Agriculture via telephone and internet communications.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Observe and quantify Diorhabda elongata populations, tracking spread and population density. 2) Assess defoliation levels caused by D. elongata and measure impact on saltcedar. Approach (from AD-416) 1) A combination of field scouting and pheromone trapping will be used to assess beelte numbers and distribution. This will include GPS documentation of populations of both larval and adult Diorhabda. 2) Visual assessment and digital camera samples will be collected in areas infested with D. elongata, along with specific GPS coordinates. 3) Summary data evaluations will be made in cooperation with USDA-ARS entomologists at the Reno, NV laboratory. Documents SCA with U. of Nevada. Formerly 5325-11220-003-01S (3/07). Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This project addressed the use and assessment of Nevada riparian areas that were highly infested with invasive saltcedar. This invasive species is uneconomical to control using conventional methods such as herbicides or burning. Thus scientists with the Nevada Department of Agriculture cooperated with ARS scientists in Albany, CA , Reno, NV and Temple, TX to introduce and assess biological control agents from Eurasia that are known to significantly impact this plant under field conditions. This biological control agent from western China, Diorhabda elongata, has successfully expanded from initial release levels of 1400 beetles in 2001 to literally billions of beetles in 2008. The cooperator (State of Nevada) has measured its spread over 100,000s of acres and where it has totally defoliated the saltcedar for several consecutive seasons in many areas of the state. This natural enemy is continuing to increase in numbers, spread across infested sites and is defoliating these weedy shrubs over wide-areas where it is expected to significantly reduce saltcedar populations at little or no cost to farmers, ranchers, land managers or the general public of the United States. The USDA-ARS and cooperating Agencies such as the Nevada Department of Agriculture have now redistributed this natural enemy within the state and adjacent areas such as Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, have resulted in substantial impacts on saltcedar, especially on BLM managed properties near Delta Utah where this invasive weed has shown mortality levels approaching 80% over a very wide area (nearly fifty miles along the Severe River). These redistributions have resulted in establishment of the beetles in many sites throughout the state of Nevada. Although it is too early to estimate saltcedar mortality in most areas, the impact seems to be high and beneficial outcomes are expected in many locations. This project was managed through a combination of both site visits and contact with the Nevada Department of Agriculture via telephone and internet communications.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Observe and quantify Diorhabda elongata populations, tracking spread and population density. 2) Assess defoliation levels caused by D. elongata and measure impact on saltcedar. Approach (from AD-416) 1) A combination of field scouting and pheromone trapping will be used to assess beelte numbers and distribution. This will include GPS documentation of populations of both larval and adult Diorhabda. 2) Visual assessment and digital camera samples will be collected in areas infested with D. elongata, along with specific GPS coordinates. 3) Summary data evaluations will be made in cooperation with USDA-ARS entomologists at the Reno, NV laboratory. Documents SCA with U. of Nevada. Formerly 5325-11220-003-01S (3/07). Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations The State of Nevada was one of the primary sites where USDA-ARS released a new biological control agent of saltcedar in 2001. Initially, three sites were used as pilot study areas, Lovelock, Fallon and Schurz, Nevada where the leaf feeding beetle, Diorhabda elongata from China was released into North America to aid in the control of invasive saltcedar. Following the release, a cooperative effort between USDA-ARS and the State of Nevada documented the spread and impact of the new biological control agent. Approximately 1300 beetles were released into the Lovelock, NV release site during the early summer of 2001. By the following July, the beetles were determined to be established yet little defoliation was noted. By mid-September, 1 hectare of continuous saltcedar was found to be totally defoliated. By July of 2003, over 4 hectares were defoliated and by September of 2003, over 200 hectares were severely damaged by the beetles. In 2004 the amount of defoliated saltcedar jumped to approximately 810 hectares and by September of 2004 over 2000 hectares were stripped of foliage and the invasive saltcedar plants showed the first signs of mortality. In 2005 nearly every saltcedar within a 26,000 hectare area was heavily impacted by the spreading beetles. Much of this defoliation was captured using remote sensing images, however, once the beetles reached this level of dispersal it was impossible to further characterize the full area impacted. The State of Nevada then monitored the beetles spread at all the release sites using ground surveys. The beetle progress well in it spread and is now found extensively across most of North Western Nevada where saltcedar infestations are located, basically from Reno in the west to Winnemucca to the north and east, and to the south, well past Hawthorne. Monitoring will continue through state efforts, however, the joint project is scheduled for termination on September 30, 2008. The status of this project was monitored by the ADODR through telephone conversations, site visits and internet communications. (This work supports National Program 304, Component IX, Biological Control of Weeds).
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1) Observe and quantify Diorhabda elongata populations, tracking spread and population density. 2) Assess defoliation levels caused by D. elongata and measure impact on saltcedar. Approach (from AD-416) 1) A combination of field scouting and pheromone trapping will be used to assess beetle numbers and distribution. This will include GPS documentation of populations of both larval and adult Diorhabda. 2) Visual assessment and digital camera samples will be collected in areas infested with D. elongata, along with specific GPS coordinates. 3) Summary data evaluations will be made in cooperation with USDA-ARS entomologists at the Reno, NV laboratory. Documents SCA with U. of Nevada. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Additional details of the research can be found in the report for the parent project 5325-11220-004-00D, Biologically-Based Integrated Management of Weeds on Western Rangeland Watersheds. Work continued on the assessment of Diorhabda elongata beetles attacking saltcedar in and around three major test areas within the state of Nevada. Lovelock, NV is the largest test site and successful release area of Diorhabda beetles in the Western US. Although a severe flood in 2006 inundated the original beetle release area adjacent to the Humboldt River and Humboldt Sink killing many of the biological control agents, many beetles have dispersed out of the Lovelock area and are now impacting saltcedar across the wider landscape. The Nevada Department of Agriculture has documented leafbeetle defoliation at locations as far away from the Lovelock as Lake Lahontan, south of Fernley, NV. Beetles have further expanded thoughout the entire area of saltcedar infestation along the Walker River, from Schurz, NV to all around Walker Lake near Hawthorn, NV. Defoliation is nearly complete at this site and invasive plant mortality at that location is expected to be very high by the fall of 2007. No establishment was ever achieved at the Stillwater National Wildlife Preserve, however, Diorhabda beetles from other release locations are now beginning to show at this site due to long-range dispersal. In implementing oversite responsibilities for this project, the ADODR conducted several telephone discussions with the Principal Investigator and conducted 2 site visits to Diorhabda release and assessment areas. Progress reports were received and expected milestones met.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to documents research conducted under a Specific Cooperative agreement between ARS and the State of Nevada. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS 5325- 11220-003-00D, Risk Analysis and Post-Release Monitoring of Biological Control Agents of Saltcedar. Nevada riparian areas are highly infested with invasive saltcedar that is uneconomical to control using conventional methods such as herbicides or burning. Scientists with the Nevada Department of Agriculture cooperated with ARS scientists in Reno, NV, Albany, CA and Temple, TX to assess biological control agents from Eurasia that were introduced in Nevada in 2001. This biological control agent from western China, Diorhabda elongata, has successfully expanded from initial release levels of 1400 beetles in 2001 to literally billions of beetles in 2006. It has now spread over 10,000+ acres and has totally defoliated the
saltcedar for several consecutive seasons in Lovelock and Schurz, NV. Similar defoliation has occurred in release sites in the state of Utah. This natural enemy is continuing to increase in numbers, spread across infested sites and is defoliating these weedy shrubs over wide-areas where it is expected to significantly reduce saltcedar populations at little or no cost to farmers, ranchers, land managers or the general public of the United States. A combination of ground-collected data and aerial remote sensing has been conducted to assess the impact and spread of this agent. This project was initiated to allow continued assessment of this beneficial project through 2010. This technology has now been successfully transferred to USDA-APHIS and is currently being implemented in 14 western states.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report documents research conducted under a Specific Cooperative agreement between ARS and the State of Nevada, and is part of research being conducted by the parent CRIS 5325-11220-003-00D, Risk Analysis and Post-Release Monitoring of Biological Control Agents of Saltcedar activities at the Reno, Nevada worksite of the Exotic and Invasive Weed Research Unit. Although this project was established in FY 05, no work has been completed to date as resources have not yet reached the state cooperator. Nevada riparian areas are highly infested with invasive saltcedar that is uneconomical to control using conventional methods such as herbicides or burning. Scientists with the Nevada Department of Agriculture will be cooperating with ARS scientists in Reno, NV, Albany, CA and Temple, TX to assess biological control agents from Eurasia that were introduced in Nevada in 2001. This biological control agent from western China, Diorhabda elongata, has
successfully expanded from initial release levels of 1400 beetles in 2001 to literally billions of beetles in 2005. It has now spread over 5000+ acres and has totally defoliated the saltcedar for several consecutive seasons in Lovelock, NV and is making similar impacts at another release site near Schurz, NV. This natural enemy is continuing to increase in numbers, spread across infested sites and is defoliating these weedy shrubs over wide-areas where it is expected to significantly reduce saltcedar populations at little or no cost to farmers, ranchers, land managers or the general public of the United States. This project was initiated to allow continued assessment of this project through 2010.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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