Number 72 • June 2011 In Practice Bulletin of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Alien Invasive Species INFORMATION In Practice No. 72, Jun 2011. ISSN 1754-4882 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Editor: Jason Reeves ([email protected]) IEEM aims to raise the profile of the profession of ecology and environmental management, to establish, maintain and Editorial Board enhance professional standards, and to promote an ethic of environmental care within the profession and to clients and Mr Jonathan Barnes Mr Matthew Chatfield employers of its members. Dr Andrew Cherrill Dr William Latimer Mrs Allison Potts Mr Paul Rooney Patrons Mr Paul Scott Miss Katrena Stanhope Prof Charles Gimingham Prof David Goode Miss Emma Toovey Mr Darren Towers Mr John Humphrys Mr Chris Packham In Practice is published quarterly by the Institute of Ecology The Earl of Selborne Baroness Barbara Young and Environmental Management. 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In Practice is printed on Revive Silk, a 100% Naturally Professional recycled paper (100% post consumer waste). © Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management IEEM is a member of: The Institute is immensely grateful to those organisations below which have made financial contributions or provided substantial ‘help in kind’ to support its activities during 2011. McParland Finn ARUP Atkins EDITORIAL AND CONTENTS CONTENTS Information 2 Editorial Editorial and Contents 3 An Alternative View The Age of Aliens 4 - 5 Paul Roebuck apanese knotweed has rarely been considered to have Invasive Weeds 6 - 8 Jany advantages and as ecologists we have put a great Mark Prout deal of effort into trying to put down this impressive non- native invasive species. Ecologists, nevertheless, have Dikerogammarus villosus 9 - 11 shown rare insight into the value of this urbanite creating Drew Constable MIEEM and Nina J Fielding MIEEM surrogate canopy structure for bluebells and habitat for otter holts. Maybe it is time to see what else we can learn The Myths of Japanese Knotweed 12 - 13 from Japanese knotweed and our experience since it Maxime Jay was first let loose in 1886 in the surrogate for Japanese Science for Action 14 - 15 lava fields at Maesteg, South Wales? T he first lesson is Helen R Bayliss and Nicola P Randall that it was not for another 80 years or so that Japanese Recording Invasives Species Counts 16 - 17 knotweed became a problem and, as we know, this is not Helen Roy the only species to have a lag phase of decades. Should we not be putting more effort into identifying tomorrow’s The Habitats Directive 18 - 20 Japanese knotweed, a challenging research area? Should Roger Morris CEnv FIEEM there be a prize for the first prediction that comes to The South Humber Gateway 21 - 23 pass? …but strictly no cheating! A successful candidate Darren Clarke and Will Brown MIEEM (the plant that is) could then be the focus of an early Are Dormice Out of the Woods? 24 - 25 response to eradicate it before it went out of control. Ian White This approach might lead to some undeserving winners Roman Snail 26 - 29 (ecologists that is) but this would still be cheaper than our Heather Mansfield MIEEM present approach… and we’d probably never know. Member’s Comment: Spending Cuts 30 We have not been backward in spending large sums of money on trying Martyn Kelly CEnv FIEEM to control Japanese knotweed, or rather responding to legislation in Spring Conference 2011: Invasive Species 32 - 33 order to avoid prosecution and/or a bad press. Examples of attempts Nick Jackson AIEEM to co-ordinate such control are few and far between: the majority of the millions of pounds have been spent with no thought as to a concerted Living With Environmental Change 34 effort to deal with anything other than my backyard, development Partnership site, business park or indeed Olympics Park. So what are the lessons Linda Yost CEnv MIEEM here? Nobody intended that business, industry, the transport network, Wetlands Matter 35 river authorities, etc. should spend millions on controlling Japanese Linda Yost CEnv MIEEM knotweed. It wasn’t even envisaged that putting it on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act would lead to its becoming a contaminant Internships 35 and hence falling under the Environmental Protection Act causing the Sally Hayns application of even more thousands of gallons of herbicides and tonnes EcIA Guidelines 36 and tonnes of soil being carted off to landfill. If we can do all this without Jessica Batchelor really trying, how much more could we achieve if we put our minds to it? Marine Protected Areas 36 - 37 Well, to be fair, considerable effort has been put into dealing with Linda Yost CEnv MIEEM Japanese knotweed, such as tried and tested survey and assessment IEEM’s Strategic Plan 2011-2015 37 methods, the application of GIS in planning and assessing management, Sally Hayns fitting control measures to a thorough knowledge of species’ Institute News 38 - 39 autecology, and the development of novel techniques including, excitingly, the first release of a bio-control agent in earnest in Europe Geographic Section News 40 - 41 outside of a controlled environment. These lessons are eminently Partnership News 42 applicable to a long list of other invasive plants including tomorrow’s Japanese knotweed. The end of term report, however, does identify Recent Publications 43 areas for improvement: risk assessment (did we ever demonstrate In the Journals 44 - 47 that Japanese knotweed has a negative effect on biodiversity in the urban environment?), landscape scale, co-ordinated and/or integrated News in Brief 48 - 49 management (where are the case studies to provide best practice?), etc. Tauro-Scatology 50 Although Defra’s GB Strategy for Invasive Non-native Species makes Advertisements 51 - 54 little reference to Japanese knotweed (thank goodness), it does provide New and Prospective Members 55 the direction in which invasive species management needs to be going: As ecologists, we should be familiar with the strategy and make sure Diary 56 that it informs the advice we give and the work we undertake. As for Japanese knotweed, isn’t it time we showed it a little more respect, not least for the encouragement that it should give us that we could achieve Cover image: Rhododendron flowers a lot, lot more if we are prepared to learn from our experience and apply our science… and, in some cases, shouldn’t we just leave it alone? Photography: Sean Hathaway MIEEM Artwork on the cover will normally illustrate an article in, Max Wade CEnv FIEEM or the theme of, the current issue. The Editor would be Director of Ecology, RPS pleased to consider any such material from authors. THE AGE OF ALIENS The Age of Aliens – Human Perception and Management of Invasive Species Paul Roebuck Environmental Consultant, Environmental Perspectives LLP he story of invasive species in the UK of Section 14 is to prevent the release into the wild of Tand around the world is an engaging tale. certain plants and animals, which may cause ecological, 'Foreign' invaders are considered a threat to our environmental or socio-economic harm. For an offence to be biodiversity, economy and even human health. committed, a release or allowing escaping into the wild must occur. As an example, if a plant listed on Schedule 9 is not Increasingly, we as humans are aware of the attributes of adequately controlled by the land owner, once they are aware certain species to be 'alien' and the list of invasive plants and that it is present, and the species is allowed to spread onto animals is ever growing. The Natural Environment Research adjoining areas, then this would constitute ‘causing to grow in Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), in the wild’ and would therefore be regarded as an offence.