Cryptocoryne Beckettii Thwaites Ex Department of Agriculture Trimen
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Weed Risk Assessment for United States Cryptocoryne beckettii Thwaites ex Department of Agriculture Trimen. (Araceae) – Beckett’s water trumpet Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service April 29, 2016 Version 1 Habit (left), root system (upper right), and dense patch (bottom right) of Cryptocoryne beckettii (source: David E. Lemke; Lemke, 2015). Agency Contact: Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory Center for Plant Health Science and Technology Plant Protection and Quarantine Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27606 Weed Risk Assessment for Cryptocoryne beckettii Introduction Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) regulates noxious weeds under the authority of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. § 7701-7786, 2000) and the Federal Seed Act (7 U.S.C. § 1581-1610, 1939). A noxious weed is defined as “any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry, or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or the environment” (7 U.S.C. § 7701-7786, 2000). We use the PPQ weed risk assessment (WRA) process (PPQ, 2015) to evaluate the risk potential of plants, including those newly detected in the United States, those proposed for import, and those emerging as weeds elsewhere in the world. The PPQ WRA process includes three analytical components that together describe the risk profile of a plant species (risk potential, uncertainty, and geographic potential; PPQ, 2015). At the core of the process is the predictive risk model that evaluates the baseline invasive/weed potential of a plant species using information related to its ability to establish, spread, and cause harm in natural, anthropogenic, and production systems (Koop et al., 2012). Because the predictive model is geographically and climatically neutral, it can be used to evaluate the risk of any plant species for the entire United States or for any area within it. We then use a stochastic simulation to evaluate how much the uncertainty associated with the risk analysis affects the outcomes from the predictive model. The simulation essentially evaluates what other risk scores might result if any answers in the predictive model might change. Finally, we use Geographic Information System (GIS) overlays to evaluate those areas of the United States that may be suitable for the establishment of the species. For a detailed description of the PPQ WRA process, please refer to the PPQ Weed Risk Assessment Guidelines (PPQ, 2015), which is available upon request. We emphasize that our WRA process is designed to estimate the baseline— or unmitigated—risk associated with a plant species. We use evidence from anywhere in the world and in any type of system (production, anthropogenic, or natural) for the assessment, which makes our process a very broad evaluation. This is appropriate for the types of actions considered by our agency (e.g., Federal regulation). Furthermore, risk assessment and risk management are distinctly different phases of pest risk analysis (e.g., IPPC, 2015). Although we may use evidence about existing or proposed control programs in the assessment, the ease or difficulty of control has no bearing on the risk potential for a species. That information could be considered during the risk management (decision making) process, which is not addressed in this document. Cryptocoryne beckettii Thwaites ex Trimen. – Beckett’s water trumpet Species Family: Araceae Ver. 1 April 29, 2016 1 Weed Risk Assessment for Cryptocoryne beckettii Information Synonyms: Cryptocoryne petchii Alston1 (The Plant List, 2015). Cryptocoryne beckettii is one of four species in the C. beckettii complex (Jacono, 2002; Reumer, 1984). Wunderlin and Hansen (2015) list this species (in addition to C. axelrodii, C. undulata, C. wendtii, and C. willisii) as a synonym of C. walkeri Schott., but other major taxonomic databases maintain it as a separate species (ITIS, 2015; NGRP, 2015; The Plant List, 2015). Consistent with these databases and the most recent treatment of Sri Lankan Cryptocoryne species (Jacobsen, 1976), we treat this taxon as C. beckettii. Common names: Beckett’s water trumpet (NRCS, 2015). Botanical description: Cryptocoryne beckettii is a perennial, rhizomatous aquatic herb occurring either as emerged or submerged plants (Mansor and Masnadi, 1994; Rosen, 2000). Leaf blades are ovate to narrowly ovate (about 9 x 1.5 cm), green on top and with reddish-brown coloration underneath (Rosen, 2000; Windeløv, 2004). The Sri Lankan Cryptocoryne species are relatively young as a group and have not completely differentiated (Reumer, 1984). Floral traits are needed to distinguish some members of the species complex (Jacono, 2002). Because plants rarely flower in cultivation, “positive identification of cryptocorynes is a constant problem for both the grower and consumer” (Kane et al., 1995). However, plant gibberellins can be used to promote flowering for identification (Kane et al., 1995). Initiation: PPQ received a market access request for C. beckettii for propagation from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Danish Plant Directorate (MFAF, 2009). Because this species is not native to the United States (NGRP, 2015) and poses a risk to threatened and endangered species (Alexander et al., 2008), the PPQ Weeds Cross- Functional Working Group initiated this assessment. Foreign distribution: Cryptocoryne beckettii is native to Sri Lanka (NGRP, 2015; Reumer, 1984). It has been cultivated by aquarium enthusiasts for about 60 years (Windeløv, 2004). It is cultivated in Australia (Randall, 2007) and New Zealand (Champion and Clayton, 2001), and is imported to several European countries (Brunel, 2009), but we found no evidence that it has escaped in these areas. U.S. distribution and status: Cryptocoryne beckettii was first detected occurring outside of cultivation in the United States in 1993 in the San Marcos River in Texas (Bowles and Bowles., 2001). It is now naturalized in two counties in Texas (NRCS, 2015) and one in Florida (Jacono, 2002; Jacono, 2015; Kartesz, 2015). Because of the threat to threatened and endangered species in Texas (see Imp-N4 in App. A), “the San Marcos National Fish Hatchery and Technology Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiated an effort to remove Beckett’s water trumpet from the upstream end of its range in the San Marcos River (SMR) to 1 Cryptocoryne petchii is the triploid form of C. beckettii (APC, 2015). Ver. 1 April 29, 2016 2 Weed Risk Assessment for Cryptocoryne beckettii create a larger buffer between Beckett’s water trumpet and Texas wild rice” (Alexander et al., 2008). Although the work was manually intensive, they successfully removed populations from one segment of the river using a dredge suction technique. Alexander et al. (2008) believe that the entire population can still be eradicated. Cryptocoryne beckettii is cultivated and sold in the United States (e.g., APC, 2015; eBay, 2015). It is one of the Cryptocoryne species reported to be regularly available in trade (APC, 2015; Kasselmann, 2003); however, it is not as common as other Cryptocoryne species (e.g., Anonymous, 2015). One European seller lists this species on eBay and specifically says they will ship it to the United States (eBay, 2015). WRA area2: Entire United States, including territories. 1. Cryptocoryne beckettii analysis Establishment/Spread Cryptocoryne beckettii is an aquatic plant that reproduces primarily through Potential vegetative means (Jacono, 2002). Like many other aquatics, plants readily fragment, and those fragments can establish new populations (Alexander et al., 2008; Jacono, 2002). This species readily grows in shady areas (Jacobsen, 1976) and can form dense patches through vegetative growth (Anonymous, 2012; Jacono, 2002). This species has demonstrated that it can establish and spread rapidly in one river in the United States (Rosen, 2000). During a 28-month study period, the number of individual colonies in that river increased from 11 to 63, and the total areal coverage increased from 171 to 646 m2. (Doyle, 2001). Although C. beckettii has been cultivated for 60 years, very little is known about its biology, which resulted in a high level of uncertainty for this risk element. Risk score = 11 Uncertainty index = 0.23 Impact Potential The relatively recent naturalization of C. beckettii in the United States (Rosen, 2000) is the first known establishment of this species beyond its native range. Since it has not been well studied, there is little information about its impacts. However, where it occurs in Texas, it has formed dense patches that exclude other species (Jacono, 2002; Tu, 2005) and will likely prevent the establishment of others (see image on cover page). Cryptocoryne beckettii occurs at water depths and flow velocities similar to those of the endangered Texas wild rice (Zizania texana; Alexander et al., 2008). Its threat to this and other threatened and endangered species prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to control and eradicate this species from some portions of the San Marcos River in Texas (Alexander et al., 2008; Kleinsasser, 2013). As the species is better studied, additional impacts may emerge. We had an average amount of uncertainty for this risk element. 2 “WRA area” is the area in relation to which the weed risk assessment is conducted (definition modified from that for “PRA area”) (IPPC, 2012). Ver. 1 April 29, 2016 3 Weed Risk Assessment for Cryptocoryne beckettii Risk score = 1.9 Uncertainty index = 0.17 Geographic Potential Because there were no point-referenced localities for this species in the Geographic Information Facility Database (GBIF, 2015), and only a few herbarium records, we based this analysis on general reports of the distribution of C. beckettii and the distribution of the genus, which is limited to southeastern Asia. Using this approach, we estimate that about 16 percent of the United States is suitable for the establishment of C.