Got Nature? Blog

As boats enter and exit public bodies of water, they risk transferring aquatic plants, mussels or invertebrates that attach themselves to the bottom of the boat. While this might seem pretty harmless at first, this spreading of aquatic species runs the risk of introducing invasive species into new environments.

Invasive species cause harm to local ecosystems by reproducing exponentially when they are outside of their usual habitat and the organisms that keep their populations in check. They can then cause great damage by feeding on local species and the food they depend on. Once an invasive species is detected, it is oftentimes very expensive and difficult to control. For example, around 1991, the U.S. and Canada spent an estimated $20 million per year to control invasive sea lampreys and restore the trout populations that were damaged by them. In Indiana alone, we spend around $800,000 a year to attempt to control the growth of Eurasian watermilfoil, another nuisance invasive species.

In an attempt to avoid more cases like this in the future, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) is looking for help. Volunteers can sign up to record information about boats and their potential aquatic hitchhikers entering and leaving lakes during times of heavy use. The DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife can take this data and use it for public outreach and planning species management.

Those interested are highly encouraged to sign up on INDNR’s Volunteer Program page.

Resources
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DNR Seeks Help Gathering Info on Spread of Aquatic Species, WFYI
Indiana Invasive Species Council, Purdue Entomology Extension
Invasive Plants, Purdue Agriculture Weed Science
The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center (search “invasive”)

Indiana Department of Natural Resources​

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Made infamous through the trial of Socrates, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth, and several other works of classic literature, poison hemlock is an extremely toxic plant that will pose a risk this summer and should be handled with caution.

Poison hemlock is a biennial plant, meaning that it has a two year lifespan. Last summer, it went through vegetative growth and largely stayed out of sight. This summer, it will produce small white clusters of flowers and will be more likely to catch the attention of animals and people. Poison hemlock is a member of the parsley family and can sometimes be confused with wild carrot. However, its distinguishing feature is its hairless hollow stalks with purple blotches. If you see these, be careful!

The biggest risk with poison hemlock is ingestion. Lethal doses are fairly small, so it is important for animal owners or parents of young children to identify it in their area and remove it if possible. The toxins can also be absorbed through the skin and lungs, so be sure to wear gloves and a mask when handling these plants.

Symptoms of hemlock poisoning include dilation of the pupils, weakening or slowing pulse, blue coloration around the mouth and eventually paralysis of the central nervous system and muscles leading to death. Quick treatment can reverse the effects, so act quickly.

Resources
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Recognizing and Managing Poison Hemlock, Purdue Landscape Report
Poison Hemlock, Pest & Crop Newsletter, Purdue Extension – Entomology
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Distribution Update, Purdue Landscape Report
What are Invasive Species and Why Should I Care?, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR)
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report INvasive, Purdue Extension & Indiana Invasive Species Council
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Purdue Extension

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Mushrooms are strange forms of life. Some can kill you within hours, some are psychedelic hallucinogens and others are just good on a pizza. There are estimated to be six to 20 times more species of fungi than plants, and a lot of them are still shrouded in mystery. Since the time of Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s, we have been searching for answers in the fungi kingdom, and recently, we just found a big one in the shape of an evolutionary mapping dubbed the “tree of life.”

Using collections of preserved fungal specimens called fungaria from Purdue’s Arthur Fungarium and Kew’s Fungarium in the Royal Botanic Gardens, two of the biggest and most important fungi collections in the world, mycologists like Catherine Aime were able to study well over 100 years’ worth of preserved specimens and apply modern DNA technology to piece together genomes and discover new connections linking mushroom species. This “tree of life” is the clearest and most comprehensive mapping to date of the evolutionary history of fungi.

Aime says that this study reinforces the importance of fungaria as we advance in the genomic age. These extensive collections are priceless, containing specimens as far back as some from Darwin himself, and documenting hundreds of thousands of species throughout the years. Some of these species might not exist in the future, and it is essential that we document and preserve them as we learn new ways to use them in the future.

The research paper documenting this ‘tree of life’ was published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society​ and is available for journal subscribers and readers at Purdue.

Read the full article.

Resources
DNA Samples From Purdue, Kew Fungi Collections Provide Key to Mushroom ‘Tree of Life’, Purdue Extension
Arthur Fungarium, Purdue Herbaria
Kew’s Fungarium, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
Aime Lab, Purdue University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Fungi – In a Kingdom All By Themselves, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Natalie van Hoose, Research News Writer
Purdue Extension​

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Faculty and staff in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) are engaged in environmental planning around the state. Extension programs help managers and decision-makers improve Indiana’s natural resource management and environmental planning. We deliver programs to help communities consider how to plan for their unique and life-sustaining environmental resources and provide education and technical assistance to plan commissions. Programs are developed and delivered in collaboration with the Purdue Extension Community Development Program and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. Some of the programs FNR faculty and extension staff have developed in collaboration with our partners include:

American Citizen Planner – Indiana (ACP-IN)

American Citizen Planner – Indiana provides training to Indiana citizen planners who currently serve or plan to serve on area or advisory plan commissions. The program features 31 topics detailing core planning theories, practices, and processes. A comprehensive assessment and four virtual training events reinforce the content learned in the units. The program is hosted by a local Purdue Extension educator for either a county or a region.

Conservation Through Community Leadership (CCL)

Communities face many challenges, and many of these are their natural resources. The Conservation through Community Leadership program serves as a roadmap for communities tackling complex land use and natural resource management challenges. The program provides information, tools, and resources to help communities work with diverse stakeholders.

Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces (EVPS)

The Purdue University Extension program, Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces, addresses public spaces and their role in enhancing the quality of place by helping regions, communities and neighborhoods plan and prepare for a sustainable future. The Indiana-based curriculum is designed for use by decision makers and local leaders with oversight and management of community public spaces such as parks boards and planning commission members, public officials and their staff and members of organizations whose missions provide services related to programs or management of public spaces. The program provides a framework for collecting data on community assets and using that data to plan public spaces improvements.

Green Infrastructure and Hazard Mitigation

Communities face several challenges and complex decisions related to natural hazards, which are increasingly exacerbated by climate change. The program supports a collaborative community planning approach to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of existing community policies and to identify goals, motivations, and barriers for hazard mitigation planning, focusing on water resources, flooding, and green infrastructure.

Land Use

The Purdue University Land Use Team provides research-based resources and educational programs for Extension professionals, government officials, citizen planners, and residents on land use issues impacting their communities. Land Use Team efforts are underpinned by a timely and rigorous professional development system that prepares Purdue Extension professionals to effectively serve on Plan Commissions.

Rainscaping Education Program

Rainscaping is a combination of sustainable landscape design and management practices that prevents polluted runoff from reaching water bodies — directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. The program provides training and resources on rainscaping practices that can be installed in residential settings or small-scale public spaces projects.

Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy for Community Planning brings resources for general renewable energy, solar and wind. This includes: community planning guidebooks for renewable energy, solar development, landowner leasing for solar, qualifications for a wind lease, wind farm impact statements and much more.

Sustainable Communities

Extension programs that support sustainable community development strategies are available to communities throughout Indiana. These support decision makers with evaluating, prioritizing, and implementing sustainability strategies for their communities.

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