Canada’s Lichens: North and to the Sea
Dr. Irwin M. Brodo, Lichenologist Emeritus, Canadian Museum of Nature
Thursday, August 27, 2009, 7:30 pm Dawson City Museum, Dawson
Sunday, August 30, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Lichens thrive where most other plants “fear to tread.” In much of the boreal woodlands and in many parts of the arctic, as well as on the rugged coastal headlands, those splashes of colour you see, both bright and subtle, are often lichens. These fascinating organisms, formed from a partnership of fungi and photosynthetic algae (cyanobacteria), are everywhere you look.
Join Irwin Brodo as he describes the beauty and significance of lichens in Canada’s northern lands and rocky seashores. His talk will be illustrated with colour photographs taken by himself and the well-known nature photographers, Sylvia and Stephen Sharnoff, who, together, collaborated on the award-winning book, Lichens of North America.
Why look at animals?
Tina Loo, Professor and Canada Research Chair,
Department of History, University of British Columbia
Sunday, June 14, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Animals have never been more present in our lives – or more marginal. While millions of people around the world are looking at them thanks to live streaming video on the internet, their habitats are being degraded and their existence threatened. Watch long enough and the frame will be empty.
But it wasn’t always this way. For a long time animals were with us at the centre of our world. They were our first symbols; they guided us through space and time in the form of stars and the constellations that marked the astrological year. Join Tina Loo as she follows the story of how and why animals shaped our lives, only to become relegated the fringes of our existence. Through their “unnatural histories” – the stories of their lives with us – they tell us a great deal about ourselves and what it means to be human.
Yukon Dunes and the Hunt for the Dune Tachinid Fly
Syd Cannings, Endangered Species Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service
Sunday, June 7, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The dune complexes of southern Yukon are remnants of the region’s great periglacial dune fields. Today active sand dunes are rare in the north, and many of the ancient dune systems are covered by forest. Exposed dunes such as the Carcross “desert,” and those around Kusawa and the Takhini River, are home to a whole biota of dune specialists, some of which are found in only a handful of places on Earth.
In the summer of 2008, Syd Cannings took up the challenge of mapping the range of the rare Dune Tachinid Fly (Germaria angustata), and found it in a number of sites. Previously, this fly was known only from Carcross in North America. Like the Baikal Sedge growing in the same dunes, it is now the subject of a national status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Join Syd as he shares the results of his research on the Dune Tachinid Fly and explores the unique ecology of Yukon dunes.
Bird Brains: Inside the Lives of Ravens and Crows
Candace Savage, award-winning author of
Bird Brains: the intelligence of ravens, crows, magpies and jays
Sunday, May 3, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, May 4, 2009, 7:30 pm Northern Lights Centre, Watson Lake
Join best-selling author Candace Savage for an unofficial celebration of the Yukon’s official bird. There is nothing common about the Common Raven, Corvus corax. The biggest, brashest member of the crow family, the raven is celebrated in both myth and science as the “wise guy” of the avian world.
Based on more than a decade of audacious research by scientists around the world, this lecture will survey the basic biology of ravens, with a special focus on their tricky social interactions, communication skills and impact on the human imagination. Why, through evolution, have ravens and their cousin-crows become so darn smart? What might they have to teach us about human intelligence?
“Our kinship with ravens reminds us of the irrepressible creativity of evolution, that endless, free-form expression of the miraculous that has shaped all of Earth’s beings, including us.”
Salmon Biodiversity in the Age of Global Warming
Dr. David Welch, President, Kintama Research Corporation
Friday, April 3, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon College Lecture Hall, Whitehorse
Award winning scientist, David Welch, is currently pioneering efforts to build large-scale salmon tracking systems in major rivers like the Skeena, Fraser, and Columbia and in the coastal ocean. Designed to measure the movements and survival of both young and old salmon, these monitoring systems currently extend over 2,500 km from the Snake River in Idaho to Glacier Bay, Alaska.
The pilot phase of the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) array is providing exciting and surprising results that are beginning to unravel the mysteries of where salmon go during their migrations—and where they are dying. Join David Welch as he explores how this data can be used to investigate how salmon biodiversity is being affected by global warming, and whether the recent major declines in the abundance of Yukon River chum and Chinook are being driven by changes in our climate.
Salmon, Ancient DNA and the Pithouses of Keatley Creek, British Columbia
Camilla Speller, PhD Candidate, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
Sunday, March 15, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The Keatley Creek site is an unusually large prehistoric housepit village site located on the terraces of the Fraser River exceptionally well situated to obtain and trade large numbers of salmon of prime quality for drying and preservation. A large complex community of hunter/gatherers existed at the site from 1000-2000 BP.
Previous archaeological work based on the analysis of fish remains at the site, made it appear that large households probably owned or restricted access to some of the more lucrative fishing areas, and the more desirable species, however it was not possible to visually recognize the salmon species from the prehistoric remains. So, ancient DNA species identification methods were used to identify 60 salmon remains from 4 different housepits. The absence of pink salmon in this sample significantly altered the picture of early salmon fishing activities in the region. Join Camilla Speller as she describes her DNA investigations, and what they tell us about the diet and social structures of the site’s native inhabitants.
The Tweedsmuir Glacier Surge
Chris Larsen, Research Assistant Professor, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Sunday, March 1, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, March 2, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, Haines Junction
The Saint Elias Mountains are home to the world’s largest area of glaciers outside of the poles. A particularly curious feature of these glaciers is that many of them surge. Over 136 surging glaciers have been identified within the St. Elias range, including 11 of the 16 major valley glaciers on the inland side of the range. Glacier surges occur roughly every 20 to 50 years, and involve the glacier moving up to 100 times faster than normal for a period of a year typically, with a few examples lasting up to four years. During a surge, the glacier terminus can advance substantially and rapidly.
Several large surging glaciers flow into the Alsek River valley, which is narrow and confined as it cuts through the St. Elias Range from the interior. These glaciers have dammed the river in the past by pushing ice across the valley, causing large lakes to form and then catastrophically drain when the ice dams fail. The Tweedsmuir glacier began a major surge in the spring of 2007, and has threatened to block the river again. Join Chris Larsen as he discusses his research into this phenomenon.
From the Big Bang to the Sled Dog
Charles J. Berger, DVM
Sunday, February 15, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 7:30 pm YOOP Hall, Dawson
In an hour and a half, we will journey from the Big Bang to the modern sled dog. Along the way, we will discuss the dramatic changes on the face of the earth, including the decline of the dinosaurs, the rise and fall of the North American megafauna, and the evolution of canids, including wolves and dogs. Alaska and the Yukon have contributed much to the fossil record and our understanding of the great changes that took place on Earth.
The final portion of the lecture will focus on today's celebrated athlete: the modern sled dog. Dr. Charles Berger is a veterinarian who has worked extensively with captive wolves, sled dogs, and has been a trail vet for many Yukon Quests and Iditarods, as well as other races in the lower 48 over the last 20 years.
Incorporating Traditional Knowledge into Polar Bear Management
Dr. Martha Dowsley, Assistant Professor in Geography and Anthropology, Lakehead University
Sunday, February 1, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, February 2, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park VRC, Haines Junction
Polar bears have become a major international symbol of climate change concerns, but remain a traditional component of the mixed economy through their use in subsistence, the fur trade and sport hunting. Nunavut Territory, like other Arctic jurisdictions, uses co-management systems to manage wildlife such as polar bears that hold significant cultural and economic values for its people.
The Inuit of Nunavut’s Qikiqtaaluk region have been participating in polar bear management at various governance levels for over 10 years. Discussions on how to collect, store, analyze and use traditional knowledge in polar bear management are on-going and can provide insight for other aboriginal groups and wildlife management agencies. Join Martha Dowsley as she shares her experiences of Inuit involvement in polar bear management in Nunavut.
On the Road to Sustainable Housing
Juergen Korn, P.Eng, Yukon Housing Corporation
Sunday, December 7, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Global warming, high energy costs, long-term affordability, and health issues demand that houses be built to higher standards in the new millenium. So how can we achieve very low energy, affordable housing?
Join Juergen Korn as he discusses the contribution of buildings to greenhouse gas emissions, historical and current costs of energy in the Yukon, heat energy requirements of typically constructed Yukon houses, and short and long-term affordability implications. Based on this discussion, and using examples of finished and ongoing projects in the Yukon, and elsewhere in Canada, Juergen will explore practical strategies for achieving inexpensive, energy efficient housing.
Avalanche Forecasting: a merging of science and art, theory and practice
Ilya Storm, Public Avalanche Forecaster
Canadian Avalanche Centre, Revelstoke, BC
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Have you ever had a trip delayed because the highway was closed for avalanche control? Or have you watched a video with some young boarder ripping a line and thought “that’s nuts!” or more likely “COOL – I wanna do that”. Have you ever complained about Yukon not having a public avalanche bulletin?
Avalanche forecasting draws from the latest snow science research, the stories of old mountain guides wizened by years of experience, and field reports from people without formal training. Forecasters analyze and evaluate weather forecasts and actual observations, then synthesize diverse and often conflicting data to recognize patterns, identify anomalies, and most importantly to predict the future. When patterns are complex, available information incomplete, and uncertainties abound, forecasters rely on subtle cues, experience, and professional judgement – the art of the business.
Join Ilya Storm as he explores how forecasters think, what goes into creating regional Public Avalanche Forecasts, and how they differ from the more traditional forecasting done by guides. What you learn may effect the decisions you make standing at the top of a slope - where theory meets practice; where psychology plays a role, and where decisions carry consequences.
Water in the changing North
Sean Carey, Associate Professor,
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Canada's north is undergoing unprecedented change in response to warming temperatures and industrial development associated with resource extraction. How the water cycle will respond to this is uncertain, yet there is compelling evidence to suggest that dramatic changes in the cycling and storage of water will occur. For example, melting permafrost and ground ice, retreating glaciers and changes in the amount, timing and phase of precipitation will all dramatically influence future streamflow patterns and water quality.
In addition, expanded industrial activity will be challenged by a lack of scientific understanding, placing increased stress on water resources. What does the future have in store for the North's water? Join Dr. Sean Carey from Carleton University as he discusses how environmental change will affect the water cycle across Canada's northwest in the coming decades and what the scientific community is doing to respond to future challenges.
Invasive Species – Coming to America:
Progress on Development of New Approaches for Early Detection and Rapid Response to New Invasive Plants in the United States
Randy Westbrooks, Ph.D., Invasive Species Prevention Specialist,
U.S. Geological Survey
Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The Problem……..
Over the past 500 years, more than 50,000 species and varieties of plants and animals have been introduced to North America. A small percentage of these have escaped cultivation and established free living populations in the U.S. and Canada. It is estimated that costs of exotic invasive species to the American economy are now over $138 billion per year, and of this total, invasive plants account for over $30 billion per year. Unlike chemical pollutants, that can be eliminated from use and will eventually break down in the environment, invasive species can reproduce and spread, causing ever increasing problems.
The Response……..
In response to this problem, a National Early Detection and Rapid Response System (EDRR) for Invasive Plants is being developed in the United States. The system is a coordinated framework of local, state, and national interagency groups that is designed to prevent the establishment and spread of new invasive plants through early detection and reporting of suspected new invaders (by agency field personnel and trained volunteers), identification and vouchering of specimens (by cooperating botanists), archiving of confirmed new records in regional and national plant databases, rapid assessment of new exotic species by federal and state scientists, and rapid response to new invaders (invasive plant task forces). Once implemented nationwide, the system will provide an important second line of defense against invasive plants that will complement federal efforts to prevent further introductions of invasive species at U.S. ports of entry.
The Challenge to Yukon Territory…….
Due to the traditionally cold climate, many of the invasive plants that now plague United States do not (yet) grow in Canada. However, increased development over the coming years, coupled with global warming, is certain to result in the introduction of many new weeds – unless steps are taken to prevent their introduction, establishment and spread. The recent appearance of kudzu (Pueraria montana) in Ontario and salt cedar (Tamarix chinensis) in Manitoba is a good example. Now is the time to develop an EDRR System in the Yukon Territory.
Dr. Irwin M. Brodo, Lichenologist Emeritus, Canadian Museum of Nature
Thursday, August 27, 2009, 7:30 pm Dawson City Museum, Dawson
Sunday, August 30, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Lichens thrive where most other plants “fear to tread.” In much of the boreal woodlands and in many parts of the arctic, as well as on the rugged coastal headlands, those splashes of colour you see, both bright and subtle, are often lichens. These fascinating organisms, formed from a partnership of fungi and photosynthetic algae (cyanobacteria), are everywhere you look.
Join Irwin Brodo as he describes the beauty and significance of lichens in Canada’s northern lands and rocky seashores. His talk will be illustrated with colour photographs taken by himself and the well-known nature photographers, Sylvia and Stephen Sharnoff, who, together, collaborated on the award-winning book, Lichens of North America.
Why look at animals?
Tina Loo, Professor and Canada Research Chair,
Department of History, University of British Columbia
Sunday, June 14, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Animals have never been more present in our lives – or more marginal. While millions of people around the world are looking at them thanks to live streaming video on the internet, their habitats are being degraded and their existence threatened. Watch long enough and the frame will be empty.
But it wasn’t always this way. For a long time animals were with us at the centre of our world. They were our first symbols; they guided us through space and time in the form of stars and the constellations that marked the astrological year. Join Tina Loo as she follows the story of how and why animals shaped our lives, only to become relegated the fringes of our existence. Through their “unnatural histories” – the stories of their lives with us – they tell us a great deal about ourselves and what it means to be human.
Yukon Dunes and the Hunt for the Dune Tachinid Fly
Syd Cannings, Endangered Species Biologist, Canadian Wildlife Service
Sunday, June 7, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The dune complexes of southern Yukon are remnants of the region’s great periglacial dune fields. Today active sand dunes are rare in the north, and many of the ancient dune systems are covered by forest. Exposed dunes such as the Carcross “desert,” and those around Kusawa and the Takhini River, are home to a whole biota of dune specialists, some of which are found in only a handful of places on Earth.
In the summer of 2008, Syd Cannings took up the challenge of mapping the range of the rare Dune Tachinid Fly (Germaria angustata), and found it in a number of sites. Previously, this fly was known only from Carcross in North America. Like the Baikal Sedge growing in the same dunes, it is now the subject of a national status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Join Syd as he shares the results of his research on the Dune Tachinid Fly and explores the unique ecology of Yukon dunes.
Bird Brains: Inside the Lives of Ravens and Crows
Candace Savage, award-winning author of
Bird Brains: the intelligence of ravens, crows, magpies and jays
Sunday, May 3, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, May 4, 2009, 7:30 pm Northern Lights Centre, Watson Lake
Join best-selling author Candace Savage for an unofficial celebration of the Yukon’s official bird. There is nothing common about the Common Raven, Corvus corax. The biggest, brashest member of the crow family, the raven is celebrated in both myth and science as the “wise guy” of the avian world.
Based on more than a decade of audacious research by scientists around the world, this lecture will survey the basic biology of ravens, with a special focus on their tricky social interactions, communication skills and impact on the human imagination. Why, through evolution, have ravens and their cousin-crows become so darn smart? What might they have to teach us about human intelligence?
“Our kinship with ravens reminds us of the irrepressible creativity of evolution, that endless, free-form expression of the miraculous that has shaped all of Earth’s beings, including us.”
Salmon Biodiversity in the Age of Global Warming
Dr. David Welch, President, Kintama Research Corporation
Friday, April 3, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon College Lecture Hall, Whitehorse
Award winning scientist, David Welch, is currently pioneering efforts to build large-scale salmon tracking systems in major rivers like the Skeena, Fraser, and Columbia and in the coastal ocean. Designed to measure the movements and survival of both young and old salmon, these monitoring systems currently extend over 2,500 km from the Snake River in Idaho to Glacier Bay, Alaska.
The pilot phase of the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) array is providing exciting and surprising results that are beginning to unravel the mysteries of where salmon go during their migrations—and where they are dying. Join David Welch as he explores how this data can be used to investigate how salmon biodiversity is being affected by global warming, and whether the recent major declines in the abundance of Yukon River chum and Chinook are being driven by changes in our climate.
Salmon, Ancient DNA and the Pithouses of Keatley Creek, British Columbia
Camilla Speller, PhD Candidate, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
Sunday, March 15, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The Keatley Creek site is an unusually large prehistoric housepit village site located on the terraces of the Fraser River exceptionally well situated to obtain and trade large numbers of salmon of prime quality for drying and preservation. A large complex community of hunter/gatherers existed at the site from 1000-2000 BP.
Previous archaeological work based on the analysis of fish remains at the site, made it appear that large households probably owned or restricted access to some of the more lucrative fishing areas, and the more desirable species, however it was not possible to visually recognize the salmon species from the prehistoric remains. So, ancient DNA species identification methods were used to identify 60 salmon remains from 4 different housepits. The absence of pink salmon in this sample significantly altered the picture of early salmon fishing activities in the region. Join Camilla Speller as she describes her DNA investigations, and what they tell us about the diet and social structures of the site’s native inhabitants.
The Tweedsmuir Glacier Surge
Chris Larsen, Research Assistant Professor, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Sunday, March 1, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, March 2, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, Haines Junction
The Saint Elias Mountains are home to the world’s largest area of glaciers outside of the poles. A particularly curious feature of these glaciers is that many of them surge. Over 136 surging glaciers have been identified within the St. Elias range, including 11 of the 16 major valley glaciers on the inland side of the range. Glacier surges occur roughly every 20 to 50 years, and involve the glacier moving up to 100 times faster than normal for a period of a year typically, with a few examples lasting up to four years. During a surge, the glacier terminus can advance substantially and rapidly.
Several large surging glaciers flow into the Alsek River valley, which is narrow and confined as it cuts through the St. Elias Range from the interior. These glaciers have dammed the river in the past by pushing ice across the valley, causing large lakes to form and then catastrophically drain when the ice dams fail. The Tweedsmuir glacier began a major surge in the spring of 2007, and has threatened to block the river again. Join Chris Larsen as he discusses his research into this phenomenon.
From the Big Bang to the Sled Dog
Charles J. Berger, DVM
Sunday, February 15, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 7:30 pm YOOP Hall, Dawson
In an hour and a half, we will journey from the Big Bang to the modern sled dog. Along the way, we will discuss the dramatic changes on the face of the earth, including the decline of the dinosaurs, the rise and fall of the North American megafauna, and the evolution of canids, including wolves and dogs. Alaska and the Yukon have contributed much to the fossil record and our understanding of the great changes that took place on Earth.
The final portion of the lecture will focus on today's celebrated athlete: the modern sled dog. Dr. Charles Berger is a veterinarian who has worked extensively with captive wolves, sled dogs, and has been a trail vet for many Yukon Quests and Iditarods, as well as other races in the lower 48 over the last 20 years.
Incorporating Traditional Knowledge into Polar Bear Management
Dr. Martha Dowsley, Assistant Professor in Geography and Anthropology, Lakehead University
Sunday, February 1, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, February 2, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park VRC, Haines Junction
Polar bears have become a major international symbol of climate change concerns, but remain a traditional component of the mixed economy through their use in subsistence, the fur trade and sport hunting. Nunavut Territory, like other Arctic jurisdictions, uses co-management systems to manage wildlife such as polar bears that hold significant cultural and economic values for its people.
The Inuit of Nunavut’s Qikiqtaaluk region have been participating in polar bear management at various governance levels for over 10 years. Discussions on how to collect, store, analyze and use traditional knowledge in polar bear management are on-going and can provide insight for other aboriginal groups and wildlife management agencies. Join Martha Dowsley as she shares her experiences of Inuit involvement in polar bear management in Nunavut.
On the Road to Sustainable Housing
Juergen Korn, P.Eng, Yukon Housing Corporation
Sunday, December 7, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Global warming, high energy costs, long-term affordability, and health issues demand that houses be built to higher standards in the new millenium. So how can we achieve very low energy, affordable housing?
Join Juergen Korn as he discusses the contribution of buildings to greenhouse gas emissions, historical and current costs of energy in the Yukon, heat energy requirements of typically constructed Yukon houses, and short and long-term affordability implications. Based on this discussion, and using examples of finished and ongoing projects in the Yukon, and elsewhere in Canada, Juergen will explore practical strategies for achieving inexpensive, energy efficient housing.
Avalanche Forecasting: a merging of science and art, theory and practice
Ilya Storm, Public Avalanche Forecaster
Canadian Avalanche Centre, Revelstoke, BC
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Have you ever had a trip delayed because the highway was closed for avalanche control? Or have you watched a video with some young boarder ripping a line and thought “that’s nuts!” or more likely “COOL – I wanna do that”. Have you ever complained about Yukon not having a public avalanche bulletin?
Avalanche forecasting draws from the latest snow science research, the stories of old mountain guides wizened by years of experience, and field reports from people without formal training. Forecasters analyze and evaluate weather forecasts and actual observations, then synthesize diverse and often conflicting data to recognize patterns, identify anomalies, and most importantly to predict the future. When patterns are complex, available information incomplete, and uncertainties abound, forecasters rely on subtle cues, experience, and professional judgement – the art of the business.
Join Ilya Storm as he explores how forecasters think, what goes into creating regional Public Avalanche Forecasts, and how they differ from the more traditional forecasting done by guides. What you learn may effect the decisions you make standing at the top of a slope - where theory meets practice; where psychology plays a role, and where decisions carry consequences.
Water in the changing North
Sean Carey, Associate Professor,
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Canada's north is undergoing unprecedented change in response to warming temperatures and industrial development associated with resource extraction. How the water cycle will respond to this is uncertain, yet there is compelling evidence to suggest that dramatic changes in the cycling and storage of water will occur. For example, melting permafrost and ground ice, retreating glaciers and changes in the amount, timing and phase of precipitation will all dramatically influence future streamflow patterns and water quality.
In addition, expanded industrial activity will be challenged by a lack of scientific understanding, placing increased stress on water resources. What does the future have in store for the North's water? Join Dr. Sean Carey from Carleton University as he discusses how environmental change will affect the water cycle across Canada's northwest in the coming decades and what the scientific community is doing to respond to future challenges.
Invasive Species – Coming to America:
Progress on Development of New Approaches for Early Detection and Rapid Response to New Invasive Plants in the United States
Randy Westbrooks, Ph.D., Invasive Species Prevention Specialist,
U.S. Geological Survey
Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
The Problem……..
Over the past 500 years, more than 50,000 species and varieties of plants and animals have been introduced to North America. A small percentage of these have escaped cultivation and established free living populations in the U.S. and Canada. It is estimated that costs of exotic invasive species to the American economy are now over $138 billion per year, and of this total, invasive plants account for over $30 billion per year. Unlike chemical pollutants, that can be eliminated from use and will eventually break down in the environment, invasive species can reproduce and spread, causing ever increasing problems.
The Response……..
In response to this problem, a National Early Detection and Rapid Response System (EDRR) for Invasive Plants is being developed in the United States. The system is a coordinated framework of local, state, and national interagency groups that is designed to prevent the establishment and spread of new invasive plants through early detection and reporting of suspected new invaders (by agency field personnel and trained volunteers), identification and vouchering of specimens (by cooperating botanists), archiving of confirmed new records in regional and national plant databases, rapid assessment of new exotic species by federal and state scientists, and rapid response to new invaders (invasive plant task forces). Once implemented nationwide, the system will provide an important second line of defense against invasive plants that will complement federal efforts to prevent further introductions of invasive species at U.S. ports of entry.
The Challenge to Yukon Territory…….
Due to the traditionally cold climate, many of the invasive plants that now plague United States do not (yet) grow in Canada. However, increased development over the coming years, coupled with global warming, is certain to result in the introduction of many new weeds – unless steps are taken to prevent their introduction, establishment and spread. The recent appearance of kudzu (Pueraria montana) in Ontario and salt cedar (Tamarix chinensis) in Manitoba is a good example. Now is the time to develop an EDRR System in the Yukon Territory.