| Show I L'-x:-- i ' C4 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday Octoher 17 2003 §©®SIs ALBUQUERQUE NM (API-- Salt cedra has invade waterways throughout the West and state and federal officials are targeting the thirsty nonnative species because of dwindling water supplies and the threat of wildfire They've already tried chain saws bulldozers herbicides and fire Their latest weapon is a small brown leaf beetle that yearns only for the pink-tippbranches of salt cedar The beetles have already shown where in one r their stuff in Nevada season they ate the green off a 400- trees acre patch of the They also have been released at test sites in Texas Colorado Utah Wyoming and California ed fast-growi- ng ' ’ ssffi miera neacsoini agaomsft The creation of a beetle army was initiated more than a decade ago through the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service The program has continued over theyears with countless tests in the lab and in field cages Researchers initially chose the Chinese leaf beetle which comes from the salt cedar’s native region But to compensate for the shorter and hotter days of the Southwest they also are studying subspecies of the beetle from Crete Tunisia and Uzbekistan'''- -' Beetles released in southeastern New Mexico were from Crete Thompson's team plans to release the other two varieties next season to determine which does the best in New Mexico’s climate Salt cedar also known as tamarisk :'!' was brought to the United States more than a century ago as an ornamental plant and soil stabilizer It wasn’t long before the trees took over gulping up water killing native plants and growing into impenetrable stands that became fire hazards In Albuquerque two wildfires fueled by salt cedar and other nonnative trees raced through the wooded area along the Rio Grande this summer The fires forced the evacuations of hundreds of homes and i ty £idals to trte a closer took at eradicating invasive plants and restoring cottonwood and willow trees along the river drought persisting across the West also puts salt cedars in die cross-haiOne mature salt cedar can consume 200 gallons of water a ' ay A mature Itm 1n ran pmrtiift as many as 500000 seeds a year v mating elimination nearly impossi-Augu: - : - ( 66 ' : i believe that we can move forward in an environmentally sensitive manner that will save water reduce fire danger and improve range “I 4 v‘ --Sen Pete Domenld AP photo : brirah of a salt cedar tree in an undated photo Researchers at New Mexico State University have released about 600 leaf beetles along the Pecos River in southeastern New Mexico to combat the spread of the invasive salt cedar which has choked waterways through much of the West A leaf beetle munches on the “There are very few things that eat the leaves of a salt cedar tree and Environmentalists have talked these beetles are one of them" said about die benefits of getting rid of Dave Thompson an entomologist at ' salt cedar highlighting improve'V New Mexico State University ments the trees’ eradication would- have on the habitat of die endan- Thompson in cooperation with die US Department of Agriculture and gered Southwestern willow flycatch-the US Fish and Wildlife Service in st released about 600 of the leaf i ble£’ ' The bird which lives along the 3 " " Rio Grande in central New beetles along thePfccraRiyra nearifr-Mexico Pete Domeniciwhorepre- ” and in Artesia gents New Mexico is pushing legis-- ’ parts of Arizona has been It marks the first time they were forced to nest in salt cedar because ladon to find solutions to the released in New Mexico the trees have pushed out native veg: inercas-and assess pc ! potential problem V 'VS: Researchers will track the beetles 3 pr in water availability hy controlling ctation? f about the size of a pencil eraser' - the plant f has it reason The isthe flycatcher y: to see how they respond to New “I believe that we can move for-- 3 taken so long to release the beetles in Mexico’s shorter days and cooler ward in an environmentally sensitive New Mexico Fish and WildlifiB ofifi- die cials were concerned about the is hopeful Thompson manner that will save water reduce1 Swintera beetles make it through the winter effects it would have on the bird condiand ifangw improve range to let rcsearchera release said he tions” they agreed rs s- - : 3 -- J yp f ' $ ' ff the beetles along the Pecos because it was far enough away from the flycatcher’s habitat Thompson said he hopes to release beetles along the Rio Grande next season if Fish and Wildlife agrees The permit process for allowing bee--'! ties along the Rio Grande has been ' ‘3 way for five years ' ’ Grande is Rio a “The great place to release because other vegetation is there” he said “Along die Grande there isgrass and willows' that are competing with salt cedar If: we have something to take down the v salt cedar odier vegetation can make r a comeback?' Elizabeth Slowna spokes woman! fra the Fish and Wildlife Service in ! Albuquerque said it’s imperative that the flycatcher is not left without ’ ' ahome-- : v “It would be terrible for salt cedar to be here one season and not the VfiV next without something to replace it” she said “That’s the tough part having a place where die Southwest-und- er willow flycatcher can nest” : P:' an : '' Scientists hope the beetle can put is )' drat in salt cedars but acknowledge that it’s not a magic bullet “The beetle is certainly another 3? option”Thompson said “The key to this is trying to come up with an integrated control of salt cedar We an combine the beetle with these ''!:' 3other treatments and keep the plants from evra coming back” ' ’ 'AT v r v- - " V T ‘ IV The Musical Ambassadors of the Army ' Washington DC I' A Free Concert Celebrating America's First Amendment Freedoms msB®sBa&m SnidbsbSWB? M) M§0HSb i Presented as a gift to the community by S3 Herald AbUSkL o M o Journal citotheAkis WMW yww General admission tickets are FREE but MmSi j - CZ j seating is limited To request FREE concert tickets please clip this coupon and mail it with a stamped envelope by October 19 2003 to: self-address- j i Armjr ed J J i i Field Band Concert Herald Journal PO Box 487 Logan UT 84323 j i Number of tickets requested (4 maximum) Tickets are also available at Center for the Arts at 43 S Main ! |
