GEO 210 Lecture 9: Dangerous Plants and Invasive Species (PDF)

Week 9: Dangerous Plants and Invasive Species Thursday November 21, 2024 Poisonous Food Plants Some components of food crops are poisonous Seeds from an apple: Chewed apple seeds release a compound that breaks down into toxic hydrogen cyanide during...

Week 9: Dangerous Plants and Invasive Species Thursday November 21, 2024 Poisonous Food Plants Some components of food crops are poisonous Seeds from an apple: Chewed apple seeds release a compound that breaks down into toxic hydrogen cyanide during digestion Berries of mature asparagus: Contain compounds that can cause gastrointestinal issues Raw lima beans: Contains linamarin that can release toxic hydrogen cyanide when consumed Mango peel and sap: Causes allergic reactions in some people because it contains urushiol Too much nutmeg: Leads to nutmeg poisoning caused by myristicin Tomato leaves and stems: toxic to be undigested Beets and their stalks is an example of plant that can be eaten fully The Manchineel Tree: The Tree of Death Native to the tropical parts of southern North America, Central America, Caribbean and some parts of northern South America It is the most dangerous tree in the world and all parts of it is poisonous Tree produces sap, which oozes out of everything (bark, leaves, fruit of the tree) and causes burn like blisters when in contact with the skin due to acidity Provides as an excellent windbreaker and protection against coastal erosion on Central American beaches 5 Poisonous Plants Poison ivy Giant hogweed Wild Parsnip Pokeweed Spotted Water Hemlock Poison Ivy One of the most toxic plants and effects are not a strong as the other poisonous plants Giant Hogweed Came from Asia to North America introduced as a ornamental garden plant Has become an invasive species causing threats to ecosystems Has reddish purple stem differentiating the plant In contact can cause burns and sap causing skin inflammation activated by the sun Wild Parsnip Similar to giant hogweed because it has furocoumarins- that when absorbed by skin can stimulate UV light and destroy cells and skin tissue and appears as redness and blistering on skin Pokeweed Flowers appear green to white and fruit is green (deep purple to black when ripe) Poisonous to humans and animals Spotted Water Hemlock Small, white flowers shaped like an inverted umbrella bloom from July to August Plant has stout, green stem spotted with purple that seeps a yellow oily liquid when cut Contains cicutoxin, a toxic alcohol that attacks the CNS Invasive Species Defined as non native to a biomes Introduction causes or is likely to cause environmental, economic harm or harm to human health Purple Loosestrife Invasive plant that came from Europe and moved into a lot of wetlands in North America Nutritionally deficit for animals Dense and cant be used for nesting material and wildlife cant get through it Used a biological control: non native species – host specific and isn't going to feed on anything else (leaf feeding beetles) Zebra and Quagga Mussels It came from the Black and Caspian Seas in the ballast water ships traveling from a European port Created an issue for water intake pipes There was no biological control instead they used Zequanox that kills only the Zebra and Quagga Mussels The Zebra Mussels dominated the Lake Erie In 2017, it became prevalent in lake michigan, lake erie and great lakes Asian Carp It's a collective term for four species (bighead carp, grass carp, black crap and silver carp) Asian Carp came to be because of agriculture gone wrong, species got out into the agricultural environment and then into the natural environment causing it to flourish Electrical Barriers was used in the Great Lakes to keep the invasive species from entering the ecosystem Bighead and silver head carps cause the most problems Midwest Battles to keep invasive Asian carp out of Great Lakes Invasive fish that grow fast, jump high and have taken over large swaths of Mississippi watershed Sea Lamprey: A Success Story Native fish from the Atlantic Ocean that came through man made shipping canals in Lake Ontario and later invaded all of the Great Lakes They used Lampricide (TFM), barrier to block, scenes (pheromones and alarm cues) and trapping to control the spread of species Round goby Came through the same way as the Zebra and Quagga Mussels (ballast water in ships from Black and Capsian seas in Europe to the Great Lakes) Goby preys on Zebra mussels (this was unintentional) Fish are contaminated and can cause harm Asian Long-Horned Beetle Feed on layers of woody tissue under tree bark Removed a bunch of trees as a result to eradicate this issue and invasion was no longer a problem A second invasion happened in Pearson Airport through larvae burrowed into wooden pallets of shipping containers Asian Long-horned Beetle No longer Threatened Mississauga Trees Invasive species have been eliminated in mississauga after 5 years of surveys with no detection Tree Removal at TMU Most tree damage is caused by Emerald Ash Borer, which destroys the layer under the bark similar to the Asian Long-Horned Beetle Only apparent once a tree has been heavily invested Injecting insecticide treatment can prevent infestations before invested or in early stages of infestation An Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada 4 approaches Prevention of new invaders Early detection of new invaders Rapid response Management of established and spreading invaders (containment, eardiction and control)