Prof to head U.S. alien species committee
By ALLY JAY
News Writer
The introduction of a few alien species into the U.S. has caused massive economic and ecological damage on a variety of fronts including agriculture, industry and public health.
That's according to David Lodge, professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame, who was recently appointed chair of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) by Secretary of the Interior Bill Babbitt.
Invasive species are those that evolve in one geographic area and are purposely or accidentally relocated to another. Today's global society has increased the impact of invasive species, Lodge said.
"In the past, many of these [invasive species] organisms would have been killed coming here on a boat journey which took about two weeks," said Lodge. "Now organisms are getting here on jets within a day or two and are still very much alive."
Recently experts have begun to address the potential dangers posed by invasive species.
"It is one of the most important environmental issues in the world, and it is just being recognized as such," Lodge said. "One of the major difficulties of dealing with invasive species is that you can't pass one law to keep all species out. There are thousands of ways they can get into the country."
The ISAC was set up as part of the implementation of an executive order issued by President Clinton. The order mandated the institution of an Invasive Species Council (ISC).
The committee of 25 experts advises the ISC, which includes Babbitt, six other members of the President's cabinet and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The ISC works with the ISAC to develop polices to prevent and control the spread of exotic species.
"In part I think I'm seen as representing the Midwest on this committee," said Lodge. "The Midwest's Great Lakes are very much affected by an overrepresentation of exotic species."
"Invasive species come in many forms," he explained. "One of the more well-known invasive species [in the Midwest] is the zebra mussel, which is brought over from Eastern Europe in ballast water on ships.
"They caused billions of dollars in damage to pipes and pumps mainly in the Great Lakes region. Invasive species also pose a threat to human health as was the case with the outbreak of the West Nile-like virus in New York," he said.
Lodge stressed the importance of recognizing the threat of invasive species on the environment.
"While we all benefit from certain exotic species such as vegetables and fruits, we do need to be concerned about invasive species which impact human health negatively and bring about loss of biodiversity," Lodge said. "Most people don't realize that exotic ecological species are one of the most important reasons for loss of biological diversity. Usually people think about clearing the rain forests, but invasive species are probably second in importance to that in decreasing native species."
Soon, the ISC and the ISAC will work together to coordinate steps to handle invasive species and will prepare and issue a national Invasive Species Management plan.
Lodge, a lake ecologist, has studied the effects of non-native aquatic animals on lake ecosystems. He was nominated for the ISAC position by the University's provost and received letters of support from scientists at various institutions around the country.
All News Stories for Monday, April 3, 2000
