Purple Loosestrife
§ Intro – as beautiful as PL is for us humans to look at, it has the opposite effect on nature § Trace the hypothesized path of introduction and spread of the organism (whether accidental or purposeful § Identify impacts on the indigenous flora & fauna § Suggest some possible remedies to the problem - beetles § Conclusion PATH Indeed, the plants attractive purple flowers have made it popular in landscaping--another factor contributing to its spread. ... "The real problem for national parks," said Brian Klatt, who is researching the beetles at the University of Michigans biological gardens, "is that purple loosestrife and other exotics displace native vegetation, which is critical feeding and nesting habitat for waterfowl, muskrat, or just about anything. ... " One such biocontrol program that Blossey has been involved with since its inception in 1985, is the use of several insects to control purple loosestrife. The purple loosestrife-eating beetles have been released in more than 2,000 test sites in at least 30 states, including areas outside of Acadia National Park in Maine, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, part of the National Capital Parks in Washington, D. ... It belongs to the same family as the notoriously invasive purple loosestrife, which is choking out native on stream banks across the country. ... 123 Issue 3, p10, 1p IN THE 1990s, an army of European beetles was intentionally unleashed at more than 200 sites across Ontario in an effort to stem the spread of purple loosestrife, the "zebra mussel of the wetlands.