Invasive species in Australia

Invasive species are a threat to the native biodiversity of Australia and are an ongoing cost to Australian agriculture. The management of weeds costs AUD $3.5 billion yearly, management and the prevention of the introduction of new invasive species are key enviromental and agricultural policy issues for the Australian Federal and State governments

Invasive species

Diseases, fungi and parasites

Invasive diseases, fungi and parasites in Australia affect many native plants and animals and agricultural crops.

File:Bufo.marinus.web.jpg

Cane Toad

Feral animals

Australia is host to 56 invasive vertebrate animal species. Feral animals in Australia are mainly domestic animals that have gone wild or were brought in for recreational use or in the case of the cane toad, were introduced as biological control of another pest. Feral animals causing most public concern and economic and ecological damage include the Cane toad (Bufo marinus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), feral camels (Camelus dromedarius), feral cats (Felis catus), feral goats (Capra hircus), feral horses (Equus caballus) and feral donkeys (Equus asinus), feral pigs (Sus scrofa)and feral water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Feral animals have very few predators in Australia.

See also: Rabbits in Australia.

File:RIFA.jpg

Fire Ant

Insects and other invertebrates

Problem insects include, Red Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta), Yellow Crazy Ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), honeybees (Apis mellifera) and European wasps (Vespula germanica)

Introduced marine pests

A number of marine pests have arrived in Australia in the ballast water of cargo ships. Marine pests include the Black-striped mussel (Dreissena polymorpha), the Asian Green mussel and the Northern Pacific seastar.

Weeds

Weeds invade natural ladscapes, waterways and agricultural land. A list of weeds of National significance was created in 1999, it includes the species in the following table.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Extent in Australia	Image
Alligator Weed	Alternanthera philoxeroides	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, TAS	[[Image:Alligator-Weed1web.jpg	]]
Athel Pine	Tamarix aphylla	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA	[[Image:Tamarix aphylla.jpg	]]
Bitou bush / Boneseed	Chrysanthemoides monilifera	WA, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, TAS	[[Image:Bitoubush2.jpg	]]
Blackberry	Rubus fruticosus agg.	WA, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT	[[Image:Blackberries on bush.jpg	]]
Bridal Creeper	Asparagus asparagoides	WA, NSW, VIC, SA, TAS	[[Image:Asparagus asparagoides.jpg	]]
Cabomba	Cabomba caroliniana	NT, QLD, NSW, VIC	[[Image:Cabomba caroloniana.jpg	]]
Chilean Needle Grass	Nassella neesiana	NSW, VIC, SA, ACT
Gorse	Ulex europaeus	WA, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT	[[Image:Ulex europaeus.jpg	]]
Hymenachne	Hymenachne amplexicaulis	NT, QLD, SA
Lantana	Lantana camara	WA, NT, QLD, NSW	[[Image:Lantana camara.jpg	]]
Mesquite	Prosopis spp.	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA	[[Image:Prosopis pallida.jpg	]]
Mimosa	Mimosa pigra	NT	[[Image:Mimosa pigra.jpg	]]
Parkinsonia	Parkinsonia aculeate	WA, NT, QLD	[[Image:Parkinsonia aculeata.jpg	]]
Parthenium weed	Parthenium hysterophorus	QLD, NSW, VIC	[[Image:False ragweed.jpg	]]
Pond Apple	Annona glabra	NT, QLD, NSW	[[Image:Annonaglabra1web.jpg	]]
Prickly Acacia	Acacia nilotica ssp. indica	QLD, NSW
Rubber Vine	Cryptostegia grandiflora	WA, QLD	[[Image:Cryptostegia grandiflora.jpg	]]
Salvinia/ Giant salvinia	Salvinia molesta	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, SA	[[Image:Giant_Salvinia.jpg	]]
Serrated Tussock	Nassella trichotoma	NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT	[[Image:Serrated tussock.jpg	]]
Willows	Salix spp. except S. babylonica, S. X calodendron and S. X reichardtiji	NSW, VIC, ACT	[[Image:Willow.jpg	]]

Weed management costs the Australian economy AUD$3.5 billion yearly, weeds are also an environmental problem, they are the second greatest threat to biodiversity after land clearing. Almost half of Australia's 220 declared noxious weeds (under legislation) were introduced deliberately, one third of these as garden ornamentals.

Management of invasive species

The management of invasive species is carried out by individuals, conservation groups and government agencies.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service is responsible for ensuring that no new species with the potential to beceome invasive species enter Australia.

There a number of scientific bodies that are involved in research for the control invasive species. The CSIRO has been involved in the release of several successful biological control agents and the development of chemical agents for pest and weed control. For example the CSIRO released myxoma virus and rabbit calicivirus disease for the control of rabbits, the moth Cactoblastis cactorum for the control of prickly pear, and the salvina weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae for the control of aquatic weed Salvinia.

Cooperative Research Centres for weed management and pest animal control, have been established by the federal government. They coordinate research and funding between a number of university and government labs for research into control of invasive species.

References

• The Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management [1]
• CSIRO maine pest fact sheets [2]
• The Department of Environment and Heritage, Invasive Species [3]
• Weeds of National Significance [4]
• The Cooperative Research Centre for Pest Animal Control [5]
• feral.org.au [6]