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.

Feral Animals

File:Bufo.marinus.web.jpg

Cane Toad

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 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.

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, 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
Mesquite	Prosopis spp.	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA
Mimosa	Mimosa pigra	NT
Parkinsonia	Parkinsonia aculeate	WA, NT, QLD	[[Image:Parkinsonia aculeata.jpg	]]
Parthenium weed	Parthenium hysterophorus	QLD, NSW, VIC
Pond Apple	Annona glabra	NT, QLD, NSW
Prickly Acacia	Acacia nilotica ssp. indica	QLD, NSW
Rubber Vine	Cryptostegia grandiflora	WA, QLD	[[Image:Cryptostegia grandiflora.jpg	]]
Salvinia	Salvinia molesta	WA, NT, QLD, NSW, SA
Serrated Tussock	Nassella trichotoma	NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT
Willows	Salix spp. except S. babylonica, S. X calodendron and S. X reichardtiji	NSW, VIC, ACT

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.

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]