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For the fifth year in a row, UCCE and Cal-IPC will co-host lunchtime (noon to 1:00 p.m.) talks via Zoom Webinar each day Monday through Friday during California Invasive Species Action Week (June 6-10, 2022).
See https://ucanr.edu/sites/invasivelunch/2022/ for more information and registration.
Some are tiny and hard to find. Some are beautiful. However, as with many things, looks can be deceiving. Invasive plants and animals threaten some of California’s most precious resources, as well as our health. Often these impacts involve surprising interactions that may not be obvious. Webinars are free, but registration is required for each day.
Monday, June 6 – Successful Biological Control of Asian Citrus Psyllid in California presented by Dr. Ivan Milosavljevic
Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) poses a significant threat to the long-term viability of the California citrus industry because of its ability to vector a bacterium that causes a lethal citrus disease, called huanglongbing. Since the inception of the biological control program targeting ACP in California, pest densities have declined by approximately 70%.This successful biological control program substantially reduces ACP densities in urban areas, which may significantly slow the spread of huanglongbing disease in Southern California into commercial citrus production areas and will be the focus of our discussion.
Tuesday, June 7 – Planting Right with PlantRight presented by Alex Stubblefield
Many invasive plants are attractive, which is not surprising given that many were originally brought to California as ornamentals. Hear about ways the horticultural trade is working to stop the spread of invasive plants now and in the future through the PlantRight partnership, and learn what you can do to make sure your landscaping does not contribute to the problem.
Wednesday, June 8 – Biodiversity, Conservation, and Why We Need Killer Dragonflies to Keep People and Our Ecosystems Healthy presented by Dr. Gary Bucciarelli
In this talk, Dr. Gary Bucciarelli will discuss how stream biodiversity in California is impacted by invasive crayfish, how this ultimately affects human health, and what we can do to preserve our incredible (and dwindling!) freshwater ecosystems.
Thursday, June 9 – Emerging Insights on Invasive Shothole Borers in California presented by Dr. Shannon Lynch
Invasive shothole borers have become established in many parts of Southern California, and emerging research suggests that other parts of the state are at risk including the Central Valley, Sacramento, the Bay Area and the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs). This presentation will include promising research on using endophytes (bacterial and fungal microbes that live in trees) to control the tree-killing Fusarium fungus that the beetles “farm” in their galleries to use as their primary food source. Additional research to be discussed includes the model used to predict future spread of the beetles and their potential economic impact.
Friday, June 10 – Early Detection & Rapid Response in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta presented by Dr. Rachel Wigginton
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a highly invaded system, and long-term management of existing invasive species populations is challenging for regional natural resource managers. The Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination Team has been leading efforts to plan how to prevent, detect, and quickly respond to novel invasions in the Delta.
