Starry stonewort: What is it, what do we Starry stonewort: What is it, what do we know, what do we need to know?know, what do we need to know?

Dan LarkinDan LarkinAIS SummitAIS SummitO t b 6 2016O t b 6 2016October 6, 2016October 6, 2016

Photo: Dave Hansen

OverviewOverview

• Introduction to starry stonewortstarry stonewort

• Knowledge gaps and researchand research

• Identification and detectiondetection

Photo: Dave Hansen

Peoplep• Research team

• Ranjan• Ranjan Muthukrishnan (postdoc)

• Wes Glisson• Wes Glisson (research fellow)

• Mike Verhoeven (grad student)(grad. student)

• Carli Wagner (undergrad.)

• MAISRC• MAISRC collaborators

• Luis Escobar• Nick Phelps• Megan Weber

PeoplePeople

Starry stonewort yworking group• MnDNR• University of Wisconsin• Central Michigan g

University• New York Botanical

G dGarden• University of Geneva

Starry stonewortStarry stonewort

Nitellopsis obtusap• Green algae

Harmful blue-green algae

Three domains of living organisms(Gogarten, Taiz et al. 2015)(Gogarten, Taiz et al. 2015)

Starry stonewortStarry stonewort

Nitellopsis obtusap• Charophyte

Phylogeny of green plants, Viridiplantae(Soltis Lab)

Starry stonewortStarry stonewort

• Closely related toMcCourt et al. 1996Closely related to

stoneworts / muskgrasses native t Mi t

1996

to Minnesota• Ecologically

importantimportant• Water quality• Habitat

Chara aspera C. contraria Nitella flexilis

Starry stonewortStarry stonewort

• Native to Eur & AsiaNative to Eur. & Asia• Red listed (CHE, CZE,

FIN, DEU, GBR, JPN, SWE), , , , )• Special concern• Near threatened

V l bl• Vulnerable • Endangered• Regionally extinct Photo: Scott Browng y

Reproduction and spreadReproduction and spread

Di i l l• Dioecious, only males in North America to datedate

• Spread here by fragments and bulbils

Reproduction and spreadReproduction and spread

C t t d i l k• Concentrated in lakes w/ accesses and high-use areashigh use areas

• Human movement

Photo: www mymuskegonow com/Photo: www.mymuskegonow.com/

Invasion historyInvasion history

R l ti l i d• Relatively new invader• Quickly gaining ground• Increasing concern for AIS management

Invasion processInvasion process

Long termLong-term management

ce

Containment

Abu

ndan

c

PreventionEradication

Species absent

Rare, localized

Rapidly increasing

Widespread and abundant

Invasion stage g(time→)

Invasion processInvasion process

Long termLong-term management

ce

Containment

Abu

ndan

c

PreventionEradication curlyleaf

pondweed

hydrilla

Species absent

Rare, localized

Rapidly increasing

Widespread and abundant

Invasion stage g(time→)

Invasion processInvasion process

Long termLong-term management

ce

Containment

Abu

ndan

c

starry t t

PreventionEradication curlyleaf

pondweed

hydrillastonewort

Species absent

Rare, localized

Rapidly increasing

Widespread and abundant

Invasion stage g(time→)

Invasion processInvasion process

Long termStage of high Long-term management

ce

Stage of high uncertainty

Containment

Abu

ndan

c

starry t t

PreventionEradication

stonewort

Species absent

Rare, localized

Rapidly increasing

Widespread and abundant

Invasion stage g(time→)

Invasion processInvasion process

Long termHow many lakes? Long-term management

cey

• Curlyleaf ~750• Eurasian ~330• Flowering rush ~36

Containment

Abu

ndan

c

starry t t

PreventionEradication

stonewort

Species absent

Rare, localized

Rapidly increasing

Widespread and abundant

Invasion stage g(time→)

Invasion processInvasion process

H h f• How much of an invaded lake?

Knowledge gapsKnowledge gaps

T di t ib ti• True distribution• Ecological impacts• Spread potential• Effective treatments

Larkin et al. In prep. ireview paper

Knowledge gapsKnowledge gaps

T di t ib tiTrue distribution• Need expert

verificationverification• Need more search

efforteffort

Knowledge gapsKnowledge gaps

E l i l i tEcological impacts• Concern about

potential effects onpotential effects on• Plant diversity• Fish habitat• Ecosystem condition

• No peer-reviewed lit t iliterature, rigorous data

Spread potentialSpread potential

Wh t i it l i l “ i h ”?• What is its ecological “niche”?• Where are those conditions available?

Spread potentialSpread potential

Used climate to predict invasion (ecological niche modeling)Used climate to predict invasion (ecological niche modeling)• Occurrences from native and invaded ranges• Examined relationship to climatic factors

P di t d t ti l f i• Predicted potential for range expansion

http://www.unil.ch/

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

O• Occurrences

Escobar et al. 2016. Sci. Reports

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

• Predictions of suitable habitat

Escobar et al. 2016. Sci. Reports

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

• Uninvaded areas (Mid-Atlantic, Great Plains, ( , ,Intermountain West) potential high suitability

Escobar et al. 2016. Sci. Reports

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

• Minnesota may have limited suitabilityy y

Escobar et al. 2016. Sci. Reports

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

U f t t l d l• Unfortunately, model now being tested

TurtleUpper Red Moose

CassTurtle Winnibigoshish

Moose

KoronisRice

Sylviay

Ecological niche modelEcological niche model

I SSW li t• Is SSW climate-limited in Minn.?

• Correlative models• Correlative models• Nature full of

surprises (e gsurprises (e.g., Upper Red)

© Photomonger

Climate tolerance experimentsClimate tolerance experiments

SSW lt i l b• SSW cultures in lab• Will mimic potentially

range limitingrange-limiting conditions

• Duration• Photoperiod• Light quality

Scaling down to Minn lakesScaling down to Minn. lakes

Ch i t f SSW l kChemistry of SSW lakes• High pH• High conductivity

• Ca• Mg• Mg

• Wide N, P rangesbased on data from NY (Sleith)based on data from NY (Sleith) and Europe (Rey-Boissezon)

Scaling down to Minn lakesScaling down to Minn. lakes

Ch i t f SSW l k What lakes is it found in now?

Chemistry of SSW lakes• High pH

What are physiochemical

diti f th

• High conductivity• Ca• Mg conditions of these

lakes?• Mg

• Wide N, P rangesbased on data from NY (Sleith)

Which Minnesota lakes overlap with these conditions?

based on data from NY (Sleith) and Europe (Rey-Boissezon)

Scaling down to Minn lakesScaling down to Minn. lakes

Ch i t f SSW l k What lakes is it found in now?

Chemistry of SSW lakes• High pH

What are environmental

diti f th

• High conductivity• Ca• Mg conditions of these

lakes?• Mg

• Wide N, P rangesbased on data from NY (Sleith)

Which Minnesota lakes overlap with these conditions?

based on data from NY (Sleith) and Europe (Rey-Boissezon)

Scaling down to Minn lakesScaling down to Minn. lakes

Ch i t f SSW l k What lakes is it found in now?

Chemistry of SSW lakes• High pH

What are environmental

diti f th

• High conductivity• Ca• Mg conditions of these

lakes?• Mg

• Wide N, P rangesbased on data from NY (Sleith)

Which Minnesota lakes overlap with these conditions?

based on data from NY (Sleith) and Europe (Rey-Boissezon)

Overland spreadOverland spread

If t i t d• If contaminated boat… how long does material stay viable?material stay viable?

Photo: NYS DECPhoto: NYS DEC

Overland spreadOverland spread

D i ti t i lDesiccation trials• Still able to grow after

1h 2h 4h 8h ?1h, 2h, 4h, 8h….?

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

Difficult to control starry ystonewort• No vasculature• “Haircut”—dead tops,

able to resprout• No publications

Pullman and Crawford 2010

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

Difficult to control starry ystonewort• “Seedbank” of bulbils

left behind• Herbicide sensitivity of

b lbil kbulbils unknown

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

• Testing sensitivity of plants and bulbils to g y pdifferent herbicides

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

• Lab trials• Chelated copper

algaecides• Non copper herbicides• Non-copper herbicides

(diquat, endothall, flumioxazin)

Photo: MAISRC Facebook

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

• Non-target effects on gnative charophytes and vascular plants

Photos: Ville Karvinen, articulo.mercadolibre.com.ec/, Gary Fleming, C. B. Hellquist)

Starry stonewort controlStarry stonewort control

I l k t t t t• In-lake treatment outcomes• Upper Red• CassCass• Moose

IdentificationIdentification

• May grow dense, tally g ,• Can have robust,

plant-like appearance underwaterunderwater

Photo: Paul Skawinski

IdentificationIdentification

• May grow dense, tally g ,• Can form thick mats

Photos: Dan Larkin, Minnesota DNR

IdentificationIdentification

• Whorls of 4-6 long branchlets

Photo: Paul Skawinski

IdentificationIdentification

• Whorls of 4-6 long branchlets

Photo: Scott Brown

IdentificationIdentification

• Small, star-,shaped bulbils

Photos, L-R: Dan Larkin, MN DNR, Paul Skawinski

IdentificationIdentification• Unlike most Chara, smooth stems

YouTube: Starry stonewort identification, Paul Skawinski (UWEX)

IdentificationIdentification• Unlike Nitella, asymmetrical branching

YouTube: Starry stonewort identification, Paul Skawinski (UWEX)

IdentificationIdentification• More stiff out of water

YouTube: Starry stonewort identification, Paul Skawinski (UWEX)

Starry trekStarry trek

• Minnesota & WisconsinMinnesota & Wisconsin• Statewide, coordinated

shoreline searches• Tentative date:

Saturday, Aug. 5th, 2017 y, g ,

Photo: Dave Hansen

Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?

Photo: Dave Hansen