Invasive Species Work at the University of Kentucky - Outreach

Listed below is a brief description of the outreach efforts at the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture that pertain to invasive species. We also have information on invasive species:

Research

Instruction

We would like to maintain an up-to-date list of invasive species work conducted throughout the University of Kentucky. Please contact us if you have instruction, research, or outreach efforts at the University of Kentucky pertaining to invasive species that you would like us to add to this website.

Outreach

Department of Entomology - College of Agriculture
Forest Health Task Force: A task force that serves in an advisory/ information exchange capacity, encompassing UK Departments of
Entomology, Forestry, Plant Pathology, the State Entomologists Office, the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky Division
of Forestry, Kentucky Woodland Owners Association, etc. Develops
tools for raising public awareness of forest health threats, websites for interested stakeholders.

State Entomologist Office: Works with federal, state and local agencies to conduct surveys for exotic pests and develop management strategies for them. Licenses businesses and individuals that buy, sell, ship, or distribute nursery stock for
commercial or monetary gain in Kentucky.

Cooperative Agricultural Pest Surveys (CAPS): In cooperation with federal agencies, this project surveys, detects, and monitors economically and/or ecologically significant agricultural, forest, horticultural, and public health threats. Current surveys include the
gypsy moth, exotic bark beetles, emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, soybean rust, giant salvinia.

Community-Based Science Projects: Students in numerous counties are studying invasive insects and their community impacts. P-12 audience (contact Blake Newton)

Department of Forestry - College of Agriculture
Kentucky Phytosanitary Pallet Project: Limit the entry of Anaplophora glabripennis into US. See www.UKwoodcenter.net/heattreat.htm. Industry/commercial audience. (contact Carroll Fackler)

Community-Based Science Projects: Students in Leslie County studying kudzu and its impact on the community. (contact Carol Hanley)

Controlling Bush Honeysuckle in Bluegrass Woodlands: Project to combat bush honeysuckle in Bluegrass woodlands. Community audience. (contact Billy Thomas)

Kentucky Woodlands Magazine: New, quarterly magazine that includes a forest health department emphasizing invasive species issues. Forestry professional audience. (contact Jeff Stringer)

Short Courses, Workshops, and Training Programs: Continuing education for woodland owners and programs on wildflowers and gardening including information on invasive plants. Public audience. Professional Forestry Workshop Series for continuing education for practicing professionals on invasive plants, insects, diseases. (contact Jeff Stringer)

Forest Health Task Force: Statewide collaborative includes issues relating to invasive plants, diseases, insects, and other animals. (contact Jeff Stringer)

Healthy Forest Initiative Harvest Project: Collaborative research and demonstration project to assess how various silvicultural treatments will affect tree and stand vulnerability to gypsy moth/oak decline. (contact Jeff Stringer)

Aquatic Invasives Initiative: An initiative to develop guidelines to protect Kentucky’s aquatic resources from invasives. (contact Mike Mahala)

Department of Horticulture - College of Agriculture
Theodore Kline Award: Award for plants meeting criteria as a superior landscape plant, including potential for invasiveness (contact Winston Dunwell)

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): IPM training and scouting for pests of nursery crops, including several invasive insect pests and diseases (contact Amy Fulcher, Winston Dunwell)

Arboriculture: (1) Plant health care workshops; recognizing the value of species diversification in healthy landscapes and understanding control and management of exotic invasive species.
(2) Valuation of species based on aesthetics, potential for failure, cultural characteristics. (contact William Fountain)

The Arboretum: (1) Citizen workshops. (2) Hands-on instruction centered on ecological restoration strategies. (3) Self guided honeysuckle removal demonstration (Coop. with UK Forestry Dept).
(4) Production of invasive plant video. (contact Jim Lempke, Marcia Farris)

Department of Plant Pathology - College of Agriculture
Soybean Rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) Outreach: Developed and administered two listservs which facilitated communication among national soybean community. Coordinated SBR Sentinel Network and part of a core group that made key decisions that impacted SBR surveillance. Planned and implemented Kentucky’s SBR Sentinel Network. Maintained SBR hotline. Established UK SBR web site. Conducted SBR trainings for Agriculture and Natural Resource agents. (contact Don Hershman)

Presentations and Publications: Presentations on sudden oak death and Phytophthora ramorum for professional nursery and landscape groups, as well as professional foresters. Articles in Kentucky Pest News newsletter, Kentucky Log Jam, and the Kentucky Woodlands Magazine. (contact John Hartman or Patricia de Sa)

National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN): Plant pathology provides real-time diagnostic records to a national database to help pinpoint outbreaks of invasive species.

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences - College of Agriculture
In-Service Outreach for: Extension agents; Vegetation Management Association of Kentucky; KY Transportation Cabinet; KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Outreach: Kentucky Weed Survey; Weed Science Herbarium.

Digital Consulting System: Network with county extension offices.