Insects+Feast+on+Louisiana+Wetlands,+Inviting+the+Gulf+In

[|Insects Feast on Louisiana Wetlands, Inviting the Gulf In] The New York Times Accessed on 28 February 2018

Scale is killing the Roseau cane that protects the land from flooding and erosion. http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/roseau-cane-scale-delta

Louisiana faces a new threat of small insects from Asia, the scale. The pests can reverse decades of coastal restoration and prevent Louisiana's 50-year plan to slow land loss from occurring. The scale attaches to Roseau cane, a common reed that protects the marshland from damage, draining the life out of it. James Harris, a manager at the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, estimates that 80% of the Roseau cane is infested by the scale. A study by Louisiana State University found that about 225,000 acres of land is damaged. Unlike other foreign pests, scale has no program to respond to the infestation. The dying Roseau cane also decreases the revenue brought in by hunters in the area and the oil and shipping industries. One solution includes the introduction of another invasive species, a European Roseau cane, which is resistant to scale, however in other areas this variety has been a problem on its own. A second solution, a parasitic wasp that kills the scale, does not have the numbers needed to wipe out the plague.
 * __Summary:__**

In our course, we have learned about the impact of nonnative species on the environment. These exotic species can be purposely introduced to help humans like kudzu originally (Miller 701) or accidentally introduced when bringing other goods over from different countries (Miller 703). The scale was most likely accidentally introduced from ships coming from China or Japan. Nonnative species compete with native species because there is little to no predators in the ecosystem (Miller 209). The scale feeds off of the native Gulf variety of Roseau cane in Louisiana.
 * __Relevance to the Course____:__**

__ **Opinion:** __ Although Louisiana is making an effort to stop the plague of scale, more needs to done before the coastline damage is irreversible. Research must be completed to find a viable solution, whether it be locating more wasps or locating a new solution altogether. Money must also be put aside to fund the research and stop the problem. The scale is already costing millions of dollars, and that amount will only increase unless a solution is put in place.

__ **Law:** __ A law that relates to this environmental issue is the //National Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972// that plans to protect and restore the coasts when possible for the present of future generations. The Louisiana marshland is a coastline, and it is being damaged. This law lends urges the government to provide Federal funds to protect the canals and bayous infested by the scale. The law also protects the resources from the coastlines. Louisiana is experiencing a decrease in oil production due to the scale.