![]() ![]() "Where else have the most abundant and second most abundant forest species been threatened by the recent invasion of one non-native herbivore?" "Our initial alarm after documenting the CRB burrowing activity on cycad trees was the fact that Guam's cycad species was actually the most abundant tree on the island only 20 years ago," said Irene Terry, one of the authors of the study. The sustained efforts to develop an effective biological control program have not been effective, allowing the pest to establish a foothold throughout the island. Now, we as a people here in Guam, have elevated the issue of invasive species to the point that we are addressing a number of invasive species at the same time,” Quitugua said.The fact that coconut palms were the second most abundant tree on the island prior to the beetle's invasion was one factor that enabled the beetle's explosive population growth. But it is the rhino beetle that has gotten everybody’s attention. Yes, it’s bad for the environment, and yes it’s bad for the coconut trees. I mean, rhino beetle’s like a double-edged sword. He said that government agencies can’t do it alone. Quitugua added that it’s important for everyone in the community to come together to battle not only the rhino beetle but other invasive species as well. We’d like to at least manage at this point, and what we need is everybody to do their part,” Quitugua said. “We are still making strides towards understanding this beetle and trying to find ways and develop tools in order for us to hopefully eradicate. Quitugua said that the beetle has actually evolved since it was first discovered on Guam to the point that it has actually become a different beetle. And there’s still a lot to learn about the rhino beetle. However, Quitugua said that Guam isn’t out of the woods yet. Improvements in both technology and methodology when it comes to measuring and capturing rhino beetles have helped as well. The result is a drop in the rhino beetle population. Quitugua said that even the practice of composting green waste for gardening and commercial mulching operations has been reducing the amount available to rhino beetles.Īs rhino beetles consume the remaining green waste while breeding, that just reduces the amount of green waste even further. And rhino beetles use green waste as breeding grounds. ![]() Tropical storms create piles of green waste across the island. He said that a number of different pieces both in the natural world and in the community’s behavior have come together to improve the situation.Īs far as natural factors, he said that Guam has gone a long time without tropical storms. Quitugua said that there have been indications and reports that coconut trees on Guam are starting to make a comeback. “We’re in a better place, we are leaps and bounds in a better place, than where we were in 2007 when we first discovered it,” Quitugua said. Roland Quitugua, an extension agent with the University of Guam, who’s been extensively involved with efforts to eradicate the rhino beetle, gave Newstalk K57’s Patti Arroyo an update on the situation. ![]()
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