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Background
Wetlands
Undisturbed wetlands are important beyond their actual size in "acres". They harbor an enormous biodiversity of plant and animal life, provide diverse resources of water, many kinds of food and shelter, as well as serve functions of buffer zones, flood control, and pollution filtration. Invertebrates and vertebrates may breed there, catch a snack during migration, over-winter or live year-round. It is the diversity of the non-living components and plant life that allow all this thriving and coming and going of the animal component.
IPM Aspects - We may not think of streams and wetlands as places where we have to be concerned about pests. However, there are any number of situations in which certain organisms become "pesty"' by virtue of upsetting the ecological balance in wetlands and streams. Many of these examples are so-called exotic or invasive species.
See attached fact sheets for more information about invasive species in general and in wetlands in particular.
Forests and Parks
As with wetlands, forests and parks serve a relatively natural areas where a diversity of plants and wildlife live. Some of this diversity can be "used" by humans in the form of a renewable natural resource such as timber. Human also "use" these habitats for recreation and restoration of the spirit. Who has not walked down a pine-needle soft path, breathing in the aromatic forest air and quiet of the trees? And yet, these environments are challenged by pests as well. Too many deer in too small an area can seriously impair forest regrowth. The ravages of the gypsy moth are all to familiar. The invasive vine, kudzu, is smothering trees in forests in certain areas. Yet, to preserve the forest ecosystem diversity, one wishes to only suppress these populations, not eradicate them. This must be done with as little damage to the non-target species as possible.
Pest management in parks is also a particular challenge, because as a human destination and visitor site, parks (as with public gardens, campuses, historic sites and the like) have many "micro" habitats where pest management tactics must be used carefully.
The activites listed on the Curiculum page will give you and idea of what is involved in managing pests in these two natural areas.