INTRODUCTION
David L. Thomas, Chief
Illinois Natural History Survey
It is a pleasure for me to present to you our annual report for fiscal year
1998 (July 1997-June 1998). We have organized the report this year to reflect
the diversity of ecological topics that we are addressing.It is also significant that this year represents the 140th anniversary of the Illinois Natural History Survey. We are a scientific research institution with a rich history of investigations of the flora and fauna of Illinois. The extensive database of biological data and collections held at the Survey has allowed us to look at some significant changes in the biota over the last 100 years. A recent publication, for example, discusses 100 years of changes in the fish populations of Champaign County. Many of these changes reflect the significant impact that man has had on the environment through agriculture and urban development.
As a new Survey Chief (I started on December 1, 1997), I have had the pleasure and challenge of learning about the broad variety of research activities being carried out by our researchers. The mission of the Illinois Natural History Survey is to perform scientific inquiry on all aspects of the biotic resources of Illinois; to acquire, organize, and utilize collections and associated data on these biotic resources; and to present research results to the scientific and educational communities as well as to the public and policy makers to assure the wise preservation, management, and utilization of our biotic resources. The mission is carried out by scientists located in four centers (Aquatic Ecology, Wildlife Ecology, Biodiversity, and Economic Entomology) and the Office of the Chief, although many of the problems we are investigating cross many different disciplines. For this reason we have categorized many of our studies by topical area; for example, wetland ecology, watersheds, restoration ecology, and exotic species. The latter category is a good example of how many of our scientists from different disciplines are addressing a significant ecological (and at times human health) problem for Illinois.
Illinois sits at a crossroads nationally for transportation. Major waterways define its borders, and not only serve as routes for commercial transportation but as routes of invasion for exotic species. For example, the round goby and the zebra mussel have come with ships to Lake Michigan, and the zebra mussel has spread down the Illinois and into the Mississippi River. One species, Daphnia lumholtzi, a small water flea from Africa and Southeast Asia, is actually moving from the south, up the Illinois River, and will potentially be in Lake Michigan. This species may have a significant impact on larval and juvenile native fishes as well as other species dependent upon plankton. There are many introduced insect species in Illinois, the most recent to gain notoriety being the Asian longhorned beetle. This species from China may have arrived in wood crates from that country and has been found in some hardwood trees in northeastern Illinois. It poses a severe threat to some of our hardwoods, and the only way to control its spread may be to quarantine an area and destroy the infected trees. Pests such as these and those on crops (such as the western corn rootworm) can have a significant economic impact in Illinois.
There is some good news coming from the research on exotic species. Scientists at the Survey have been working with a beetle that feeds exclusively on the exotic purple loosestrife. This plant has taken over many of our wetlands, greatly reducing their productivity and threatening native species. But the beetles that we have raised and released have established themselves in many wetlands where they have been introduced, and are showing great promise in controlling purple loosestrife populations.
It is clear that with the increased movement of people and goods that exotic species will become a part of our landscape in increasing numbers. Learning how these species affect native populations and how they might be limited in range or controlled will keep many of our researchers busy well into the next century.
Likewise our scientists are studying managed ecosystems that have been extensively disturbed by human activities. Two such systems where we now have staff permanently located are the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Joliet, Illinois, and the Savanna Army Depot near Savanna, Illinois. These two areas are the focal point for major restoration efforts for tallgrass and sand prairies. The whole area of restoration ecology will be a highly significant activity as we look to provide habitat for threatened and endangered species, and to provide a more natural environment in which future generations can enjoy viewing wildlife and other recreational activities.
One other major activity of many of our scientists is in the area of watershed management. INHS has three field stations on the Illinois River, one on the Kaskaskia River, and one on Lake Michigan. These stations provide our biologists with the ready access they need to do the intensive studies required to understand the ecology of these large bodies of water. The Illinois River is a highly modified and manipulated system. Urban development and drain tiles from agricultural lands have increased the rapidity of runoff to the river. Sedimentation is high and many impoundments on the river have lost much of their water-carrying capacity. The ecology of these rivers is complicated by increasing barge traffic and manipulation of water levels below the dams. It will take more detailed studies in the future to understand the dynamics of how these systems are working and how best to manage the species assemblages that are surviving under these changing conditions.
One last challenge and opportunity that I will mention here is in the area of environmental education. As our society becomes more urban there is a greater separation of humans from the environment around us. To have people understand and appreciate the complex environmental problems that we are all facing requires that we educate our youth and adults in basic ecological principles. We have done so by working with inner-city children in Chicago, with adult volunteers who are part of the EcoWatch program in Illinois, and with schools to help develop curricula on environmental topics. We are also working with groups such as Chicago Wilderness to get the message out to land planners and urban developers who can do the kind of planning that can preserve or enhance natural systems before they are destroyed by development.
We are also strengthening our ties with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus. All three scientific surveys and the Waste Management and Research Center have been involved in a strategic planning exercise with UIUC over the last year. We are exploring ways of better promoting the mission of each of our institutions and of increasing our ability to educate students and conduct research. Over 75 students at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels are now working at the INHS. In addition, many of our staff are teaching at the university and advising students.
We are also working with the university on the development of a new research facility for INHS (the Natural Resources Research Center). As part of the FY 99 budget process, the Illinois General Assembly revised the appropriation language so that funds previously available for renovation of Burnham Hospital can now be used for construction of a new INHS building on campus. A site on the corner of Gregory and Dorner drives (just east of the Edward Madigan Research Lab on an existing parking lot) at the Urbana campus has been selected and approved by the UI Board of Trustees. The proposed building will include laboratories, office space, conference rooms, and library space and is projected to be up to 210,000 gross square feet in size. Teng and Associates have been retained as architects/engineers for the facility.
Through the development of a new facility on the UIUC campus, expansion and further development of our field stations, and expanded outreach and educational efforts, we will provide even greater services to the citizens of the state in the 21st century. It is our goal to make the excellent scientific research being done at the Natural History Survey available and understandable to decision and policy makers, and to provide environmental education to a variety of audiences. Ultimately, however, our success depends on a strong team of dedicated scientists who are capable of conducting nationally and internationally recognized research studies on a variety of environmental topics.