Partnerships for Science: A “Virtual” Institute for Invasive Species Research and Management

America is under siege by many harmful, non-native species of plants, animals, and diseases. Recent estimates of environmental, economic, and health-related costs of invasive species exceed $138 billion per year, more than all other natural disasters combined.

Hundreds of new species from other countries are introduced intentionally or accidentally into the United States each year. Based on past experience, 10-15% can be expected to establish free-living populations and about 1% can be expected to cause significant negative impacts to ecosystems, native species, economic productivity, and/or human health. Notorious examples include West Nile virus; exotic plants like tamarisk, cheatgrass, and kudzu; and animals such as zebra mussels, fire ants, and the brown treesnake, all of which have inflicted costly damage across the continental U.S. and the Pacific Islands. The increasing threat of new introductions accentuates the need for scientists, managers, and stakeholders affected by invasive species to rally together and build better systems to prevent invasions, improve early detection of invaders, track established invaders, and coordinate containment, control, and habitat restoration.

The National Institute of Invasive Species Science is a rapidly growing consortium of robust partnerships among government and non-governmental organizations. Administratively based in the U.S. Geological Survey’s Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) in Colorado, it operates as a virtual institute by drawing support from several USGS research centers, scientists from around the country, and several other government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and universities. The vision of the Institute is to develop a comprehensive strategy for invasive species science, provide national leadership, and work with others to disseminate and synthesize current and accurate data and research from many sources to predict and reduce the effects of harmful non-native plants, animals, and diseases in natural areas and throughout the Nation.

Much of the work connected with the Institute is provided by USGS scientists in FORT’s Invasive Species Science Branch and affiliated researchers at Colorado State University and its Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. Projects include tamarisk ecology research and mapping, brown tree snake ecology and control, Cactoblastis cactus moth management, and several landscape-scale assessments of vegetation related to wildfires, individual land management units, and specific management actions. Two projects described below exemplify the interface between USGS research and invasive species management.

Tamarisk species (also called saltcedar) are tall riparian shrubs that were introduced to the U.S. as ornamentals and for erosion control in the late 1800s. By the 1960s, tamarisk was present along virtually all rivers in the semi-arid and arid West. USGS scientists are developing the scientific understanding needed for tamarisk management to salvage water, restore riparian vegetation, and improve wildlife habitat. In relation to habitat restoration, scientific research is critical for making appropriate management decisions. For example, studies have shown that many species, such as neotropical migratory birds, prefer native cottonwood and willow, but that non-native tamarisk can be used by some of these birds, like the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher. Thus, simply removing tamarisk will not automatically improve wildlife habitat. Instead, removal must be accompanied by science-based restoration and monitoring to evaluate effectiveness. USGS has hosted stakeholder meetings to share research and help inform and galvanize management efforts to control this species.

Between the end of World War II and 1952, the brown tree snake was transported from its native range in the South Pacific to Guam, probably as a stowaway in ship cargo. Since then, the snakes have caused the extirpation of most of the native forest birds, bats, and lizards; thousands of power outages affecting private, commercial, and military activities; widespread loss of domestic birds and pets; and considerable emotional trauma to people when snakes invade human habitats. Because Guam is a major transportation hub in the Pacific, numerous opportunities exist for the brown tree snakes on Guam to be introduced accidentally to other Pacific islands as stowaways in ship and air traffic. Currently, the best management strategy is to keep the brown tree snake from becoming established at new locations, and FORT scientists have established a multi-agency rapid-response team to follow up on new sightings on neighboring islands. Meanwhile, research continues on important management options and tools such as improved traps; effective and practical fumigants, toxicants and attractants; and parasites and viruses.

Through the Institute, and in cooperation with the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), NASA funding is spearheading the development of a web-based data cooperative with real-time data sharing and analysis tools. Innovative ecological forecasting capabilities are being developed that will integrate high-resolution remote sensing, high-performance computing, and multi-scale field surveys to provide land managers, state and county weed coordinators, and the public with powerful tools for early detection and rapid response to harmful invasive plants, animals, and wildlife diseases.

Partnerships for Science: A "Virtual" Institute for Invasive Species Research and Management