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Search Invasive and Exotic Species
 Did you know? There are more than 450 known forest insect and pathogen species established in the continental U.S.
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    Invasive and Exotic Species
                            Non-native species and pathogens have caused enormous ecological and economic damage to U.S. forests and grasslands, and they continue to be introduced at an alarming rate. Non-native species have been imported intentionally and unintentionally through world trade and foreign travel, and they have been able to adapt to new environments and spread rapidly. Their success is often due to a lack of both host resistance and natural enemies, allowing them to establish in new environments unimpeded. This has cascading impacts on other species.

Understanding and managing invasive species is critical for protecting and restoring resilient forest and grassland ecosystems. Forest Service research on invasive and exotic species directly advances efforts to rapidly discover and respond to emerging threats. This includes informing government regulations to limit the accidental importation of pests and pathogens, detecting threats as early as possible, and eradicating invasive pests and pathogens when feasible.

The Forest Service invests in research on invasive and exotic species because:

There are more than 450 known forest insect and pathogen species established in the continental U.S.Approximately 2.5 established non-native forest insects were detected in the U.S. each year between 1860 and 2006.At least 18 percent of introduced insects and all 16 introduced pathogens have caused tree damage that impacts forest health and productivity and sometimes causes extensive tree mortality. For example, the emerald ash borer is the most damaging invasive forest insect pest in North America, having killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across the U.S. since it was introduced. Forest Service researchers study risk, effects, detection, spread, biology, ecology, control, and management of emerald ash borer as well as other invasive forest insects including gypsy moth, hemlock woolly adelgid, and spotted lanternfly.Mortality caused by non-native invasive forest pests impacts carbon dynamics by reducing forests’ carbon sequestration capacity and converting live materials that previously stored carbon to dead carbon sources.
      
                    
    
    




      News on Invasives from Research and Development
                            		
        							
        					New Forest Service Assessment Delivers Research on Invasive Species

                            Date
            		April 8, 2021
                                                                        News Release
    
                                                        Invasive grasses pose previously unrecognized threat to forests

                            Date
            		April 9, 2020
                                                                        News Release
    
                                                        New Study Finds Abundance of Invasive Plant Species at Port of Savannah

                            Date
            		May 26, 2020
                                                                        News Release
  



      Tools
                            		
        							
        					Dataset
	
																						
	
								Invasive Plant Species Forest Land Explorer
  


      Past Webinars on Invasive Species
                            		
        							
        					Webinars
	
																						
	
								scienceX: Invasive Animals and Animal Pathogens
	
																						

									Webinars
	
																						
	
								ScienceX: Invasive Aquatics
	
																						

									Webinars
	
																						
	
								ScienceX: Invasive Plants
	
																						

									Webinars
	
																						
	
								ScienceX: Invasive Tree Pests and Pathogens
	
																						

									Webinars
	
																						
	
								ScienceX: Invasives Tree Diseases
  


      A Snapshot of Research on Invasive Species Around the Country
                            		
        							
        					Science You Can Use
	
																						
	
								Shedding Light on Shedded Cells: Using eDNA Sampling for Surveillance of Invasive Species
	


																						

									Science You Can Use
	
																						
	
								Tracing the Source: How Did Invasive Northern Pike Arrive in the Columbia River Basin?
	


																						

									Science Findings
	
																						
	
								Disease detectives: Mapping the risk of invasive forest pathogens under a changing climate
	


																						

									Science Findings
	
																						
	
								Herbicides: an unexpected ally for native plants in the war against invasive species
	


																						

									Science Findings
	
																						
	
								Logging debris matters: better soil, fewer invasive plants
	


																						

									Science Findings
	
																						
	
								Knocking out knotweed: research pins down a rogue invasive
              CompassLive Articles from the Southern Research Station
                            		
        							
        					Article
	
																						
	
								Urban hotspots for invasive insects
  




      Research Working Groups Focused on Invasive Species
                            		
        							
        					Center or Group
	
																						
	
								Invasive Species Working Group

												Station
            		Rocky Mountain Research Station
	

																						


									Center or Group
	
																						
	
								Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants (RWU-4552)

												Station
            		Southern Research Station

				

    States
        Georgia
	

																						


									Program
	
																						
	
								Ecology and Management of Invasive Species and Forest Ecosystems

												Station
            		Northern Research Station
  




      Publications
                            		
        							
        					James H. Miller, Erwin B. Chambliss, Nancy J. Loewenstein.         2010. A field guide for the identification of invasive plants in southern forests (slightly revised 2012, 2013, and 2015)
                    Therese M. Poland, Toral  Patel-Weynand, Deborah M. Finch, Chelcy  Ford Miniat, Deborah C. Hayes, Vanessa M. eds..Lopez.         2021. Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the United States Forest Sector
                            Last updated May 23, 2023
	

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