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Invasive Plants
Invasive species have been characterized as a “catastrophic wildfire in slow motion.” Thousands of nonnative invasive plants have infested millions of acres of land and water across the Nation.
These invaders cause massive disruptions in ecosystems by reducing biodiversity and degrading the health of our nation’s forests, prairies, mountains, wetlands, rivers, and oceans. They have the capacity to dominate, overwhelm, or wipe out native species.
The financial impact from invasive species infestations in the United States has been estimated at $138 billion per year in total economic damages and associated control costs.
The USDA Forest Service has a strategy aimed at early detection, prevention, control and management, rehabilitation and restoration of invasive species. The strategy includes a whole range of programs involving various treatment regimes such as: 1. mechanical removal, 2. cultural methods, 3. biological control, and 4. chemical treatments.
The Forest Threat Summary Viewer will provide you with a one page summary that includes images, distribution maps, forestry contacts, and links to more information about invasive plants. To learn about the Forest Threat Summary Viewer and more advanced tools, see Data and Tools.
Current projects related to invasive plants
Other resources and publications:
Invasive Plants of the Eastern United States: Identification and Control
Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests
Maps of Nonnative Invasive Plants in Southern Forests
Silent Invaders of Our Southern Forests
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual
Invasive Plant Atlas of New England
Northeastern Area Weeds of the Week
Invasive Plants Field and Reference Guide (PDF)
Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas
National Invasive Species Information Center
USDA Forest Service Invasive Species Program
Urban and Community Forestry Resources
