Genetics, Biological Control, and Management of Invasive Species
What is an Invasive Species?
A species is considered invasive if it meets these two criteria:
It is nonnative to the ecosystem under consideration, and
Its introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Thousands of non-native invasive plants, insects, and animals have infested hundreds of millions of acres of land and water across the Nation, causing massive disruptions in ecosystem function, reducing biodiversity, and degrading ecosystem health in the nation’s forests, prairies, mountains, wetlands, rivers, and oceans. Approximately 50,000 species of plants, microbes and animals have been introduced into the U.S. Most of the invertebrate animal (e.g., gypsy moth, zebra mussel) and microbe (e.g., Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, Nectria coccinea) introductions were accidental, whereas vertebrate animal (e.g., cattle, poultry) and plant introductions (e.g., corn, wheat) were mostly intentional. The economic impact of 79 nonindigenous species between 1906 and 1991 was estimated by the Office of Technology Assessment to be $97 billion in damages. More recently, it’s estimated that economic damages caused by nonindigenous species and costs for control and management of these species exceed $137 billion per year.
We are developing innovative nonchemical tools and approaches to control numerous invaders. For more information on what the Forest Service is doing to combat invasive species, visit the Invasive Species Program web site.
More Information
This site is under development as the Forest Service brings together the Northeastern and North Central Research Stations to form the Northern Research Station, serving the Northeast and Midwest. The links below will take you to pages of the old sites for the Pathology and Microbial Control of Insects that Impact the Health of Eastern Forests; and Genetics and Management of Invasive Forest Insect Pests, Diseases, and Beneficial Fungi units that combined to form the Genetics, Biological Control, and Management of Invasive Species research work unit. Check back often as we expand our site to reflect our combined commitment to supporting the natural resources and people of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.
Our Research Areas
- Development and refinement of biological control measures for Gypsy Moth:
- Development of biochemical tools for screening and identifying Bacillus thuringiensis strains that are suitable for effective microbial control of invasive insect pests
- The American elm is being reintroduced into forested landscapes. Additional information on the American Elm Restoration Project can be found at the link below.
- Development of strains of the American elm with enhanced tolerance to Dutch elm disease
- Restoration of the American chestnut by molecular identification of suitable progeny from a breeding program, and by identification/utilization of ectomycorrhizal fungi associating with the chestnut seedlings
- Preservation of healthy, beech bark disease-resistant American beech through breeding and genetics
Last Modified: 12/19/2007
