Invasive Species Resources

In addition to cleaning the air and water, forests hold a tremendous amount of sequestered carbon. When trees die and then decay on the forest floor, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, a phenomenon that is one of the drivers of climate change. A first-of-its-kind study by a team that included the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Purdue University scientists finds that non-native invasive insects and diseases are reducing the amount of carbon stored in trees across the United States. The study, “Biomass losses resulting from insect and disease invasions in USA forests,” is available at: https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/58371.