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To win the "Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Management of Invasive Species," participants must submit their technology innovation solution -- such as tools, equipment, methods, strategies, etc., that help land managers directly reduce the spread and impacts of invasive species within the United States and its Territories. Solutions should focus on invasive species that cause harm to native ecosystems. Solutions may be species-specific, but universal control techniques that may have multiple species benefits are preferred. Submission period: Open until April 30, 2022, 11:59 EDT.

See also: Innovation for Conservation: Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions Engage Public in Top Wildlife Issues (Press Release - Mar 1, 2022).
The public now can help reimagine what drives wildlife conservation in the 21st century by participating in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions. The competitions will engage the public to help address six important issues: preventing wildlife poaching and trafficking, promoting wildlife conservation, managing invasive species, protecting endangered species, managing nonlethal human-wildlife conflict, and reducing human-predator conflict.

ARS scientists in Nevada, studied ways to control cheatgrass and restore rangelands to a healthy mix of plants, which in turn reduces wildfire threats, supports wildlife, and increases sustainable grazing resources.

The Chesapeake Bay Database project ended in 2020. This site will remain available for historical reference, but the database has not been updated since 2020 and will not receive any further updates. See more information in the project overview. For up to date information on introduced marine and estuarine invertebrates and algae in Chesapeake Bay, please visit the NEMESIS North American database.

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is one of the worst invasive plants in the South. It dominates the shrub layer and often becomes the only shrub underneath trees, especially in streamside areas. But insects and spiders living in fallen leaves and leaf litter were not affected by a privet invasion in Georgia, as a recent study shows.

Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) is a nonnative, invasive tree whose decaying leaf litter alters water quality and the microbial community in the wetland habitats. This negatively impacts the lifecycle of semi-aquatic species like frogs.

Provides comprehensive citrus canker information including: what to look for, how to prevent this disease and how it is treated. Also provides image gallery and information how to report signs of citrus disease. And provides control information including: history of citrus canker in the U.S., current quarantine boundaries, regulations, and potential actionable suspect sample policy. 

Explore this story map to see how you can help combat this damaging citrus disease in Texas. Provides an overview, quarantined areas, and how to report a sick tree.
See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps

Scroll to "Controlling Citrus Disease" section and expand the "State Citrus Contacts"

Select layer to view quarantine by species (Asian citrus psyllid, citrus black spot, citrus canker,  citrus greening, sweet orange scab).
See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps

Provides comprehensive Asian citrus pysllid and citrus greening information including: what to look for, how to prevent this disease and how it is treated. Also provides image gallery and information how to report signs of citrus disease. And provides control information including: current status, regulatory information, Huanglongbing multi-agency coordination, potentially actionable suspect sample policy, and spread the word (videos).

This portal shares information about how ARS research is combating the disease that is devastating the citrus industry and provides information for the general public, as well as points of contact for those seeking more specialized answers.

Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening, poses the most serious threat that the Florida citrus industry has ever faced. ARS scientists across the country are actively engaged in research with university and industry partners on all aspects of this disease problem, including the host, pathogen, and insect vector. Our goal is to overcome citrus greening and ensure the U.S. citrus industry can provide consumers with tasty, high quality citrus fruits for years to come. 

Contains the requirements for moving fruit, nursery stock, or other regulated articles for several citrus pests and diseases.

Rapid changes in climate and the introduction and spread of invasive species are fundamentally changing the natural and cultural landscapes of national parks. These factors have cascading effects on resource management, park operations, and visitor experience. Adapting management to continuously changing conditions requires understanding ecosystem dynamics and interactions among these global change stressors.

Evidence suggests that future climate change will further increase the likelihood of invasion of forests and rangelands by nonnative plant species that do not normally occur there (invasive plants), and that the consequences of those invasions may be magnified. Read through the synthesis for more information on the factors that influence plant invasions and how these factors interact with one another.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, originally from East Asia, is an invasive pest that is present throughout much of the United States. It is attracted to the outside of houses on warm fall days in search of overwintering sites and can enter houses in large numbers. The brown marmorated stink bug is also a serious economic threat to fruit crops, garden vegetables, and many ornamentals. In a changing climate, agricultural losses from insect pests like BMSB are expected to increase.

USDA ARS scientists are fighting back by developing traps, sequencing the bug’s genome, and testing parasitic wasps as biocontrols. Midwest Climate Hub research fellow, Dr. Erica Kistner-Thomas is contributing to that fight through modeling the potential distribution and abundance of BMSB under future climate scenarios using a bioclimatic niche model. For more on Erica’s work, see: Climate Change Impacts on the Potential Distribution and Abundance of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) With Special Reference to North America and Europe.

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) is a highly destructive plant pest of foreign origin. It was first found in the United States in 1916 and has since spread to most states east of, and immediately to the west of, the Mississippi River. It has also spread to some western States, but tough regulations and careful monitoring have prevented its establishment elsewhere. The Japanese beetle has become a serious plant pest and a threat to American agriculture.

Scientists with USDA’s ARS and APHIS have developed an integrated pest management (IPM) program that combines biological, cultural, and chemical strategies. In support of this plan, the Midwest Climate Hub Fellow, Dr. Erica Kistner-Thomas modeled how climate change may impact the distribution and voltinism (generations produced per year) of the Japanese beetle. Model projections indicate increases in temperature would enable northward range expansion across Canada while simultaneously shifting southern range limits in the United States northward. For more on Erica’s work, see: The Potential Global Distribution and Voltinism of the Japanese Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Under Current and Future Climates.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) is an annual plant in the pigweed family (Amaranthaceae). It is native to the southwest United States/northern Mexico deserts and is currently increasing its range across the country. USDA NRCS, their partners, as well as farmers and landowners are working to eradicate these infestations before they spread to new areas. Midwest Climate Hub fellow, Dr. Erica Kistner-Thomas is getting a jump on how the distribution of Palmer amaranth will change from current to future climate conditions. Climate change is going to benefit this heat-tolerant weed by lengthening its growing season, boosting seed production and expanding its potential U.S. geographic range.