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Congressional Research Service Report RL32344.

Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that can cause the leaves of boxwood plants to fall off prematurely. ARS scientists in Fort Dietrick, MD, are studying how boxwood blight evolves and are working closely with the floriculture and nursey industry to develop methods for testing, controlling, and mitigating the disease.

A unique program run by the Agricultural Research Service in Fort Pierce, FL, uses specially trained dogs to detect citrus greening in orchards. The canine-detection method has an accuracy rate of 99 percent.

Learn specific terms used to quickly describe a weed's life cycle, growth form, leaf arrangement and margination, root structure, and flower structure, all of which help viewers determine the key traits that set the weed apart from other plants.
See also: Invasive Species of Idaho - Noxious Weeds

USDA Forest Service researchers are monitoring the effects of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease from Eurasia that has decimated cave-hibernating bats across the U.S. since its arrival in 2006. "The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome grows on bats in the wintertime. It causes them to wake up during their hibernation and burn their fat reserves," says Phillip Jordan, wildlife biologist. Jordan is among the experts featured in a new video, Bats on the Brink. Forestry technician Virginia McDaniel created and produced the video.

Invasive species pose a threat across the United States and its territories, but they can be especially challenging for the U.S. South Pacific territory of American Samoa. Among the invasive pests menacing the territory are several non-native fire ant species. 

Be on the lookout for these up-and-coming invaders! They might not be in Delaware yet, but our best defense is early detection and rapid response!

Provides best management practices (BMP) resources for specific species and also management resources (general information, planning tools, pesticides and additional resources).

To minimize the spread of invasive species, interested stakeholders have met to develop voluntary Best Management Practices for Invasive Species. These guidelines will help Wisconsin residents and visitors to limit the likelihood of moving invasive species around.

Most natural resource managers are familiar with the concept of Best Management Practices or BMPs uses in forestry as guidelines for recommended practices to protect water and soil resources during management operations such as timber harvests. As invasive species threaten more lands in the South, land managers can use BMPs for invasive species by developing a proactive approach to invasive species identification, documentation and control on their properties. To accomplish this, landowners must develop an awareness of the potential for the introduction and/or spread of invasive species as related to "normal use or management on their lands".

Forest*A*Syst is funded by USDA Forest Service and Natural Resource Conservation Service and developed by the Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.

Natural Resources Stewardship staff (NRS) has determined that many non-native invasive plants (NNIs) known to present a significant threat to the quality and biodiversity of the natural areas occur in this 37,000-acre park system. To support the park mission to steward these lands, Montgomery County Department of Parks has prepared fact sheets for park managers and maintenance personnel with easy-to-read information about mechanical and chemical control methods for several terrestrial NNIs.

Prevent delays and reduce costs associated with transporting, buying, and selling boats. Aquatic invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, pose a threat to the economy and natural resources of western states and provinces. In addition, fines and costly delays associated with transporting boats with aquatic invasive species can affect you and others in the recreational boating industry.
See also: Commercial Boat Haulers - Call Before You Haul

Giant reed, Arundo donax, is a large, fast-growing invasive grass that has invaded at least 100,000 acres of "riparian" habitat in the southwestern and southeastern U.S. and is present as far north as Ohio and Washington State. Watch this video to learn how ARS researchers are using biocontrol (insects) to reduce the presence of this invasive plant.

Prepared by: The Ad Hoc Working Group on Invasive Species and Climate Change.
Prepared for: The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) and The National Invasive Species Council (NISC).
This report is the result of more than 2 years of hard work by federal and non-federal experts.

This report is targeted at a broad audience of people interested in invasive species, climate change and natural resource management. It is structured to first provide a brief overview of the connections between invasive species and climate change before looking specifically at how these communities approach conservation and natural resource management.

This document addresses the broader framework of invasive species management and climate change adaptation as tools to enhance and protect ecosystems and their natural resources in the face of these drivers of change. The review of tools and methods will be of interest to managers working at specific sites and to individuals making strategic decisions at larger geographic scales. Policy-makers and government agencies at the local, state and national levels may be interested in the issues related to institutional coordination and recommendations, while the scientific and research community may focus on the application of assessment tools. Finally, the public as a whole may benefit from the overall focus on how the drivers of climate change and invasive species intersect and the potential ramifications these will have on the natural world.
See also: NISC Other Publications for more resources.

ARS entomologist is developing microbial pesticides for the effective control of mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit.

Published by: USDA. Forest Service. Publication FHTET-2002-04.