Resource Search

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Early detection and rapid response (EDRR) is a key tenet of invasive species management, where “detection” is the process of observing and documenting an invasive species, and “response” is the process of reacting to the detection once the organism has been authoritatively identified and response options have been assessed.

The NISC FY 2020 - FY 2022 Work Plans identified priority activities in the area of rapid response, including:

• Rapid Response – Tools and Lessons Learned: Support national level rapid response efforts by documenting tools and lessons learned. NISC White Paper (Oct 2022) -- Rapid Response to Invasive Species: Federal Agency Roles [PDF, 577 KB]
• Rapid Response Fund - Criteria and Considerations: Increase resource streams for rapid response to new detections of invasive species. NISC White Paper (May 2022) -- Federal Invasive Species Rapid Response Fund:  Criteria and Considerations for Establishment [PDF, 823 KB]

While invasive species prevention is the first line of defense, even the best prevention efforts will not stop all invasive species. Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is defined as a coordinated set of actions to find and eradicate potential invasive species in a specific location before they spread and cause harm. USGS activities that support EDRR span the geography of the country and address organisms and pathways most appropriate to address the needs of our partners. USGS provides scientific support to DOI Bureaus and other partners to aid in implementation of EDRR efforts and inform management actions.

The University of Guam received another round of funding in September under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Act for the surveying and monitoring of invasive pests of solanaceous crops that are on USDA’s Priority Pest List for 2021. Solanaceae, or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that include tomato, eggplant, and chili pepper. As part of the national effort this year, UOG was awarded $38,000 to survey and monitor for two pests: Tuta absoluta, which is a moth and type of leafminer capable of destroying an entire crop, and Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2, which is a bacterium, known as a bacterial wilt, that infects through the roots and is deadly to plants.

The work through UOG better prepares the island to manage these invasive species if or when they arrive. "There are certain pathogens and insects that have a reputation of being really bad. These are two of them," said project lead Robert L. Schlub, a researcher and faculty member of UOG Cooperative Extension and Outreach with a doctorate in plant pathology. "They aren’t on Guam, but if they show up, we want to know so we can help get them under control."

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5162. The NPS I&M Program, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Status and Trends Program, compiled this document to provide guidance and insight to parks and other natural areas engaged in developing early-detection monitoring protocols for invasive plants. While several rapid response frameworks exist, there is no consistent or comprehensive guidance informing the active detection of nonnative plants early in the invasion process. Early-detection was selected as a primary focus for invasive-species monitoring because, along with rapid response, it is a key strategy for successful management of invasive species.

A worm is a worm is a worm, right? Except that there are more than 7,000 species of worms, and the longer you look, the more complex their world becomes. Earthworms compete. Earthworms invade. Earthworms… jump?

An Ecological Risk Screening Summary, or Risk Summary, provides a rapid evaluation of a species’ potential invasiveness. These evaluations give us, as well as our natural resource stakeholders and the public, a quick way to determine which species are most likely (high risk) and least likely (low risk) to cause damage if they spread outside of their natural range, and which ones have insufficient information to make such a determination (uncertain risk).
See also: Search the Ecological Risk Screening Summary (ERSS) Database

Electronic Data Information Source Publication #VM65

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced that it has conducted targeted invasive carp sampling in Presque Isle Bay, Erie County, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) detected the presence of Silver Carp environmental DNA (eDNA). While no physical invasive carp specimens have been detected, the PFBC has requested that the USFWS collect additional water samples from Presque Isle Bay in the fall when more favorable environmental conditions are present for eDNA sampling. Members of the public can report sightings of aquatic invasive species to the PFBC using its online form.

How can eDNA support understanding and management of estuaries? Ten National Estuarine Research Reserves are helping answer that question.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has gone from new science on the block to a star of the show. With just a water, soil, or snow sample, ecologist Tommy Franklin and fellow scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station are detecting rare aquatic and terrestrial species by identifying the genetic material they leave behind.

Scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research station recently used eDNA to preserve headwater bull trout populations in a warming climate, track white nose syndrome — a killer bat fungus, and reveal the role of human transport in the spread of invasive northern pike in the Columbia River basin. A recent article highlights eDNA research at the station and features National Genomics Center Director Mike Schwartz.

This site was created with funding from the Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) and DoD Legacy Resource Management Program. It's currently managed by Washington State University with a mix of content that was created by WSU for the site as well as eDNA resources contributed by the eDNA research community.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a highly destructive invasive beetle which attacks and kills all species of ash, but not mountain ash, which in spite of its name, is a completely different species of tree. To help prevent the spread of EAB, the movement of ash logs and firewood out of regulated areas is restricted. Report any detections outside of regulated areas to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The emerald ash borer was found in northern Aroostook County in May 2018, western York County in September 2018, and Cumberland County in September 2019. See the current quarantine areas in Maine. If you suspect emerald ash borer, please use the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Report Form, or call: 207-287-3891.

See related resource: Data Visualization Tools to explore plant and animal health management data and interactive story maps

The emerald ash borer, a beetle pest that has devastated ash trees throughout the eastern United States, was officially detected in Greenville, Oconee and Spartanburg counties in August 2017. According to a Clemson University press release, the beetles were found Aug. 3 during a routine check of Emerald Ash Borer traps and confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In response to the discovery of EAB in the Upstate, the State Crop Pest Commission likely will establish a quarantine area involving at least the three affected counties; it is also possible the quarantine could be expanded to additional counties or even the entire state.