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INVASIVE PLANT CONTROL
In 2009, Montana's Big Hole staff began monitoring an invasive plant threatening native habitat. 17 years later, spotted knapweed estimates stood at just 8% of its 2012 peak, showing strong controlLong-term monitoring and control efforts have significantly reduced spotted knapweed at Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana. Monitorin...
In 2014, Great Smoky Mountains National Park funded Ravensford wetland restoration. 10 years later, volunteers had planted 500 native seedlings and removed 157,000 invasivesA decade of restoration work has helped transform the 10-acre Ravensford wetland in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After invasive pla...
In 2015, California EPMT discovered Japanese knotweed along Lagunitas Creek. 2 years later, treatment cut knotweed by 93% on National Park Service land, a major gain nowJapanese knotweed can spread quietly along waterways, making an early discovery especially valuable. In 2015, California’s Early Detection ...
In 2009, Great Lakes IPMT helped restore 1 invaded panne at Indiana Dunes. 17 years later, native flowers now bloom in the wetland where invasive plants once formed a dense monocultureIndiana Dunes National Park faced a challenge as invasive plants colonized its delicate panne ecosystem. A dedicated partnership was formed...
In 1950, Australia released the Myxoma virus as biological warfare against its invasive rabbit population. The virus killed 99.8% of infected rabbits within two yearsAustralia grappled with a catastrophic rabbit overpopulation that put its ecosystem and economy at risk. To combat this, scientists unleash...
America introduced Chinese Privet as an ornamental plant in 1852. It later spread across millions of acres of forestFirst spotted in 1852, Chinese privet has spread relentlessly across the American Southeast, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. This invas...
In 2001, USDA researchers released salvinia weevils in Texas and Louisiana; by 2003, weed cover had fallen near release sites while untreated controls stayed chokedA tiny weevil has proven to be a powerful ally in the battle against giant salvinia, an invasive aquatic weed. Tested in Texas and Louisian...
In 1946, imported beetles were released against toxic St. Johnswort in northern California; by 1957, the weed had fallen to less than 1% of its former abundanceBy the 1940s, European Klamathweed had established itself as a major rangeland threat in California. To combat this invasive species, leaf ...
In 2016, NYSDEC and partners removed Shapp Pond Dam after 50 years of blocking migratory fish. 4 years later, restored habitat showed significant gains in stream health and wildlifeThe removal of the Shapp Pond Dam in Dutchess County, New York, helped restore aquatic connectivity and improve stream habitat along the Ea...
Beginning in the 1900s, U.S. hunters imported Eurasian wild boar for sport; today’s feral swine threaten firefly larvae and turtle nests across the SoutheastWild pigs are destroying firefly larvae and turtle eggs in southeastern parks. These invasive animals root up the soil, disrupting delicate...
Invasive tree of heaven is helping spotted lanternflies spread across US by feeding them its toxic sap; here’s why scientists are using it as a trapThe tree of heaven, an invasive species, facilitates the spread of the spotted lanternfly by providing an abundant source of plant sap. To ...
In 1772, Benjamin Franklin sent Chinese tallow seeds to Savannah, Georgia; the government planted more along the Gulf in 1900, and the tree now covers 185,000 hectaresIn the late 1700s, a shipment of 1772 seeds sparked a significant invasion of non-native trees across southern U.S. forests. The federal pl...
In 1981, Britain wanted to eradicate the invasive coypus which escaped from fur farms and grew to roughly 200,000 in population and damaged crops and wetlands; after years of trapping Britain made them disappear from the countryBritain once had roughly 200,000 coypus after the rodents escaped from fur farms and spread across East Anglia, damaging crops and wetlands...
In 1990s, Samoa released a predatory flatworm as a weapon against giant African land snails. 49 years later, the predator has outlived its original target-control mission and threatens native snails insteadThe introduction of the predatory flatworm, Platydemus manokwari, to Samoa aimed to tackle the invasive giant African snails. However, this...
Since 1965, Florida has used the alligatorweed flea beetle to control invasive mats; once established, it can cause them to collapse within about 3 monthsA small but mighty insect, the alligatorweed flea beetle, has proven to be an efficient guardian against the spread of invasive alligatorwe...
In 1914, USDA researchers imported Australian melaleuca seeds into the United States. 100 years later, the fast-growing tree had conquered 500,000 acres of South Florida after being planted to help dry the EvergladesAustralian melaleuca seeds were imported to the United States in 1914 for agricultural purposes. Later, the Army Corps of Engineers planted...
In the 1990s, a predatory flatworm was released in Samoa to control giant African snails; it later drove native island snails toward extinctionBiological control efforts introduced the New Guinea flatworm to Pacific islands. This predator began hunting native land snails, pushing t...
In 1500s, Spanish explorers introduced pigs into North America. Now areas where they roam free have fewer invasive speciesAlthough wild pigs have long been viewed as destructive invasive species, recent findings reveal they also play a surprising role in curbin...
In 1917, botanist Joseph Rock introduced albizia to Hawai‘i for reforestation. Now it has infested thousands of acres in O‘ahu and eastern Hawai‘i IslandIntroduced to Hawaii in 1917 as a solution for reforestation, the Albizia tree quickly established itself as an invasive species. By 2018, ...
In 1884, Louisiana displayed South American water hyacinth for its lavender flowers; within decades, floating mats covered 126,000 Florida acres and blocked waterwaysOriginating in 1884, water hyacinth transformed into a significant nuisance for Florida by the 1950s. This aggressive floating plant overto...