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INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT
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...
Indian Railways is planting an aromatic-rooted grass in Lonavala ghats to prevent landslides and avert a Nepal-like flash flood situationIndian Railways is testing vetiver, an aromatic-rooted grass native to India, as a low-cost nature-based solution to stabilise vulnerable s...
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 ...
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 1978, Turkey Point workers found 1 crocodile nest when Florida had fewer than 300 left. 48 years later, about 400 live in its canals, turning a nuclear plant into an unlikely crocodile habitatAn unexpected discovery at Turkey Point nuclear plant in 1978 initiated a crocodile recovery. Engineers built canals which created an accid...
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 1961, Hawaii introduced black-tailed deer to Kauai for sport hunting; a later survey found them across about half of sampled locationsIn 1961, Columbian black-tailed deer were introduced to Kauai primarily for sport hunting. Over the years, these non-native deer have proli...
During World War II, Japan imported 150 South American nutria for military fur; after mass escapes and releases, their descendants spread across at least 19 prefectures and dug through rice fields and reservoir banksDuring wartime, Japan imported nutria for their lucrative fur farming, which inadvertently gave rise to large invasive populations. Origina...
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 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...
In the early 1970s, Maui planted miconia for its spectacular purple leaves; its descendants spread across East Maui and threatened native forest watershedsIntroduced to Maui in the 1970s, Miconia calvescens, known as the velvet tree, has emerged as a significant invasive species. Its swift spr...