Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q1: Critical Scientific Issues
• What makes a species invasive including data on dispersal & geographic origin
• What makes an ecosystem vulnerable, understanding hybrid and novel ecosystems
• Detection tools are critical – genetic and genomic early detection tools
• Identify weaknesses in invader biology & design tools specific to the weaknesses
• Management tools - for multiple invaders, secondary invasions, analysis of
uncertainty
• Spatially explicit approaches
• Biocontrol tools & long term monitoring
• Integrate tools for surgical precision at population and community level
• Economic based decision on where we intervene along invasion progression
• Genomic maps of sensitive imperiled species and basic forest genetics
• Restoration to desired condition
Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q2: Critical Management and Policy Issues
• Maximize risk assessment/map use for prevention, mgmt, restoration
• Science delivery to managers on ground, Bottom up suggestions for mgmt tools
• Post-treatment evaluation of mgmt
• Surveillance for multiple invasive species
• Geographic based mgmt decisions
• Safety of biocontrol agents
• Import and regulatory policies (domestic & international), Greater authority forpol icies (e.g., Lacey Act)
• Cost effectiveness of different strategies
• Improve cross-agency collaboration
• Stakeholder engagement for concensus actions
• Shift some responsibility to exporter
• Funding for long term monitoring
Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q3: Scientific Data, Models Available to Inform This Topic
• Data – fish including mgmt and policy info
- Plants USDA plant databas
- EDD maps & Global IS Info network
- FIA
- living atlas - ArcGIS
• Concepts/Theories – Pop biology, succession, resilience
• IPM Systems – SOD info/data/mgmt tool website
- STS, SLAM, Melaleuca, Island examples wildlife
• Models – Rangeland and Forest Vegetation simulators
- epidemiological
- disease models
Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q4: Issues Likely to Become Important by 2040
• Technology – drones, computer capacity, apps, remote sensing
• Climate change – bioenergy, emerging pests,
• Funding and partners – private sector/corporate, philanthropists,
associations
• Genetic engineering - pest weakness, transgenic plants
• Mgmt – patch mgmt in invaded landsape, scenario driven tools, resilient
ecosystems
• Future economic conditions – trade, transportation, recreation, pathways
• Increase collaboration – mgmt across jursidictions, international, citizen
science, technical assistance to states and tribal groups
Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q5: How This Topic can Potentially Connect With Other Topics
• Impacts on Communities/Landscapes – impacts drive mgmt decisions
• Impacts on Ecosystem Processes- mgmt affects impacts on ecosystem
& vice versa, sensor networks will become more important
• Interactions with other stressors – climate change impacts pest
populations and need for mgmt
• Change the Culture – increasing use of citizen science
• Economic – affects invasions and management strategies and priorities
Group D: Invasive Species Management
Tools and Technologies
Q6: What are the Gaps in Knowledge and Current Research
• Weed Risk assessment databases
• Centralized web-based storehouse, data coordination
• Connections of IS impacts/effects on human health (funding NIH)
• Etiology epidemiology of emerging disease complexes
• Non-target effects of mgmt and secondary invasions
• Restoring infrastructure for species restoration
• Decline in science support $, capacity, skills lost thru retirement
• Post treatment monitoring and efficacy
• Use of transgenics as tool vs solution
• Per capita effect of biocontrol and mgmt on invasives