Monday, October 29, 2012

Invasive species have been called “biological wildfires” because of the hazardous threats they pose. Non-native species have become on of the greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century, impacting both the ecosystems and economies they enter. This threat has costs the United States an estimated $120 billion per year and about 42% of the species on the Threatened or Endangered species lists are at risk primarily because of alien-invasive species (Pimentel et al., 2005). Because of these risks, invasive species are often top priority with managers within the U.S. Department of the Interior and other public and private lands. The U.S. National Invasive Species Council has made “early detection and rapid response” an integral part to the national strategy to battle invasives (National Invasive Species Council, 2008