Invasive Species Management and Control

Invasive species management

Up to 46 percent of the plants and animals federally listed as endangered species have been negatively impacted by invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species
(Wilcove, et al. 1998, National Invasive Species Council 2001). Refuges in the North Atlantic Appalachian Region initiated an effort to systematically identify, locate, and map invasive plant species occurring on refuge lands leading to an effective integrated management plan. Refuges use this information to guide the development of control, monitoring, and evaluation projects. 

Rachel Carson refuge uses science-based information to determine the best techniques for controlling invasive species, while avoiding unintended consequences of control efforts. The refuge continues to promote alternative environmentally benign pest management strategies to encourage healthy, sustainable ecosystems. In some circumstances chemical control of invasive species may be necessary to maintain vital wildlife habitats or populations. 

Rachel Carson campaigned against the indiscriminate use of chemicals, yet she recognized the need to use substances to maintain the health of natural and human communities. In such circumstances, the refuge will follow the best management practices in recognition of our namesake's message in her writings from her landmark book, Silent Spring. 

News

Image of biologist holding a fish in a boat.
Tench is a freshwater fish, native to Europe and western Asia where they are edible and a popular fish for some anglers. Like carp, they have been used as a biocontrol of snails and aquatic vegetation in farm ponds and in aquarium tanks. Indeed, tench can tolerate water with low oxygen...
zebra mussel nestled in a marimo moss ball
On August 5, 2024, zebra mussel-infested Marimo moss balls were detected at an aquarium wholesaler in Washington state. This incident serves as an important reminder to remain vigilant and take action to ensure your aquariums and waterways stay zebra mussel free!
Crowbill Point, covered in green and grey with grass and dirt, stretches into the blue waves of the Chukchi Sea.
Want to protect your favorite Refuge? Start by scrubbing your boots. Footwear is a dominant means of introduction for invasive plants, invertebrates, and pathogens because the treads can transport seeds, plant parts, soils, microscopic eggs, feces, and other biologically active material to new...
Woman in usfws uniform looks through microscope
What do you do when a group of people are looking at the same thing but have a different opinion on what they’re looking at? You get to the heart of it and get on the same page. The inner ear of carp holds key information on how old they are but determining the age of a fish is tricky. Similar to a...
A hand holds a tiny prehistoric-looking fish with a long snout and little ridges along its spine.
Sea lampreys are voracious, invasive predators that threaten the health of the Great Lakes fish community. To keep sea lamprey populations in check, lampricides are applied to streams throughout the Great Lakes. From August 16-25, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Lamprey Control Program...
A machine operator sprays a black arc of sediment into the marsh.
Climate change is forcing hard conservation choices. The Resist-Accept-Direct framework helps resource managers choose from three responses to habitat changes tied to climate change.
Crazy ant strike team members ride in the back of a tractor as they ride along the coast of Johnston. Seabirds surround them while a cement bunker sits in the back.
For ground-nesting seabirds on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific, a plague of crazy ants is ended. The bird-blinding pests were eradicated by an invasive species strike team of the National Wildlife Refuge System.