Invasive species are non-native (or ‘alien’) species that have become established where they did not previously occur and have been found to cause harm to the environment, the economy and, in some cases, to human health. Economists estimate that invasive species cost the nation $138 billion annually, including $72 billion to U.S. agriculture alone. These figures do not include the ecological impacts caused by invasive species, which are considerable.

In 1999, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13112 establishing the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), which is co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce. The Council established the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC), a non-federal group of experts and stakeholders that provides advice and stakeholder input to the Council.The NISC sponsored and facilitated this breakout session.

1. Integrated and Comprehensive Planning
Because science-based responses are only one aspect of a full suite of response measures (i.e. education, policy making) to the problems posed by invasive species, an effective approach to dealing with invasive species requires integrated and comprehensive planning that spans the gamut from invasion to elimination/control to restoration/recovery.

2. Multi-Agency Initiative
The Federal approach to invasive species needs to be a multi-agency initiative because most of the cabinet-level departments and many agencies are involved and have roles to play. Because many research programs have proven to be more effective when they cut across agency boundaries, it is important that relevant agencies should look at and apply existing models of interagency cooperation.

3. Interdisciplinary Research
Research on all aspects of the invasive species problem needs to be interdisciplinary. Existing funding agencies should establish new programs to facilitate interdisciplinary research, giving special attention to research that falls between the “disciplinary cracks” (i.e. not fully economics or ecology, but rather an interface of the two).

4. The Role of Humans
The dialogue on invasive species should articulate clearly the role of humans in contributing to and being affected by invasions of non-native organisms.

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

1. In order to inform rapid response capabilities and long-term management needs, the federal government should support existing programs and establish new programs to quantitatively assess ecosystems before, during, and after biological invasions.

2. Research to identify invasive pathogens and vectors needs to be expanded, as does research on the taxonomy, systematics, and technologies needed to detect and respond rapidly to invasions of these organisms.

3. Research and development on methods and technologies of control and elimination needs to be increased, with specific emphasis on finding solutions that are environmentally sound.

4. To better inform economic and policy decisions, there is a significant need to continue existing research and initiate new research to:

• determine the vulnerability of ecosystems to invasion and the role and effects of multiple stress factors
• understand the human dimensions (causes and consequences) of invasive species
• determine the ways and degrees in which invasive species disrupt ecosystem services
• identify:
• the industries and other social forces responsible for facilitating the major pathways of invasion
• the actions (scientific, technological, policy, etc.) through which they can minimize invasion
• the ways to inform them of these options
• how to use voluntary incentives and/or policy measures to ensure effective response.

The breakout session fully endorsed the research, development, and analysis recommendations put forward by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR), National Invasive Species Council (NISC), and the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), with one exception: deletion of the word “faster” from the NISC recommendation to “develop proposals for faster development, testing, transfer of safe biocontrol.”

back

contents

next