Science Priorities for Reducing the Threat of Invasive Species to Sustainable Forestry

Authors

Elizabeth A. Chornesky
Ann M. Bartuska, US Department of Agriculture
Gregory H. Aplet, Wilderness Society
Kerry O. Britton, USDA Forest Service
Jane Cummings-Carlson, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Frank W. Davis, University of California, Santa BarbaraFollow
Jessica Eskow, International Paper
Doria R. Gordon, University of Florida
Kurt W. Gottschalk, USDA Forest Service
Robert A. Haack, USDA Forest Service
Andrew J. Hansen, Montana State UniversityFollow
Richard N. Mack, Washington State University
Frank J. Rahel, University of Wyoming
Margaret A. Shannon, State University of New York
Lisa A. Wainger, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
T. Bently Wigley, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc.

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2005

Comments

Published in BioScience Vol. 55, No. 4, April 2005.

Abstract

Invasive species pose a major, yet poorly addressed, threat to sustainable forestry. Here we set forth an interdisciplinary science strategy of research, development, and applications to reduce this threat. To spur action by public and private entities that too often are slow, reluctant, or unable to act, we recommend (a) better integrating invasive species into sustainable forestry frameworks such as the Montréal Process and forest certification programs; (b) developing improved cost estimates to inform choices about international trade and pest suppression efforts; and (c) building distributed information systems that deliver information on risks, identification, and response strategies. To enhance the success of prevention and management actions, we recommend (a) advancing technologies for molecular identification, expert systems, and remote sensing; (b) evolving approaches for ecosystem and landscape management; and (c) better anticipating interactions between species invasions and other global change processes.