The Invasive Species Initiative
Contact: Anisa Abid, News Writer for Environmental Science and Policy Program: (517) 432-3823 or abidanis@msu.edu
January 02, 2008
Some of the animals and plants we have come to know and even love are aliens and can cause widespread problems, particularly for the Great Lakes. Approximately 34% of plants in the Great Lakes region are exotic, or non-native, species. Invasives are those exotic species that cause environmental and/or economic harm. MSU's Invasive Species Initiative brings together faculty, students and staff across campus who are researching ways to combat invasive species in the Great Lakes. The initiative is funded by the ESPP's Environmental Research Initiative, which is supported by the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, the Provost, the College of Social Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.
The initiative's current projects include creating an inventory of potential invasive species in Michigan and analyzing their risk potential; creating an interactive website for training people to detect, report, and map local invasive species; and organizing workshops to develop networks in the scientific community and partnerships with policymakers.
The inventory of invasive species in Michigan is in development, with preliminary results finding that there are about 1200 terrestrial exotic species compared to the 180 known aquatic exotic species. No assessment had previously been done on terrestrial organisms and so most previous attention has been centered on aquatic organisms. Further research is needed to determine if the exotic species found are invasive or not, but this inventory will serve to better inform policy makers. "We're interested in looking at which are the ticking time bombs that could become invasive in the future," says Dr. Doug Landis, professor of Entomology and director of the Invasive Species Initiative.
Combating invasive species can be expensive, and is further complicated by climate change and globalization. Climate change makes it harder for native species with to survive and easier for invaders that are more tolerant of change to take over. The Great Lakes are a major port for global trade, leaving them very susceptible to invasive species. For these reasons, preventing the entry of new exotics to Michigan and the Great Lakes basin "is really high on everyone's list," Landis explained.
The initiative is working on public outreach by creating an interactive website for Michigan citizens to track and map invasive species in their areas, and by networking with public officials and the scientific community. The website will foster education and management of invasive species in Michigan and will facilitate the reporting of infestations. Workshops are bringing the MSU community together with external organizations such as the Department of Natural Resources and the Nature Conservancy. An internal website fosters communication on campus, and includes news and events, resources for research in the field, and an expertise database (which lists 45 MSU faculty, staff and post-docs working on particular invaders.) See the Invasive Species website for more details: http://www.invasivespecies.msu.edu/.
Landis met with two members of the Michigan House of Representatives recently to inform them about invasive species in the state. "I think it was eye opening to them," he said. There is a need for stricter trade policies that enforce screening for invasive species, Landis says, but an even greater need to predict the pathway by which they enter Michigan.
