Invasive Species Detection and Control

Recent popular news has implied that Weed-Suppressive Bacteria (WSB) holds promise for cheatgrass control, yet a lack of peer-reviewed research exists to support this claim. USGS researchers stepped up to the challenge of objectively and rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of WSB for controlling exotic annual grasses, such as Cheatgrass and Medusahead, while also examining its impact on native...

Invasive annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), are one of the most significant stressors to rangeland ecosystems in the western U.S. Their expansion and dominance across this area are the most damaging ecosystem agents on this iconic landscape.

Barred owls (Strix varia) have expanded their geographic range from eastern to western North America, and their newly expanded range now completely overlaps that of the federally threatened northern spotted owl (S. occidentalis caurina; Gutiérrez et al. 2007, Livezey 2009, USFWS 2013). Evidence from long-term demographic studies indicates that the presence of barred owls has contributed...

As an apex predator and fiercely territorial invader, barred owls at high densities have the potential to affect a variety of native wildlife through competition, niche displacement, and predation. Such impacts may be especially problematic for conservation of the federally threatened northern spotted owl, whose populations have continued to decline despite widespread protection of old forest...

Invasive annual grasses are the greatest threat to shrub-grassland ecosystems of the Intermountain West. These grasses grow earlier in the season than native plants, usurping water and nutrients, and making survival and reproduction difficult for native species. They also change the fire regime within the ecosystem, creating more frequent and larger wildfires. We are attempting to understand the...

Aquatic invasive species, like bullfrogs, stocked fish, crayfish, and reed canarygrass can affect aquatic systems in a variety of ways and have been linked to declines in some amphibians.