This image is of invasive tamarisk (salt cedar) growing on the banks of the Colorado River.
What is tamarisk?
Tamarisk is an invasive shrub or small tree that is found across the American West. Also known as saltcedar, tamarisk favors sites that are inhospitable to native streamside plants because of high salinity, low water availability, and altered streamflow regimes created by dams. Researchers debate the extent of tamarisk’s negative impacts, but this invasive species can and does alter habitat quality for some wildlife, water use by floodplain vegetation, and the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
One successful tamarisk control method is the introduction of a leaf-eating beetle from the tamarisk’s native range in Asia. Where tamarisks are declining, USGS scientists are studying how ecosystems respond to the removal of this invasive species.
Learn more: Southwestern Riparian Zones, Tamarisk Plants, and the Tamarisk Beetle
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What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
How can I find the scientific names of plants and animals?
Finding the scientific name requires detective work, because there can be multiple common names that can vary geographically, and similar common names can refer to a variety of organisms. A good starting point is the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), a database of scientific and common names and broad taxonomic categories.
Why do animals and plants become endangered?
Although extinctions occur naturally, the current rate of plant and animal extinctions is much higher than the natural or historical rates. Habitat loss is the primary cause of higher extinction rates. Other causes include habitat changes, over-exploitation of wildlife for commercial purposes, the introduction of harmful nonnative species, pollution, and the spread of diseases. Learn more...
This image is of invasive tamarisk (salt cedar) growing on the banks of the Colorado River.
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
U.S. Geological Survey invasive species research—Improving detection, awareness, decision support, and control
The transformation of dryland rivers: The future of introduced tamarisk in the U.S.
Invasive species research—Science for detection, containment, and control
Population dynamics of the northern tamarisk beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) in the Colorado River Basin
Applying remote sensing to invasive species science—A tamarisk example
Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in the Western United States-A Report on the State of the Science
Saltcedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act Science Assessment
Tamarisk control, water salvage, and wildlife habitat restoration along rivers in the western United States
Weather and evapotranspiration studies in a saltcedar thicket, Arizona
Introduction, spread, and areal extent of saltcedar (Tamarix) in the Western States
Related Content
What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?
An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the West Nile virus, chestnut blight, the South American...
How can I find the scientific names of plants and animals?
Finding the scientific name requires detective work, because there can be multiple common names that can vary geographically, and similar common names can refer to a variety of organisms. A good starting point is the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), a database of scientific and common names and broad taxonomic categories.
Why do animals and plants become endangered?
Although extinctions occur naturally, the current rate of plant and animal extinctions is much higher than the natural or historical rates. Habitat loss is the primary cause of higher extinction rates. Other causes include habitat changes, over-exploitation of wildlife for commercial purposes, the introduction of harmful nonnative species, pollution, and the spread of diseases. Learn more...
This image is of invasive tamarisk (salt cedar) growing on the banks of the Colorado River.
This image is of invasive tamarisk (salt cedar) growing on the banks of the Colorado River.
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist
New Crossroads in Science, Policy, and Management
by Julio Betancourt, Sr. Scientist and Desert Ecologist