Biological Threats

The sagebrush biome is one of the largest ecosystems in North America. Encompassing nearly one-third of the continental U.S., it provides critical resources for millions of Americans and a home for hundreds of plants and animal species in the West. Natural resource management in sagebrush ecosystems can be complex, and science can support management decisions by providing knowledge and tools to...

The Brown Treesnake Rapid Response Team (RRT) evaluates snake sightings and quickly deploys when sightings are credible and match a brown treesnake. The RRT is an interagency partnership that cooperatively prevents the spread of brown treesnakes in the United States and territories.

We are working on understanding the chemical ecology of Rapid ʽŌhiʽa Death (ROD), which is critical for protecting both healthy and ROD-infected ʽōhiʽa. A better understanding could lead to early ROD detection tools and the development of attractants and repellents to manipulate ambrosia beetle populations.

Climate change and invasive species are transforming ecosystems. The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework organizes management objectives into those that seek to Resist change and maintain historical ecological communities, those that Accept some or all aspects of ecological transformation, and those that Direct an ecological community to a preferred state. We are evaluating risks posed by climate...

The Herpetological Research Team is using acoustic surveys and eDNA methods to evaluate the progress of invasive bullfrog removal and Oregon spotted frog recovery.

The Herpetological Research Team is recording audio in areas where American bullfrogs have invaded to learn more about where and when they are breeding and inform managers tasked with controlling their spread.

We are sequencing the DNA of Wolbachia bacteria found in mosquito populations in Hawai’i and those used for mosquito control. We are also developing sample processing techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring mosquito control efforts to help long-term survival and restoration of Hawaiian forest bird populations.

The expansion of the bat fungal disease White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) to the Pacific Northwest is centered in western Washington. The USGS partners with the National Park Service on projects to understand bat distribution, activity, and disease spread in and around Washington’s National Parks.

Wood-boring ambrosia beetles spread Rapid ʽŌhiʽa Death - ROD - by releasing fungal spores from infected trees while digging reproductive passages. Our primary goals are to identify the community of beetles that attack ʽōhiʽa infected with ROD, the extent to which beetles may directly or indirectly spread the disease, understand the timing of beetle attack, and estimate how long-infected trees...

Avian botulism causes waterbird mortality in Hawai‘i's wetlands and elsewhere. We evaluated bird mortality using trained scent-detection canines (sniffer dogs) as a new tool to survey for the presence of avian botulism. Biologists compare variables influencing detection probability and detection rates with traditional search methods. The pilot study tested the feasibility of this approach as a new...

Six species of biting mosquitoes have been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands since Western contact, two of which are vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Environmental conditions favorable for the transmission of dengue and Zika occur year-long across Hawai‘i’s coastline. To better understand the ecology of vector mosquitoes and support public health efforts, mosquito monitoring at...