• Animals

Pablo Escobar’s Hippos, Friend or Foe for Colombia’s Ecosystem?

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• Colombia
• invasive species

While many of us have probably read about Pablo Escobar’s hippos that escaped his zoo, it’s been unclear to biologists what sort of impact the hippos have had on Colombian ecosystems. There are currently 80-100 animals in the Magdalena River and researchers estimate that in 20-40 years there could be thousands. As NatGeo explained, for […]

• Animals

Most Earthworms Are Invasive, What Does that Mean for Ecosystems?

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• earthworms
• invasive species
• soil

We generally think of earthworms as beneficial and essential to healthy soils–and in many ways they are! But did you know that much of the United States isn’t actually supposed to have any earthworms? As the Atlantic reported, “Until about 10,000 years ago, a vast ice sheet covered the northern third of the North American […]

• Land

Invasive Species Invading National Parks According to New Study

• invasive species
• National Parks

CNN reported last week that a new study warns that the unaddressed problem of invasive (non-native) animal species in National Parks is threatening many parks — that are now being overwhelmed with rats, domesticated cats, feral hogs and many other non-native animals that also thrive there.  Scientists from within the Department of Interior and several universities found that of the 1,409 reported populations of invasive species in National Parks, only 11% are under control.

Why This Matters:  There is a backlog of maintenance projects at National Parks across the U.S. totaling nearly $12B – and those are just for maintenance of roads and facilities, not eradicating invasive species.

• Animals

Cyprus Devises a Plan to Cull Invasive Lionfish

• invasive species
• lionfish
• mediterranean

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific, but due to the pet trade have invaded native habitats along the east coast of the U.S., the Caribbean, parts of the Gulf of Mexico and even on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean: the Mediterranean Sea. The island nation of Cyprus has begun a concerted private-public effort […]

• Animals

Thousands of cane toads invade South Florida

• cane toads
• Florida
• invasive species

Staggering numbers of toxic bufo toads, or cane toads as they’re commonly known, have invaded Palm Beach Gardens, Florida much to the dismay of the town’s 55,000 residents.

• Forests

These Beetles Have No Fans

• ash
• beetle
• forest
• invasive species
• logging
• USDA

Don’t be fooled by its beautiful green coat, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a menace that is wiping out ash trees in thirty-five states one way or another.   The Washington Post reported that  “Loggers in snowy forests are cutting down ash trees like there’s no tomorrow, seeking to stay one step ahead of a […]