Invasive species are an enormous problem for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the United States, degrading their biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide to our society. Invasive species are the second leading cause of species extinction, a significant factor in the degradation of natural areas, and reduce the quality of wildlife habitat. Invasive species cause direct economic loss to society, through infestations of agricultural crops, loss of timber, reduction in fish, damage and disease to livestock, and increase in risk from flood or fire. As a result, over the past decade federal and state agencies and nongovernmental organizations have begun to work more closely together to address it.

While awareness of the problem is becoming more widespread, efforts to address the threat are often piecemeal and fragmented, and new tools to deal with the problems are needed. The Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University has developed a program of research and outreach for invasive species. The GRI is uniquely poised to study this problem of agricultural and natural areas, with expertise for studies ranging from regional impacts through use of remote sensing and GIS to cellular and molecular studies of plant uptake or genetic composition. GRI has the capacity to bring together multidisciplinary research teams comprised of university and government researchers to address diverse questions on the management of invasive species.

GRI, while teaming up with specialists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), and other entities, is directing research to enhance the management of aquatic invasive plants, terrestrial invasive plants, and a few non-plant invasives like the renegade biocontrol agent, the cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum). The research addresses invasive species issues that are often complex and require long-term cooperation.

Worldwide there are about 350,000 plant species. Using the definition that a weed is any plant out of place, could mean 350,000 weeds. More realistically, there are about 8,000 invasive weeds worldwide, and only about 250-300 problematic invaders in North America.

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