Invasive and Exotic Species
Invasive Species in Hawaiʻi
A Forest Service postdoctoral research entomologist and collaborator from Bogor Agricultural University examine insect-damaged albizia plants near Limbangan, Indonesia.
The Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) conducts terrestrial, riparian and marine research on invasive plant, animal and microbial species in the diverse ecosystems of Hawaiʻi and the US Affiliated Pacific.
The work seeks to:
- Understand impacts on invasion on native biodiversity, ecosystem structure and function, and dynamics in response to changing or novel disturbance regimes.
- Develop effective biological control agents.
- Increase ecosystem resilience against invasions through restoration and threat mitigation.
- Disseminate information on non-native invasive species of across the region.
Global collaborations in weed biocontrol
Biological control, the introduction of natural enemies from a pest’s native range in order restore balance to an invaded ecosystem, can provide long-term, large-scale, highly selective suppression of invasive species. Biocontrol of weeds has a long history of noteworthy successes around the world - a history that began in Hawaiʻi in 1902 when insect enemies of lantana were imported from Mexico. Our IPIF biocontrol program builds upon past efforts, with a unique focus on plants that invade native forests of Pacific islands. We prioritize target weeds that have broad environmental impacts and for which other control methods are not effective.
International collaborations are essential to biocontrol. Forest Service scientists and partners in the Pacific work within the close-knit community of international biocontrol specialists to raise awareness and meet needs for Pacific island resource management. We lead multinational efforts developing and assessing biocontrols for the invasive trees, strawberry guava, miconia, and albizia, as well as clidemia, cane tibouchina, and related weeds. Additional targets for which we are supporting active biocontrol research include Himalayan ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum), Himalayan raspberry (Rubus ellipticus), Christmas berry (Schinus terebinthifolius), and faya tree (Morella faya).
