About Us
Through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit along with the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT) have created the Nebraska Invasive Species Project. The web portal is designed to provide information to the public and private sector on invasive species issues. Information including invasive species biology, monitoring and management methods, actual and potential maps of impact and risk, and invasive species news and events. |
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The Invasive Species Threat to Nebraska
Biological invasions are a growing threat to both human enterprise and ecological systems. The rate of introductions continues to increase, and many countries are developing organized plans to strengthen bio‐security in the face of these threats. The negative impacts of biological invasions are economically and ecologically significant, and while they remain incompletely quantified, they are clearly substantial. In 2000, David Pimental of Cornell University, and colleagues, estimated that the economic costs of invasive species for the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, and Brazil exceeded US 314 billion dollars per year. David Pimental and colleagues made conservative estimates of costs associated with invasive species in the United States, which exceeded US 120 billion dollars per year in 2005. Ecological and environmental costs are considerably more difficult to quantify, but include the extinction of native biota, disruption of community structure, and changes in ecological processes, with associated losses of ecosystem services and capital. Some of these ecosystem services we may not yet have identified, such as human health and medical applications or fuel innovations.
Research
Natural resource agencies and partners throughout the state are collaborating on a variety of projects to promote the betterment of Nebraska's natural resources. Professionals, students, and many other dedicated individuals are working on ways to prevent and manage the spread of invasive species in Nebraska. For more information about the projects going on in the state, visit our projects page.
Outreach
One very important early detection method is public awareness. Projects are beging developed for youth and adults to provide citizens with the resources they need to combat invasives. For more information regarding what resources are available, visit our projects page. If you would like to be added to our informational listserv, please send us an email. Invasive species effect us all, so help us spread the word!
Goals
- Provide resources on the potential spread and impact of invasive species in Nebraska
- Provide resources on actual and potential maps of invasive species range
- Disseminate Information regarding identification and management of potential invaders
- Provide a centralized information clearinghouse on management, impacts, and the potential spread of currently established invasive species via a web portal
- Provide outreach within Nebraska to agencies and individual stakeholders regarding the monitoring, mapping, risk, and management of invasive species
Partners
This project is already building momentum towards an invasive species bio-security and management system in Nebraska. Agencies and organizations are working together to create a system that is integrated and relatively seamless across institutional boundaries.
This project would not be possible without the support of our partners. Please visit their links to learn more about their programs and responsibilities in the state. |
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