Web Sites on Invasive Species
Invasivespecies.gov (www.invasivespecies.gov) is the gateway to U.S. Federal efforts concerning invasive species. On this site you can learn about the impacts of invasive species and the Federal government’s response, as well as read select species profiles and find links to agencies and organizations dealing with invasive species issues. Invasivespecies.gov is also the website for the National Invasive Species Council, which coordinates Federal responses to the problem.

The Invasive Species Specialist Group-ISSG (www.issg.org) is a global group of 146 scientific and policy experts on invasive species from 41 countries. ISSG provides advice on threats from invasives and control or eradication methods to IUCN members, conservation practitioners, and policy-makers. The group’s activities focus primarily on invasive species that cause biodiversity loss, with particular attention to those that threaten oceanic islands.

Global Invasive Species Programme (jasper.stanford.edu/gisp/home.htm) states that its mission is “To conserve biodiversity and sustain human livelihoods by minimizing the spread and impact of invasive alien species.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Invasive Species Program (invasives.fws.gov)

The Nature Conservancy’s Wildland Invasive Species Team (tncweeds.ucdavis.edu) describes themselves as “protecting the native biodiversity of our wild lands from harmful invaders.”

The Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group (www.nps.gov/plants/alien/) presents “Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas.” This web-based project provides information for the general public, land managers, researchers, and others on the serious threat and impacts of invasive alien (exotic, non-native) plants to the native flora, fauna, and natural ecosystems of the United States. This site provides a compiled national list of invasive plants infesting natural areas throughout the U.S., background information on the problem of invasive species, illustrated fact sheets that include plant descriptions, native range, distribution and habitat in the U.S., management options, suggested alternative native plants, and other information, and selected links to relevant people and organizations. Be sure to see their list of alien species fact sheets.

Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Web site (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/WLI/wris1.htm) provides information on Noxious, Invasive, Alien and other problem plant species that threaten the success of wetland restoration and enhancement projects. This report defines the different categories of problem species, identifies the threats to success caused by these species, recommends methods of avoidance through planning and monitoring, and lists numerous species that negatively impact the function and value of wetland restoration and enhancement projects.

Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (invasives.eeb.uconn.edu/ipane//index.html) is a web accessible atlas of invasive plant species for the New England area, with a concentration on the state of Connecticut. The atlas will support early detection and rapid response of invasive plant species. Included in the Atlas are images of, and descriptive data about, invasive plants, and a collection database documenting the existence and spread of those species in the New England area. Additionally, maps and other GIS data for current plant distribution and chronological changes are planned.

Salisbury University Arboretum (www.salisbury.edu/arboretum/welcome.html) isn’t limited to invasives, but is a nice site to visit.