National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) is an annual international event dedicated to educating and raising awareness about invasive species, the harm they cause, and what we can do to prevent their spread.
Invasive species can any nonnative species (animals, plants, fungi, pathogen, mold, etc.) that significantly cause harm to ecosystems, to the economy, or to human health (as defined by Executive Order 13112 Section 1).
Protecting Biodiversity
The loss of native species decreases an ecosystem’s long-term health and decreases its ability to recover from major disturbances and stressors such as flooding or drought. All organisms are linked to the physical and biological components that make up their environment. When species disappear, other organisms that depend on them for food, pollination, shelter, etc. are also impacted. Eventually, there is a collapsing effect like a Jenga game: when too many pieces are pulled from the tower (or in this case the ecosystem) it collapses.
Invasive plants play a key role in an estimated 60% of global plant and animal extinctions; and are a major factor in an estimated 40% of endangered species listings in the United States. These introduced species contribute to the decline of native species through predation, competition for resources, loss of genetic diversity (by hybridizing with native species), and transmission of diseases. Invasive organisms impact ecosystem services we rely on like nitrogen retention for crops, flood mitigation, water filtration, and can contribute to the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
Safeguarding Health
As ecosystems lose both species richness and genetic diversity, diseases affecting crops, wildlife, and humans are much more likely to spread. Invasive species themselves can affect human health by serving as a vector for existing diseases, be the pathogen, or cause wounds through bites, thorns, stings, allergens, or other toxins. For example, blacklegged ticks and white-footed mice, known to carry and transmit Lyme disease, prefer Japanese barberry (an invasive that is a popular lawn ornamental plant). The humid microclimate that the Japanese barberry creates favors tick survival, which increases their chance of getting a bloodmeal and ultimately reproducing.
Preventing Economic Loss
Invasive species directly impact infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and tourism. And of course, invasive plants impact property values – no one wants a yard of bamboo.
The introduction of aquatic invasives can clog up water intakes, pipes, and carpet surfaces causing serious harm to navigation locks, hydropower systems, the cooling systems of power plants, turbines, water treatment facilities, navigational locks, fish hatcheries, and recreation. Invasive insects and diseases such as the emerald ash borer, spongy moth, Dutch elm disease, and hemlock woolly adelgid directly affect timber industries and forest habitats. A growing concern to the agricultural industry is the spotted lantern fly, which feeds on a wide variety of plants including grapevines, hops, stone fruit trees, and hardwoods.
The US Department of Agriculture refers to a study published in NeoBiota where they estimate that invasive species costs North America over $26 billion per year in the 2010s – a rise from just $2 billion per year in the early 1960s. A 2023 study by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) suggests that the annual global cost is now greater than $425 billion.
What Can You do to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species?
The most effective way to prevent the spread of invasive species is to keep them from spreading into new places. Visitors can take several steps to ensure that they are not spreading invasive species into, around, and out of our public lands.
Before You Recreate:
- Clean your shoes, boots, and other equipment. They should be clear of dirt and seeds before you arrive.
- Don’t move firewood. Ideally you should try to get your firewood within 10 miles of where you intend to burn. 50 miles is too far.
While You Recreate:
- Stay on official marked trails.
- Keep dogs on-leash at all times.
- Camp in designated areas.
- Follow Leave No Trace principles (Leave No Trace Seven Principles (U.S. National Park Service)).
After You Recreate/at Home:
- Clean off any mud or seeds that may be caught on laces or the treads of your shoes and boots as well as the treads in tire treads with a boot brush or a hose.
- Shake out your tent to knock off dirt, seeds, or other plant matter.
- Brush off any hitchhiking seeds from you and your pet somewhere it won’t spread like a parking lot or into a trashcan.
- Clean, Drain, Dry: Thoroughly rinse your gear and pressure wash boats, water tubes, and waders.
- Do NOT release pets or unused bait into the wild.
- Identify and remove invasive plants from your property. Check Species Lists | National Invasive Species Information Center for regional and state lists.
Written by Camila Fishtahler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Biological Science Technician.
Support Natural Resource Conservation on the C&O Canal!
Looking for more ways to have a direct impact on the C&O Canal? Join us for a volunteer event! Volunteer events help protect our natural resources by removing trash and invasive species. Check out opportunities on our events calendar and volunteer page.
You can also support our work to protect and preserve the park’s natural resources through a gift to the Trust. Your support allows us to fund critical conservation efforts along the C&O Canal. Learn more about our work here.
Top photo by Roy Sewall