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Unchecked, just one species—the Asian longhorned beetle—threatens to devastate 48 million acres of forest in the Great Lakes and New England. Nationwide, the beetle could kill one-third of all urban trees nationwide. The replacement value of these trees is estimated at nearly $670 billion.
Asian longhorned beetles destroy a variety of hardwood trees, and when they invaded Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods in 1996, hundreds of trees had to be rapidly cut down, robbing Chicagoans of protection against sun, noise, and wind, and leaving their streets bare.
The beetles reportedly first came to the United States burrowed in wooden packing materials in shipments from China. Initially spotted in New York and the Great Lakes region, they have also been seen as far west as California. This isn’t good news: Asian longhorned beetles can devastate the timber industry, maple syrup production, and tourism based on fall foliage. Since their arrival in the U.S., damage from this species is estimated to have already cost state and federal governments some $80 million.
In short, invasive species exact heavy costs in lost economic productivity, particularly agriculture. In Brazil for instance, South African lovegrass has destroyed the pasture value of 10 percent of the country’s southern grazing lands and severely damaged the area’s cattle industry. Annual losses are calculated at $30 million a year. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates the leafy spurge plague costs ranchers in North Dakota and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming more than $144 million a year in losses. And the arrival of the cactus moth in Mexico could threaten the $80 million annual cactus industry—an important source of food for humans and livestock.
What The Nature Conservancy is Doing.
Throughout the world, The Nature Conservancy provides science-based solutions to help manage invasive plants and animals and restore habitats.
In Illinois, The Nature Conservancy is one of six non-profit, government and volunteer organizations that have partnered to form the New Invaders Watch program, which is dedicated to the early detection and control of new exotic invasive plant and insect species in the Chicago region, an area of globally threatened natural communities. Because this region is a global transportation hub with open access for plant and animal invasions through international shipping, the program seeks to target species known to be invasive in the Midwest or regions of similar climate. Find out how you can get involved with the New Invaders program.
Action starts when people talk.
In the midst of the dire warnings about the impact of invasive species on our natural systems and economy, there are reasons for hope and things we can do as individuals. First, start a conversation about the issue with friends, family and colleagues. Take a look at our Conversation Starters related to habitat restoration for relevant and compelling facts.
You can also learn about six easy ways you can help stop invasives in your area.
