From Burmese pythons and European starlings to zebra mussels and Great Lake lampreys, the United States is in the midst of an invasive species crisis, impacting local environments both on the land and in the water. There are a number of factors making this problem worse, but foremost among them is climate change.
Dr. Robert C. Venette, a research biologist and director of the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center, is paying close attention to multiple invasive species, including "several bark beetles, emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, hemlock wooly adelgid, oak wilt, Palmer amaranth and Japanese knotweed, among others." But figuring out exactly how much damage they will do — and what that means for the future of the environment — isn't an easy task.
"We are still witnessing the effects of climate changes that have already happened."
"Forecasting which invasive species will be a concern is incredibly complex," Venette told Salon. "As temperatures warm, I expect that many invasive insects, pathogens and weeds will begin to occur farther north than they have previously. Some invasive species will be active earlier in spring and summer than they have normally. Lastly, some of these invasive species may become more abundant than they have been."
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Dr. Chelcy Miniat, a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) biologist at their Rocky Mountain Research Station, identified a few variables that can help determine which species will thrive and which ones will not survive as global temperatures continue to rise.
"Scientists have identified some general factors that that could influence the consequences of climate change for a given invasive species at a given location," Miniat said.........