Invasive species threaten U.S. climate change resilience – Pacific RISA – Managing climate risks in the Pacific Islands

Invasive species pose a significant threat to climate preparedness and resilience, according to a new white paper prepared for the U.S. Department of the Interior by the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). Invasive species threaten success of climate change adaptation effortsaddresses one of the most critical intersections between invasive species and climate change—that invasive species pose a direct threat to natural climate solutions and climate resilience—and makes recommendations for action at the federal level.

“There are many examples across the Pacific Islands and beyond where efforts to prevent and manage invasive species have made communities, ecosystems, and economies more climate resilient,” said Laura Brewington, co-principal investigator of Pacific RISA and author of the white paper.

Executive Order No. 14008 U.S. federal agencies and departments are required to develop climate change adaptation plans to increase the nation’s resilience to climate change, but invasive species have been documented to reduce the effectiveness of climate adaptation and mitigation actions. For example, fire-tolerant invasive grasses are exacerbating wildfires in many parts of the United States, including Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands, which not only threatens critical infrastructure and ecosystems but also reduces wildland climate resilience and carbon storage capacity. Despite this, only eight of the 26 federal climate change adaptation plans directly mention invasive species, and only four meaningfully consider the interactive effects of invasive species on climate adaptation efforts.

To develop recommendations that address the intersection of climate and invasive species, the ISAC author team conducted a gap analysis of U.S. climate change adaptation planning and synthesized case studies of the impacts of invasive species on climate resilience in the U.S. These five recommendations, if implemented, would transform the way invasive species are considered in federal climate change planning, programs, and policies.

“Our study confirms what we already suspected: Federal agencies have not yet actively integrated invasive species management into climate action planning, funding, and implementation — and they must take explicit steps to achieve their climate goals,” he said. Leigh Greenwooddirector of TNC’s Forest Pests and Pathogens Program and chair of the ISAC Climate Change Subcommittee. “These five recommendations are achievable and will help protect people and nature from the devastating effects of climate change.”

Download and share The full 2023 ISAC Climate Change White Paper!

Featured Image: Water hyacinth is a fast-growing invasive weed that clogs waterways and flood control structures in the southeastern U.S. Image credit: Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife via Flickr.

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