How the Himalayan Blackberry Took Over the Pacific Northwest
The tangled history of an invasive plant and a scientist’s troubling quest to engineer a more efficient natural world.
The Rise and Fall of Britain’s Muskrat Empire
A fur-farming experiment unleashed a prolific rodent—and sparked one of the rare successful eradications of an invasive species.
A Most Opportunistic Colonizer
Poa annua is a unique grass species now thriving on every continent—including Antarctica. Wherefore its wanderlust?
The Greening of the Great Basin
The growth of grass in a desert might not seem problematic, but the introduction of invasive species can disrupt plant, animal, and human inhabitants.
Cane Toads, Dung Beetles, and Cork Hats
Predicting the effects of introducing a species into an ecosystem is difficult. Mitigating those effects later is even more so. Just ask Australia.
The True Costs of Invasive Species
The time between species arrival and the onset of management is critical to determining the ultimate cost of an invasive species.
Antarctica Is Warming. Are Invasive Species on the Way?
Algae, crustaceans, and other types of organisms can hitchhike into new ecosystems under the hulls of ships.
Is Your Favorite Tree an Invasive Species?
Some superstar trees in the US are actually invasive to their ecosystems. Blossoming cherry trees, for example.
Can CRISPR Save Tufty Fluffytail?
The native red squirrel population in the UK has been decimated by the encroachment of its American cousin, an invasive species. Could a "gene drive" help?
When a Cultivated Tree Goes Rogue
The Callery pear was meant to help prevent fire blight from destroying the commercial pear industry. Then it became invasive.