From international harbor to native habitat: Detecting exotic pests before forest and agricultural invasion
Thursday, March 18, 2010 - 19:35
in Biology & Nature
In the 1930s, soil used as ballast to weigh down cargo ships from South America to Mobile, Alabama introduced the red imported fire ant to the southern United States. Since then, the ants have been found as far north as Maryland and as far west as California, shorting out streetlights and eating through crops and native plants in the process. Since pests like the fire ant primarily enter the U.S. through international hubs like Mobile and then spread to nearby ecosystems, the early detection of exotic pests should start at the most vulnerable urban areas, researchers say.