CSREES has awarded $4.4 million in weedy and invasive species grants to 14 universities to conduct research projects aimed at developing ecologically, economically rational strategies to manage, control or eliminate weedy or invasive species.

It has been estimated that approximately 50,000 species of plants and animals have been introduced into the United States resulting in more than $100 billion in losses and damage each year. Invasive species threatened biodiversity, habitat quality, and ecosystem function. It is estimated that invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42 percent of the endangered and threatened species in the United States. The goal of the Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems program is to provide strategies for management, control, or elimination of weedy or invasive species.  Abstracts of CSREES-funded weedy and invasive proposals are available. 

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) report, “Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States,” integrates the federal research efforts of 13 agencies on climate and global change. The report has 38 authors from universities, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and federal service. USDA was the lead agency for this report as part of its commitment to the CCSP. USDA is using the report’s findings in the development of a new Strategic Plan for Climate Change research. USDA is also providing guidance to landowners to enable them to estimate their carbon greenhouse gas footprints. 

USDA Climate Change Activities Fact Sheets

• Agricultural Research Service
• Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
• Economic Research Service
• Farm Service Agency
• Forest Service
• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Risk Management Agency

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2008 - Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced today that USDA is awarding $4.6 million to 13 universities and research labs to develop ecologically and economically rational strategies for management, control and elimination of weedy and invasive species, which cause more than $100 billion is losses each year.

The awards are administered by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) through the National Research Initiative (NRI) Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems competitive grants program. This grant program has awarded more than $20 million in grants over the past five years.

This year, projects support integrated and basic research projects, equipment purchases, conference symposia and network development. Funded projects include research at Pennsylvania State University to establish and demonstrate effective biological control of the Canada thistle. Research at Oregon State University will develop and implement ecologically-based cropping systems that suppress summer annual weed populations in vegetable row crops. University of Wisconsin researchers will work to predict invasion of exotic species and their impact on tree regeneration and native plant diversity in Wisconsin lowland forests.

The fiscal year 2007 grants were awarded to:

Recipient State Grant Amount University of Arkansas AR $45,000 Chapman University CA $124,955 USDA Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Research Station CO $389,179 University of Florida FL $387,327 University of Illinois IL $124,655 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center MD $287,509 USDA Agricultural Research Service MD $10,000 Mississippi State University MS $100,300 New Mexico State University NM $223,351 Miami University OH $376,940 Ohio State University OH $499,959 Oregon State University OR $487,344 Pennsylvania State University PA $500,000 Pennsylvania State University PA $324,495 University of Tennessee TN $10,000 Utah State University UT $382,896 University of Wisconsin WI $326,100

CSREES' NRI program is the largest peer-reviewed, competitive grants program at USDA. NRI supports research, extension and education grants that address key problems of national, regional and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of agriculture.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, CSREES focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.csrees.usda.gov.

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