ResearchTopic: Invasive Species

Kudzu Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance Kudzu is a fast-growing creeping, climbing, and coiling perennial vine that is a member of the legume or pea family. It has the potential to reach up to 100 feet in length, allowing it to easily overtake trees, abandoned homes, cars, telephone poles, native plants, and essentially anything in its path. […]

Japanese Stiltgrass Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance Japanese Stiltgrass, also known as Nepalese Browntop, or packing grass, is an annual, herbaceous, sprawling grass originating from Asia that has invaded floodplains, streambanks, and moisture rich areas throughout much of the mid-western and eastern United States. It is extremely shade-tolerant and has no native competitors. Species Description Resembling a smaller, […]

Golden Bamboo Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance Golden Bamboo is a perennial, fast-growing, oversized member of the grass family Poaceae. It is commonly purchased in the United States as an ornamental species and is readily available from garden centers and nurseries. Bamboo is aggressive and fast-growing, with an extensive undergrown stem network that can carry a single infestation […]

Resident Canada Goose, Canada Goose Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance The Canada Goose, also called the “honker” is the most abundant of all North American species of geese, with scientists estimating about 1 million in the Atlantic flyway population. Unlike its migratory cousin, the Resident Canada Goose nests and resides predominantly in the United States and has become a problematic permanent […]

AIS Prevention Tips for Bait Shop Owners

Bait shop owners and staff play a key role in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). As trusted sources of information for anglers, bait shops are well-positioned to share important tools and tips for AIS prevention. By helping customers make informed choices, they contribute to protecting local waterways and supporting the health of […]

Japanese Knotweed Fact Sheet

Species Description Japanese Knotweed is an upright, shrub-like perennial plant that can grow to heights of over 13 ft (4 m). The leaves are wide, with a heart-shaped base that narrows to a point at the tip. Stems are smooth and hollow, resembling Bamboo, especially in older plants. Flowers are small and arranged in white […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl occurrence and concentrations in lentic invasive snakehead populations: identifying gene expression signatures of toxicity with implications for human consumption advisories

Abstract: Contaminants of emerging concern and aquatic invasive species are of global interest for the health of aquatic ecosystems and humans. In Pennsylvania, like other parts of the world, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have seen increased scrutiny over the last few years due to their potential adverse ecological and human health effects. At the […]

Understanding the Food Web Impacts of the Invasive Northern Snakehead on Pennsylvania’s Largest Tidal Freshwater Wetland

Abstract: Northern Snakehead (Channa argus; NSH) are voracious predators capable of disrupting ecosystems and threatening desirable species through direct predation and food web impacts. NSH were first introduced to Pennsylvania and the Delaware River watershed in 2004. They have rapidly expanded their range and now occur in all freshwater tidal portions of the Delaware River […]

Predicting the impacts and spread for an emerging invasion of non-native round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in a stream biodiversity hotspot (French Creek, Pennsylvania)

Abstract Invasive round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) became established in a tributary to the upper Allegheny River drainage in 2014 (French Creek, Pennsylvania). French Creek has the highest biodiversity of native bottom-dwelling fishes (16 darter species) and native unionid mussels (27 species) in Pennsylvania, and prior research indicates that both are susceptible to the impacts of […]

Golden Alga Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance Golden Alga is a naturally occurring, single-celled, microscopic organism. It is fast-growing, resilient, and under certain conditions, Golden Alga populations can produce toxins that kill fish, clams, and other gill-breathing species, resulting in ecological and economic harm to affected water bodies. Species Description Golden Alga is a tiny, single-celled organism that […]

ResearchTopic: Invasive Species

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