Do you know where to look for invasive species? Colleague Manuel Colunga with the MSU Center for Global Change does. He and fellow collaborators have been developing methods for determining likely “Hot Spots” for future introductions of alien invasive species (AIS) in the U.S.
Manuel (left) was recently interviewed for an article in The State News (read here) on the development of a new website highlighting his research. The site, MetroInvasive.info, provides visitors with maps of areas at high risk to the introduction for AIS.
From the MetroInvasive website:
MetroInvasive provides:
- A perspective that considers urban areas as hubs of human-mediated invasions in natural and managed ecosystems.
- Resources to enhance our understanding of the role of international trade in the dissemination of invasive species.
- Information to identify hot spots for human-mediated invasions where early detection strategies could be implemented.