Summer in Southwest Virginia, whether walking along the Tinker Creek Greenway or fishing in Carvins Cove, is full of sights, scents, and sounds we associate with our home.
For example, you will likely hear the familiar, low, repetitive call of the American bullfrog. Unfortunately, the bullfrog songs that are a hallmark of our freshwater habitats in the eastern United States are a sign of trouble elsewhere.
Bullfrogs are one of many species contributing to a global crisis of invasive species. Species move and are being moved all over the globe at increasing rates, either intentionally or unintentionally, sometimes becoming unwelcome residents.
Globally, these invasive species cause hundreds of billions of dollars of economic and ecological damage per year. Notorious examples of invasive species that have entered our region include the spotted lantern fly, tree of heaven, Japanese stiltgrass, and northern snakehead fish.
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At the same time, some species native to our region are also invasive elsewhere. Over the last 150 years, American bullfrogs, native to the eastern United States, have been introduced all over the world as a cheap source of protein — frog legs, anyone?
But they are also voracious predators, eating anything that fits in their mouth. They reproduce quickly and can travel many miles in only a few days. They spread disease, contribute to ecosystem health decline, and can decimate local wildlife.
Globally, American bullfrogs have caused an estimated $17 billion in damage from 1986 to 2020.
At Virginia Tech, we are studying best practices for controlling and eradicating invasive populations of American bullfrogs.
We partner with federal scientists to use acoustic recorders for early detection of bullfrogs when they call at new locations.
We can estimate how far and fast bullfrogs travel. We also collect DNA from bullfrogs, estimating the size and travel patterns of new populations.
We combine this data with climate information in computer simulations to identify locations where bullfrogs pose a distinct risk.
For bullfrogs, eradication is possible, but it comes with a very high cost. Although eradication is not feasible everywhere, control can go a long way.
Our research aims to help identify the most cost-effective way to pinpoint key populations for removal, and the lessons we learn can apply to other invasive species, too.
Invasive species are a complex problem that goes far beyond the realm of academic research.
Biological knowledge is not the only barrier to invasive species prevention or control.
Challenges can arise in navigating complex interactions between management agencies, government institutions, private stakeholders, biologists, and the public.
Finding creative solutions, identifying priorities, and ultimately conducting successful prevention, control, or eradication requires cooperation and effort from everyone, from local residents to policy makers across the world.
Our institution is investing significant funds into interdisciplinary research, outreach, and public education programs to better understand how to manage invasive species here at home and across the globe.
The Virginia Tech Invasive Species Working Group includes economists, ecologists, policy experts, public educators, students, and many others with a goal of developing the broad expertise necessary to make Virginia Tech a global hub for innovative and effective invasive species research and management.
True progress will start with the science, but ultimately will require a broad-based, community level effort.