Economic impacts of non-native forest pests and pathogens in North America (TNC)

The ecological effects of many non-native forest pests and pathogens in North America have been well documented. The economic costs of these effects, however, have not been estimated credibly. NCEAS will synthesize ecological data on forest invaders and conduct complementary economic analyses. This will allow us to inform decisions regarding alternative strategies for controlling forest invaders. The project will examine the extent to which current knowledge allows credible prediction of the effects of emerging pests and pathogens. We also will investigate the economic impacts of non-native forest insects and diseases on ecosystem services provided by forests. Integration of ecological and economic data will lead to development of least cost / greatest benefit approaches that can be implemented by practitioners.