The 2023 IPBES Invasive Species Assessment indicates that more than 3,500 invasive species with documented negative impacts have been recorded worldwide. Although their numbers are likely to be underestimated and expected to increase, 461 vertebrate species contribute to that statistic, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
Dr. Chowdhury develops mathematical and computational models to investigate complex biological and ecological systems, with applications in epidemiology and public health. Some of his more recent work includes studying fungal pathogen transmission in North American salamanders and analyzing the dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Dr. Cooper uses genomic techniques to understand the health of populations and their resilience to anthropogenic pressures, including invasive species and habitat alteration.
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Crytser’s research investigates the dietary shifts of såli (Micronesian starlings – Aplonis opaca) in response to the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) invasion on Guam using stable isotopes to access trophic dynamics.
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Dr. Czuba’s research focuses on the transport of water and sediment in streams and rivers and how that affects the distribution of invasive and native aquatic species, including fish, macroinvertebrates, freshwater mussels, and plants.
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A key component of Dr. Escobar’s research is developing theory and methods to study the biogeography of infectious diseases, disease ecology, and invasion biology. Current projects include bat-borne rabies, chronic wasting disease, spatial epidemiology in the Anthropocene, and disease-biodiversity relationships.
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Hargett’s research examines the mechanisms driving spatial and temporal variation in streambed habitat and how these dynamics shape the distribution and community structure of crayfish and other aquatic species. His current work investigates how invasive crayfish species, particularly Faxonius cristavarius and F. virilis, exploit natural variation in habitat quality to expand their range into nearby drainages.
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Jain’s research explores plant-seed disperser interaction networks in the Central Appalachian Mountains.
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Dr. Larsen-Gray’s research focuses on wildlife ecology in private, working forests throughout the eastern United States.
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Dr. Messeder’s research integrates phylogenomics, functional ecology, and network theory to understand how plant traits evolve and shape ecological dynamics through plant–animal interactions. He is currently studying the ecological consequences of invasive brown tree snakes in the Mariana Islands.
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Dr. Mims’ research investigates how species’ traits and environmental attributes interact to influence community and population structure of aquatic organisms. Her overarching goal is to uncover, understand, and predict differential response of aquatic species to a changing landscape and climate.
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Dr. Moore has studied the behavioral ecology and physiology of reproduction and stress in invasive species. Vertebrates of interest include tropical birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
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Dr. Nyboer is a freshwater ecologist and conservation scientist exploring how anthropogenic stressors affect freshwater ecosystems and the fish, fisheries, and fishing communities they support.
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Dr. Reid studies ecological restoration and community assembly in tropical and temperate terrestrial ecosystems.
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Ripa is researching how to limit non-native plant invasion of stream restoration projects and how both restoration and invasion might impact the soundscape, particularly as it relates to anuran communities.
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Dr. Rogers’ research focuses on population and community ecology, plant-animal interactions, seed dispersal, pollination, food web dynamics, tropical biology, ecosystem services, and conservation. A majority of the research is conducted on the Mariana Islands, where due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, Guam’s forests are now functionally without birds.
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Dr. Schwob is interested in the development of spatio-temporal models with applications in ecology, epidemiology, and environmental sciences. One example of an invasive system he is currently working on is cheatgrass.
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Dr. Buyuktahtakin Toy’s research explores optimal management of invasive species with mathematical modeling and artificial intelligence. Past species of interest include the emerald ash borer in North America, Sericea Lespedeza in the Great Plains, and buffelgrass in the Sonoran Desert.
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The Invasive Species Collaborative (ISC) at Virginia Tech aims to position the university as a center of excellence in the science, policy, and management of invasive species by bridging disciplinary divides, driving innovative solutions, and engaging in team science.
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