Economic Dimensions of Invasive Species

With the events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax mail attacks, and the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from attacks, many individuals have become aware of the threat of biological weapons directed towards people. However, few realize how vulnerable the US agricultural infrastructure is, and has been, to pests and disease outbreaks resulting from accidental or deliberate introductions, and few are aware of the constant battle that is being waged to prevent or mitigate the spread of invasive species. Over the past 200 years or so, more than 50,000 foreign plant and animal species have become established in the United States. About one in seven has become invasive,1 with damage and control costs estimated at more than $138 billon each year (United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [APHIS], 2001). The problem of invasive species has intensified in the last few years, making it a serious challenge to globalized trade. “Animals, plants, and microbes can now migrate across the planet to new homes with unprecedented ease” (“New flora,” 2000, p.118). The problems of biological invasives and the decision-making framework established to prevent their introduction and spread have traditionally been the domain of the biological scientific community. However, as present management systems have become overwhelmed by the increase in the introduction and spread of invasives, the scientific community is now calling for input by economics and other social science disciplines to answer questions and carry out strategic actions to address the problems. The economic dimension of the problem of invasive species is growing from at least two perspectives. First, economics is central to the cause of biological invasiveness, and the consequences of pest incursions go far beyond direct damages or control costs. Most cases of invasiveness can be linked to the intended or unintended consequences of economic activities (Perrings et al., 2002). Consequently, economic applications are essential to understand the problem and provide more accurate and comprehensive assessments of the benefits and costs of control alternatives to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded programs. Second, modeling the economic and trade impacts of technical trade barriers is becoming more important. Common among such barriers are 1. An "invasive species" is defined as a species that is nonnative (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health (Executive Order 13112;http://www.invasivespecies.gov). Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes). Economic Dimensions of Invasive Species