Invasive pests (‘biological pollutants’) and US forests: whose problem, who pays?

Invasive pests, or ‘biological pollutants’, are among the most serious threats to biological diversity in the forest ecosystems of the USA. Additionally, they can disrupt forest management practices and cause enormous financial losses. In the USA, as elsewhere, the receiving country inherits the problem and, along with its citizenry, bears the permanent economic costs. The incidence of the introduction of invasive pests, the pathways utilized, and their economic and ecological impacts are presented using Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi), chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), and other pests as examples. The permanency of ecological impacts and associated economic costs needs to be considered in discussions with other National Plant Protection Organizations in designing and adopting mutual agreements and protocols. Suggestions are given for addressing these impending needs in view of expanding global trade.