Abstract
Wide climatic variations characterize the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) and Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands) region, including tropical, subtropical, warm-temperate, and temperate environments, as well as diverse ecosystems from coastal wetlands and dunes to piedmont savannahs and montane forests (Fig. A8.1). More than 85% of the forest land in the continental Southeast is privately owned, with the region experiencing rapid population growth (particularly around urban centers), as well as increased landscape and ownership fragmentation (Butler and Wear 2013). This population growth and urbanization, along with changing climate, are likely to put stressors on southeastern ecosystems in ways that may increase their invasion by, or decrease their resilience to, non-native invasive species (Duerr and Mistretta 2013; Miller et al. 2013a). The Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean Coasts in the region are home to numerous major commercial ports. The large quantity of shipments arriving from international ports daily serves as a constant potential pathway for new invasive pests and/or their propagules into the region.
Parent Publication
Citation
Mayfield, Albert E., III; Marcano-Vega, Humfredo; Lugo, Ariel E. 2021. Regional Summaries: Southeast and Caribbean. 2021. In: Poland, Therese M.; Patel-Weynand, Toral; Finch, Deborah M.; Ford Miniat, Chelcy; Hayes, Deborah C.; Lopez, Vanessa M., eds. Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the United States Forest Sector. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer International Publishing: 426 - 455. Appendix.
