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Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Research at the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center focuses on providing the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support and implement sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources occurring in Hawai'i and other Pacific island locations.
Featured Research
Featured Research
Learn about research to understand power outages caused by brown treensnakes and explore approaches to protect sensitive infrastructure.
News
Inaugural USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day - April 25, 2025
Inaugural USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day - April 25, 2025
Mapping hotspots of first detections of non-native species
Mapping hotspots of first detections of non-native species
Non-native plants consistently drive changes in functional traits of plant communities
Non-native plants consistently drive changes in functional traits of plant communities
Publications
A quantitative classification of the geography of non-native flora in the United States
AimNon-native plants have the potential to harm ecosystems. Harm is classically related to their distribution and abundance, but this geographical information is often unknown. Here, we assess geographical commonness as a potential indicator of invasive status for non-native flora in the United States. Geographical commonness could inform invasion risk assessments across species and...
Behavioral plasticity in detection height of an invasive, arboreal snake based on size, condition, and prey
ContextAnimals may adjust their behavior in predictable ways to balance tradeoffs between resource acquisition and survival or fecundity. Microhabitat selection based on individual traits or environmental conditions is one measure of risk–reward tradeoffs by individuals.AimsWe used data from observational and manipulative studies to investigate whether an arboreal snake (brown treesnake...
Population trends of native and non-native forest birds on the island of Molokai, Hawaii
Hawaiʻi’s avifauna has undergone profound changes over the past 1,000 years, with many endemic bird species driven to extinction and non-native introductions reshaping forest ecosystems. On the island of Molokaʻi, habitat degradation and the introduction of mosquito-borne disease, mainly avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum), have caused extinctions and severe declines in native forest...
Science
Developing and evaluating a point-of-use environmental DNA test for rapid field detection of highly invasive brown treesnakes
New terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques are sensitive tools for early detection of the highly invasive brown treesnakes (BTS). In a new collaborative research effort involving four USGS science centers, scientists have initiated the development of an innovative point-of-use (POU) assay for BTS. POU assays are tests that can be run in the field with minimal equipment and no...
Guam power lines and brown treesnakes are an electric mix
Of all the economic impacts to Guam due to the introduction of the brown treesnake ( Boiga irregularis), the effects on the power infrastructure are the easiest to understand.
A citizen science program for brown treesnake removal and native species recovery at a National Historical Park in Guam
The National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and community Citizen Scientists are working together to remove brown treesnakes at War in the Pacific National Historical Park - Asan Beach Unit to aid restoration of native avian and reptile species.