Tag: non native

A closeup of an iguana in South Florida

’Tis the season for courting iguanas: Ask IFAS unwraps bilingual guide with timely tips

by Lourdes Mederos
December 2, 2025

Just in time for the holiday season — and the start of the iguana mating period — the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has unwrapped a bilingual resource for living with one of Florida’s most ... READ MORE

Category: , Home Landscapes, Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Ask IFAS, Ask IFAS En Español, Bilingual, Damage, Florida Law, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Green Iguanas, Herbivores, Homeowners, Iguana, Invasive, Legal Considerations, Mating Period, News, Non Native, Personal Property, Plants, Resources, South Florida Landscape, Species, Spiny-tailed Iguanas, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Unprotected
A close look at a female panther chameleon_ photo by Natalie Claunch

Scaring neighbors and causing community tension: Study uncovers cost of invasive chameleons

by Lourdes Mederos
July 22, 2025

When exotic chameleons creep into a suburban Florida neighborhood, they bring more than their color-changing charm. They can also spark confusion, curiosity and social chaos. A new study by scientists at the University of Florida Institute ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Central Florida, Chameleon, Diane Sturgeon, Exotic Pet Market, IFAS, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Reptiles, Invasive Species, Invasive Species Management, Lourdes Mederos, News, Non-native Species, Orange County, Panther Chameleon, Public, Residential Neighborhood, Societal Effects, Society, Species, Species Introduction, Stakeholders, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, University Of Florida, Warm Climate, Wildlife Managers, Wildlife Trade
Luke Flory, climbing a mountainside in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Here he is investigating the role of pathogen accumulation in the longer-term decline of invasive quinine tree. Credit Luke Flory.

UF taps global invasion ecology expert to lead new era of the Invasion Science Institute

by Lourdes Mederos
June 13, 2025

In the summer of 2000, a young undergraduate named Luke Flory was knee-deep in invasive plant species at a nature preserve in northern Indiana, with a backpack slung over his shoulder, filled with tools to study and manage invasive species. ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agroecology, Biological Invasions, CALS, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Department Of Biology, Department Of Plant Pathology, Director, Environmental Stressors, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, International Food Systems, Invasion Ecology, Invasions Science Institute, Invasive, Invasive Plant Ecology, Invasive Species In Florida, ISI, J. Scott Angle, Lourdes Mederos, Luke Flory, News, Non-native Species, Plant Pathology, Scott Angle, The Flory Lab, Tropical Conservation And Development Program, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, University Of Florida Invasion Science Institute
A forest in Sweetwater Florida By Yunpeng Liu

UF/IFAS study: Non-native trees quietly invading our U.S. forests, causing decline in native trees

by Lourdes Mederos
April 23, 2025

A new University of Florida study tracking more than 5 million trees over nearly three decades reveals a troubling trend for the future of forests in the United States – the loss of native trees. According to findings, published in ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Biodiversity, Biological Invasions, Forest, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasion Science Research Institute, ISRI, Lourdes Mederos, Native, Native Trees, News, Non Native, Non-native Trees, PNAS, Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, Research, Species Richness, Tree Biomass, Tree Plots, Trees, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Forest Inventory And Analysis, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA
The role of citizen science in contributing to conservation efforts

Citizen science and why it matters, UF/IFAS experts explain

by Lourdes Mederos
February 4, 2025

Have you ever noticed unusual plants, animals or insects in your area? Chances are there is way to help scientists learn more about them. Then there are invasive species – non-native species that threaten Florida’s ecosystems, agriculture ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Citizen Science, Community Engagement, Conservation, Corey Callaghan, Croc Docs, Crocodilians, Data, EDDMaps, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank Mazzotti, FWC, Inaturalist, Invasion, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Species, ISRI, IveGot1, Lourdes Mederos, Melissa Miller, Native Species, News, Non-native Species, Paul Evans, Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Information Resource System, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
A Nile monitor in FL_UF Croc Docs blog banner 2

UF researchers’ new outreach strategy succeeds, sets blueprint for detecting invasive species in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
October 28, 2024

Invasive species in Florida like Nile monitors and Argentine black-and-white tegus pose a growing threat to the Sunshine State’s environment, economy and public safety. South Florida’s warm climate, disturbed habitats and bustling pet ... READ MORE

Category: Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Argentine Black And White Tegu, C-51 Basin, Climate Change, Cryptic Reptiles, Disturbed Habitats, EDDMaps, Environment, Everglades, Florida Economy, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), FLREC, Frank Mazzotti, FWC, Invasive Reptiles, Invasive Species In Florida, IVE-GOT1, Melissa Miller, Nile Monitor, Nile Monitors, Non Native, Palm Beach County, Pet Trade, Public Health In Florida, Reptiles, Scientific Reports, South Florida, Targeted Outreach, Tegu, UF Croc Docs, UF News, UF/IFAS Croc Docs, UF/IFAS Research

Invasion of the Landscape Snatchers

by Taylor Clem, PhD
October 1, 2021

The Invasion of the Landscape Snatchers "It started - for me, it started last Thursday, in response to an urgent message from my nurse, I hurried home from a medical convention I'd been attending. At first glance, everything looked the same. ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Established, FFL, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscapes, Horticulture, IFAS Assessment, Invasion Of The Landscape Snatchers, Invasive Species, Invasives, Non Native, Plants

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