Climate change impact on invasive species is being studied at NC State: 'Seeing invasive spread'

One of the great things about living in the Triangle is all this green space around us in our own backyards. However, amid climate change and invasive species, that could be under threat.

Just like in the human world, North Carolina is also home to a lot of transplants moving here in the insect world.

"So they can be helpful, they can be good, but it's those harmful ones that we're concerned about," says Kelly Oten.

Oten is a forester from NC State . She studies the impact on our forests and says the warmer weather is already leading to more invasive species.

"Areas that previously might have been too cold to occupy, now that can be occupied by some of these invasives," she says.

The warming climate is also speeding up how quickly they can reproduce.

"The more rapid their life cycle is we see more generations occur every year so the damage they can cause to the plants that they're feeding on really increases," she says.

Starting to see invasive spreading

Some of the biggest culprits - the emerald ash borer and the zigzag sawfly . In some cases, trees are gutted with their leaves destroyed.

"Basically there's just so many caterpillar or larvae out there feeding on the tree all of the leaves are gone," Oten says.

They're also worried about the spotted lanternfly, which has impacted the state's wine industry by hitting grapevines.

But even in your trees at home, it can have an impact. Pesticides can sometimes be a short-term fix, but moving forward she says all hope isn't lost, whether it's introducing new species to fight back or finding more resistant trees, it's something Kelly will keep studying.

"What I'm concerned with is trying to find long-term ways that we can manage these species and hopefully protect our natural resources," she says.

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