Ecological Risk Screening Summaries (ERSS)

The Service has developed a process to efficiently characterize and prioritize the potential risk of invasiveness from species of wild animals and plants. The final output is a report for each species called an Ecological Risk Screening Summary (also referred to as an ERSS) that provides an estimated prediction of invasivenenss of that species and that can be used by the Service, its natural resource partners, and the public to help inform their decision making.

Risk information is presented in the ERSSs. If you need assistance, please seek out professionals who are knowledgeable about the species and your particular situation. If further assessments are needed beyond the ERSS, we recommend relying on results from industry, State or Federal agencies, university researchers, and non-governmental organizations trained in invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species risk assessment and risk analysis.

Standard Operating Procedures: How to prepare an Ecological Risk Screening Summary - 2024
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Standard Operating Procedures: How to prepare an Ecological Risk Screening Summary - 2024

The “Standard Operating Procedures [SOP] for the Rapid Screening of Species’ Risk of Establishment and Impact in the United States” document was prepared by the Service and is intended to explain the purpose of the ERSS process and provide rigorous, repeatable steps necessary to obtain the...

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USFWS

Peer Review Plan for the Rapid Screening of Species Risk of Establishment and Impact in the United States
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Peer Review Plan for the Rapid Screening of Species Risk of Establishment and Impact in the United States

The Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a rapid risk screening process to determine a high, low, or uncertain level of risk for imported nonnative species. The process uses international databases, scientific literature, and a peer-reviewed model to match climate (via 16 climate variables)...

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USFWS

Peer Review Comments for the Ecological Risk Screening Summary Process
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Peer Review Comments for the Ecological Risk Screening Summary Process

This report corresponds to the peer review plan "Rapid Screening of Species Risk Assessment and Impact in the United States" posted on the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Science website on December 19, 2012.

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USFWS

The Risk Assessment Mapping Program (RAMP)

The method for preparing RAMP has undergone peer review for influential science under the Office of Management and Budget guidance

Peer Review Plan for the Risk Assessment and Mapping Program
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Peer Review Plan for the Risk Assessment and Mapping Program

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) developed a Risk Assessment and Mapping Program (RAMP) to provide a climate suitability score across North America for any species with spatial data available from online databases, such as GBIF.org.

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USFWS

Risk Assessment and Mapping Program (RAMP) Peer Review Summary
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Risk Assessment and Mapping Program (RAMP) Peer Review Summary

This document provides a summary of the peer review of the Risk Assessment and Mapping Program (RAMP) and related documentation conducted at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) during August-September 2014. This review was conducted to fulfill requirements established by...

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USFWS

Standard Operating Procedures for the Risk Assessment Mapping Program (RAMP)
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Standard Operating Procedures for the Risk Assessment Mapping Program (RAMP)

The Risk Assessment Mapping Program (“RAMP”) is a mapping tool that uses the current geographic range of a species to predict the climate suitability of other geographic areas or future time periods. It was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) primarily to assist with risk...

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The Bayesian Network analysis (FISRAM) 

The Bayesian Network analysis (FISRAM) is used to further assess ERSSs having Uncertain Risk outcomes. The method for preparing the Bayesian Network Model Fish Invasive Species Risk Assessment Model (FISRAM) has undergone peer review for influential science under the Office of Management and Budget guidance.

Paper describing the Freshwater Fish Injurious Species Risk Assessment Model (FISRAM) model: Marcot, B.G., Hoff, M.H., Martin, C.D., Jewell, S.D., Givens, C.E. 2019. A decision support system for identifying potentially invasive and injurious freshwater fishes. Management of Biological Invasions 10(2): 200–226, https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2019.10.2.01

FISRAM model diagram

Use of a Bayesian Network Model as a Decision-Support Tool For Assessing Risk of Nonnative Aquatic Species as Invasive and Injurious Species
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Use of a Bayesian Network Model as a Decision-Support Tool For Assessing Risk of Nonnative Aquatic Species as Invasive and Injurious Species

This model is a risk analysis model for assessing potential invasiveness and injuriousness of aquatic species.  The model uses Bayesian networking to assess the probability by which known or projected characteristics of individual species would contribute to their becoming potentially...

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USFWS

Bayesian Network Model for Invasive and Injurious Species Peer Review Comments
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Bayesian Network Model for Invasive and Injurious Species Peer Review Comments

This report corresponds to the peer review plan “Use of a Bayesian Network Model as a Decision-Support Tool For Assessing Risk of Nonnative Aquatic Species as Invasive and Injurious Species."

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USFWS

Standard Operating Procedures for the Freshwater Fish Injurious Species Risk Assessment Model (FISRAM)
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Standard Operating Procedures for the Freshwater Fish Injurious Species Risk Assessment Model (FISRAM)

FISRAM is a Bayesian network designed to estimate the potential injuriousness of a freshwater fish species based on a combination of species traits, historical evidence of harm, and environment of the established range of the species relative to the potential region of introduction.

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USFWS

Partnership for Prevention

The Service is working cooperatively with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and industries that trade in live animals. Many of these industries understand that some of their trade species have become, or have a high potential to become, injurious, and they do not want to perpetuate the problem.

Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency
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Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency

The purpose of this MOU is to establish a general framework for cooperating and collaborating among FWS, the States (via their Associations), industry, and other nongovernmental parties to promote nonregulatory approaches with the goal of reducing the risks of potentially invasive, nonnative...

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USFWS, PIJAC, AFWA

Injurious Wildlife Listing

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Lacey Act Evaluation Criteria
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Lacey Act Evaluation Criteria

The attached criteria are provided as a guide to evaluate whether a species does or does not qualify as injurious under the Lacey Act, 18 USC 42. The analysis developed using the criteria will serve as a basis for the Service's regulatory decision regarding injurious wildlife species listings...

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USFWS