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The government defines an "invasive species" as a species that is:1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Invasive species can be plant, animal, or other organisms that have more than likely been introduced by humans, and over time have invaded and become established among native ecosystems.   Invasive can refer to plants and weeds as well as aquatic and animal species life forms. This web site will deal mainly with plant and weed species.

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Invasive plants are very aggressive, highly productive plants that actively intrude or encroach and replace healthy productive plants. Invasive plants can reduce wildlife habitats, cause soil erosion problems by displacing native grasses and other plants that protect the soils from blowing away.

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In the United States, there have been several thousand unfamiliar plant that have become known in the United States. Of those several thousand plants, about one in seven has become what we call an invasive plant; a plant that spreads or intrudes into a healthy or productive area, causing great economic or environmental harm. 

Each year, approximately $23 billion nationwide is lost to the damage of invasive plants on agriculture, industry, recreation, and the environment. An estimated 4600 acres of land are invaded daily by invasive plants.