Invasive Plants in Kerala
Invasive alien species are those which spread outside their normal distribution range and become invasive in their new locations. Their spread is aided by international trade and tourism especially import of goods and items such as seeds, grains, fruits, pets etc. At the new place, they escape the predator pressure which checked their population in the native range and thrive outcompeting and displacing native species. Kerala, with its longtime maritime history, has paved way for introduction of a large number of such invasive plants. Many of them impose huge costs in terms ecological destruction, economic damage and detrimental social effects including harm to human health.
To collect information of Invasive alien species, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) laid close to 4000 observation points across Kerala. Our objective was a qualitative appraisal of the invasive alien species scenario in the State. All species thus listed were vetted against the checklist against the native flora of Kerala. Eighty four species remained, which were subjected to Invasive Species Risk Assessment based on internationally tested procedures.
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The Invasive Plant List is a working list of all known invasive plant species in Kerala, which provides the accepted Latin name for the species with common names. The description page of each plant provides available contents, images, videos, etc. The Invasive Plant List is not complete and represents work in progress. Currently, we are having 75 species, and our aims remain to provide a complete list.