Invasive Plants
A common misconception is that Alaska is largely free of invasive species. In fact, more than 340 invasive plant species have been reported in Alaska. These plants vary in their level of invasiveness, which is quantified using the invasive plant ranking system. The rankings, scaled from 0 to 100, are based on species' ecological impacts, biological attributes, distributions, and responses to control measures; higher rankings correspond to greater potential harm to natural ecosystems in Alaska. The University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Conservation Science maintains the Non-native Plant Species List for Alaska, with valuable summary information on 410 invasive plants that have or may become established, invasiveness ranking scores, and links to species' biographies. In the table below, we include 30 plants with the highest invasiveness scores. The ranking system and species' biographies were developed in collaboration with the USDA-FS and the Cooperative Extension Service.
