List of Invasive Species in Georgia
GISC Invasive Species List Purpose
The purpose of the GISC Invasive Species List is to identify and categorize organisms that pose threats to natural areas in Georgia. Natural areas are those areas that are managed to conserve or restore native biodiversity. For this list, invasive species do not include plants that are only problems in agricultural or pastoral systems. The list does not have regulatory authority; it is intended to aid in land management decisions and increase public awareness of invasive species.
GISC Invasive Plant List - Updated
All of our Invasive Species Lists have now been updated. We are still working behind the scenes to complete Plant Species Assessments using our new RIPSA Protocol, and will updated this website with new categories as those species assessments are completed.
The new GISC categories will be as follows:
Priority 1 – Exotic species that is a serious problem in Georgia natural areas by extensively invading native plant communities and displacing native species, harms native ecosystems, or poses a problem for home/landowners. These species may be difficult to control or manage, and should be prioritized for removal or control efforts.
Priority 2 – Exotic species that is a moderate problem in Georgia natural areas through invading native plant communities and displacing native species, harms native ecosystems, or poses a problem for home/landowners, but to a lesser degree than Priority 1 species. These species may still be difficult to control or manage, and should still be prioritized for removal but to a lesser degree than Priority 1 species.
Watchlist – Exotic species that is naturalized in Georgia but generally does not yet pose a problem in Georgia natural areas or an exotic species that has begun escaping cultivation, and/or are exhibiting other characteristics that indicate it could become invasive in the future.
The State Category given to a species will be the highest region category that the species achieved.
List Description
The GISC Invasive Species List is broken up into 3 separate lists: Plants, Vertebrates, and Invertebrates. Those lists are then broken up by invasive category using our invasive species listing protocol, the Region Invasive Plant Status Assessment (RIPSA), which is detailed below on this page. The RIPSA was developed specifically for plants.
Political boundaries are not used when determining a species nativity. Instead, a species is defined as being exotic when it is not native to a particular ecosystem, making it possible to have a species that is native to some parts of Georgia, but also considered invasive in others. Unfortunately, the invasive species listing protocol we will be using for plants, does not function with species that are native to part of the state. As a result, GISC will not list any plant species that is native to part of Georgia as invasive to another, within the formal invasive species list. Only plant species that were assessed using the RIPSA protocol will be listed on the formal list. We understand this may be confusing, but this is in an effort to maintain complete transparency with the Georgia Residents we aim to serve. Distinguishing a species that is native to part of GA as invasive to another, can be difficult to prove and we do not want to get lost in “the weeds” of native plant range debates. If a GA native plant species is largely considered as invasive to another area in GA, we plan to note those species in a secondary list with references to allow Georgia Residents to make informed decisions on how to treat those plants.
That secondary list of Georgia native plants that may be invasive to other areas of Georgia will be added soon.
Invasive Species Lists
Invasive Plant Listing Protocol (RIPSA)
Use the links below to view our invasive species listing protocol Region Invasive Plant Status Assessment (RIPSA) guidelines, questionnaire, and the protocol formula itself.
Coming Soon!