This page provides access to online identification guides and other tools for identifying invasive species.
Invasive species seldom display any identifying mark that tells us they are invasive. Although experts on species identification can often detect characteristics that do indicate a species' invasive potential. Fortunately for those of us that are not experts, there are lots of tools available that can help us to identify plants and animals, and determine whether they are invasive species or not. The tools listed on this page were developed by our partners to help you identify invasive species.
The ISIN and DiscoverLife.org have developed IDnature guides or keys for identifying, mapping, and reporting North American invasive species. These IDnature guides and other tools can be accessed through the North American Invasive Species Web page, which is kindly hosted by www.DiscoverLife.org.
The IDnature guide for invasive species lets you search invasive species lists from various organizations, and for information about groups such as 'invasive aquatic plants'. You can select the 'aquatic' checkbox in the Plant Growth Form section of the guide to narrow your search down to just look for invasive aquatic plants.
Some other tools the ISIN and Discover Life have developed include a list of Kinds of North American Invasives, a reporting system and database for the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid; a Showcase Community Mapping Project from the Concord Public Works, in Massachusetts; and distribution maps for five species of invasive ant (Yellow Crazy Ant, Argentine Ant, Tropical Fire Ant, Red Imported Fire Ant, Little Fire Ant, and other ant species).
The species names in the Kinds of North American Invasives list are linked to the Global Invasive Species Database, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), and other authorities with valuable information such as the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Site (NAS) and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
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The Global Invasive Species Database
The ISIN and its partner, the Conservation Management Institute (CMI), are working together to develop invasive species profiles for the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD). The GISD is maintained by the World Conservation Union's Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) and mirrored online in the United States by the ISIN. The invasive species profiles provide descriptive information about each species including photographs, ecology, distribution, management and control information, references and links, and the contact information of information contributors.
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The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) site
The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) site is a product of the Invasive Species Information Node's partnership with the Center for Aquatic Resource Studies of the Florida Integrated Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey. The NAS serves as a central repository for accurate and spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of non-indigenous aquatic species. Users can query the NAS for data, species lists, and fact sheets about nonindigenous aquatic vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants; and search and receive nondigenous aquatic species alerts, report nonindigenous aquatic species sightings through the reporting system, and find publications and literature in the reference database. The site also includes an extensive collection of links to related Web sites and provides contact details (including area of expertise) for staff members of the NAS.
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