Proposed Exotic Pest Plant Species for Georgia

Tim R. Murphy
Crop and Soil Sciences Department

The University of GeorgiaAt the June 16, 1999 meeting of the steering group for the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, Cheryl McCormick, University of Georgia Institute of Ecology, Tim Murphy, University of Georgia Crop and Soil Sciences Department, Ken Langeland, University of Florida and Jim Allison, Georgia Department of Natural Resources were asked to serve on a committee to develop a list of exotic pest plants for Georgia.  Tim Murphy agreed to serve as Chair.  Persons who had been attending Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council (GA EPPC) meetings were polled by EMAIL and asked to submit candidate plants for this list.  Attendees submitted 45 plant species as proposed species for this list (Appendix A).

The list of proposed species was presented at the August 12, 1999 meeting of the GA EPPC.  At that meeting it was decided to develop a list of the top ten exotic pest plant species in Georgia utilizing the definition of Rank 1 Exotic Pest Plants that was developed by the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council.  Attendees were asked to rank their top ten species according to this definition: "Exotic plant species which possess characteristics of invasive species, spread easily into native plant communities and displace native vegetation."   The council also defined an exotic pest plant species as "an introduced (not native to the United States) plant that has the potential to disrupt or change the plant or animal species composition of a native plant ecosystem."  This definition includes non-native plants termed invasive, alien, non-indigenous harmful species and weeds.

Twenty-three persons ranked their top 10 exotic plant species.  These persons represented agencies and groups such as the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of Defense, U. S. Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture-APHIS-PPQ, Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Department of Agriculture. landscape architects, an aquatic plant management company, The University of Georgia School of Forestry, Institute of Ecology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, The University of Florida, North Georgia College, Callaway Gardens, and the Georgia Botanical Garden.  Rankings were complied and are shown in Table 1.

Kudzu was ranked as the number one exotic pest plant species in Georgia, followed by Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle, hydrilla, Chinese tallow tree, Nepalese browntop, bamboo, autumn olive, Chinese wisteria and mimosa.  It should be noted that in states such as Florida and Tennessee that Exotic Plant Councils typically place exotic pest plants into 3 to 4 categories based on their invasive potential or distribution in the state., For example the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council utilizes 4 categories: Rank 1 - severe threat; Rank 2 - significant threat; Rank 3 - lesser threat; Rank 4 - Watch List.  Obviously, the GA EPPC will need to develop similar categories for exotic pest plants in Georgia.  The top ten list of Georgia Exotic Pest Plants should be viewed merely as a starting point for the development of subsequent categories.  Additionally, other plant species may need to be added to the "top ten" list, i.e. expand the Rank or Category 1 list to 15 or 20 species.  However, further categorization of exotic pest plants in Georgia will require the active involvement in persons concerned about the disruptive effects of exotic plant species on natural areas in Georgia.