Didymo, also known as "Rock Snot." An invasive algae featured this week. Image credit: nyis.info

    Defined by the MDNR as "non-native, rapidly reproducing species which threaten the integrity of natural areas," invasive plants can create monocultures where diverse native plants once thrived. And that can be almost anywhere; whether it's waterbodies, ditches, forests, or the green areas in cities, invasive species are second only to habitat destruction in their affects on native species.

     And National Invasive Species Awareness Week aims to raise awareness for these costly species (the Weed Science Society of America estimates invasive species alone cost the U.S. $34.7 billion annually).

     Here are the species which will be highlighted this year

• Didymo
• Hemlock woolly adelgid
• Oak wilt
• New Zealand mudsnail
• Red swamp crayfish
• Flowering Rush

     For the full article from msue.anr.msu.edu, click here or on the link available below.