Are alien invasive plants a threat to forests of Kerala?
In the context of Alien Invasive Species (AIS) assuming worldwide importance as being the second most important irreversible impact on landscapes next to habitat destruction, the paper assesses their threat to the forests of Kerala. Based on field surveys and using a risk assessment protocol, the study identified 38 alien invasive species in the forests of Kerala. Of them, 10 are of high risk, 12 pose medium risk , 10 pose low risk and 6 insignificant as per the risk assessment conducted. There are 5 trees, 11 shrubs, 4 subshrubs, 12 herbs and 6 climbers among the alien invasives found in the forests of Kerala.