Michigan’s Most Unwanted

Michigan’s Most Unwanted

How to identify Michigan’s invasive species and why we should worry

Can you identify the invaders?

Suspect #1 Suspect #2

Suspect #3

Suspect #4

Can you identify the invaders?

Dame’s rocket (invasive) Fireweed (native)

Foxglove (exotic)

Purple loosestrife (invasive)

How about this suspect list?


Suspect #3

Suspect #4

How about this suspect list?

Canadian fly honeysuckle

(native)

Multiflora rose (invasive)

Autumn olive (invasive)

Michigan Holly (native)

Who’s the invader?

Suspect #1

Suspect #2

Suspect #3

Suspect #4


Round Goby

Brook Trout

Freshwater Dam

Lake Whitefish


Suspect #1 Suspect #2 Suspect #3



Purplestem Angelica (Angelica

atropurpurea)

Poison Hemlock (Conium

maculatum)

Hairy Angelica (Angelica venenosa)


Why should we care?

• Economic impacts $$$• Impacts on native

species and biodiversity• Habitat alteration

Dichotomous Keys Made Easy

A dichotomous key is a reference tool used mainly in biology. It allows the user to determine what an organism is by answering numerous questions that have only two possible answers.

1 Object is a shade of green…go to 2

1’ Object is a shade of blue…go to 4

Decide how to separate what you are identifying into two groups by picking one character

Then choose one group and repeat…further dividing this group into two smaller subgroups

2 Object has 3 sides…triangle

2’ Object has 4 side…go to 3

Then choose another subgroup and further divide this into an even smaller subgroup

3 Object sides are all equal length…square

3’ Object has sides of two different lengths…rectangle

Repeat this pattern until all objects are identified

4 Object has rounded edges…circle

4’ Object has points…go to 5

5 Object has 5 sides…pentagon

5’ Object has 10 sides…star

Jelly Bean Key

Make your own key!

Make your own key!

Examine your plant samples- Decide how to break them up into groups to

identify them

Example of first grouping:1 Plant is woody…go to 21’ Plant is herbaceous…go to 3

Lamprey Eels

• Great Lakes invader– Threaten commercial fishing

Michigan’s Most Unwanted

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