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 #1 Suspect #2
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
Who’s the invader?
Round Goby
Brook Trout
Freshwater Dam
Lake Whitefish
Who’s the invader?
Suspect #1 Suspect #2 Suspect #3
Suspect #1 Suspect #3
Who’s the invader?
Purplestem Angelica (Angelica
atropurpurea)
Poison Hemlock (Conium
maculatum)
Hairy Angelica (Angelica venenosa)
Suspect #1 Suspect #3
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