Table 4 Glossary of terms used in the Alien Flora of Australia (AFA) adapted from Blackburn et al. (2011).
From: The Alien Flora of Australia (AFA), a unified Australian national dataset on plant invasion
Term used in the AFA | Definition at the state level | Definition at the national level | |
|---|---|---|---|
Native (all) | Native | Native to a given Australian state without being naturalised in other areas of such state | Native to at least one Australian state regardless of being introduced or naturalised into other states |
Native potentially colonising | Native to a given Australian state being potentially naturalised in other areas of such state | Native to at least one Australian state in which it is also doubtfully naturalised regardless of being introduced or naturalised into other states | |
Native colonising | Native to a given Australian state although being also naturalised in other areas of such state | Native to at least one Australian state in which it is also naturalised regardless of being introduced or naturalised into other states | |
Alien (all) | Introduced | Species that is an alien and is recorded as introduced into a given state7,8 | Species that is not native to any Australian state and is introduced in at least one state. There is not specific information of its naturalisation in the combined data sources, therefore it is not possible to know. |
Doubtfully introduced | Species for which it is uncertain if it is introduced in a given state. | Species that is not native to any Australian state and is doubtfully naturalised in at least one state, without being known to be naturalised in any state (there are currently no vascular plant species recorded with this status at national scale). | |
Formerly naturalised | Species that was known to have been introduced in the past into a given state. Although it could be presumed to have been eradicated, it would most likely still be a casual alien. | Species that is not native to any Australian state and neither introduced or naturalised nor doubtfully introduced and doubtfully naturalised in any other state. It could be presumed to have been eradicated although it is likely to still be a casual alien (there are currently 40 species under this category at national scale). | |
Naturalised | Introduced species that forms unassisted self-sustaining populations7,8. The only species that was recoded as ‘reproducing’12 in one of the states has been grouped under this category | Species that is not native to any Australian state and is naturalised in at least one state. | |
Doubtfully naturalised | Species that despite being introduced, it is unknown if it forms self-sustaining populations. In other sources, sometimes referred to as adventive. | Species that is not native to any Australian state and is doubtfully naturalised in at least one state, without being known to be naturalised in any state. | |
Harmful invasive | Invasive alien species (i.e. naturalised species that has dispersed and spread in the introduced range) that has a negative impact within the invaded range and/or to pose a threat to native biodiversity7. In the GRIIS referred to as invasive [32–34]. | ||
