Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
Common cordgrass (Spartina anglica) is a fertile hybrid that was created from European native Spartina maritima and Spartina alterniflora which was imported from the United States. Spartina anglica is regulated in Oregon, Washington, and California. The history of invasiveness is classified as high. It has been introduced world-wide for coastal protection and stabilization. The introduction has resulted in changes in native plant communities, loss of feeding habitat for wildfowl, and has impacted oyster fisheries and tourism. The climate match for Spartina anglica is medium, with California, Oregon, and Washington having individually high climate scores. The certainty of assessment is high. There is a large body of peer-reviewed literature about the species and its invasion history in the United States. The overall risk assessment category is high.
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High Risk
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