Biodiversity loss caused by invasive species may soon surpass the damage done by habitat destruction and fragmentation. Biological invasions are an important component of human-caused global environmental change. Invasive exotic species are now a major focus of global conservation concern.

Every day, decisions need to be made on whether benefits derived from the invasive spread of an exotic species outweigh the reduced value of ecosystem services, e.g. the loss of grazing land in areas invaded with Prosopis. It is necessary to prioritize our actions on how to deal with the current problems caused by invasive species and to reduce the magnitude of the problem in the future.

In order to make sound management decisions for invasive species control, accurate and abundant information is essential, and Invasive Alien Flora of India provides a step toward increasing our knowledge about a broad range of plant species that occur in India. Many of these species are already having an impact in other areas of the globe as well. By sharing information internationally, we are helping land managers and decision makers from India and elsewhere to determine which species can become a problem in their own regions. This is because the most reliable indicator that a species could become a problem invasive species, is whether it is already a problem elsewhere.

The Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN) was formed to provide a platform for invasive species information sharing at a global level, via the Internet and other digital means. This manuscript is just one example of one kind of information that the GISIN feels should be more widely shared. The United States National Information Infrastructure's Invasive Species Information Node is honored to host this information for the GISIN and put it forward for open review and comment by the global invasive species science community.

This manuscript focuses on 173 species of invasive exotic plants in India. These include what the authors feel are the most serious invasives, such as Alternanthera philoxeroides, Cassia uniflora, Chromolaena odorata, Eichhornia crassipes, Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Prosopis juliflora, and others.

The authors are confident that this publication will be of immense value to decision makers such as foresters, environmentalists, field researchers, and conservation managers. It will also be useful to anyone who cares about the ecological impact of invasive exotics both at the species and at the ecosystem levels.

Please take the time to email the first author, Dr. Sudhakar Reddy, with your comments and suggestions for improvement to this manuscript, at csreddy_nrsa@rediffmail.com.

Annie Simpson, Chair
Global Invasive Species Information Network