Determining the invasive species criteria:

The five criteria I chose for determining the worst invasive species are:

1.       High present population

2.       Dispersion rate

3.       Reproduction rate

4.       Economic damage

5.       Impact on biodiversity

I chose these because these are important characteristics regarding invasive species as well as these make the classification easier. I tried to find species that satisfy all the above criteria, along with having more information available about them that makes the classification distinct. The last three in my list which were- Bambusa vulgaris, Arundo donax and Sirex noctilio were easier to eliminate after comparing their characteristics regarding the above listed criteria. The other two species left were Eragrostis plana and Acacia longifoli. Both satisfied all the criteria but I chose Acacia longifolia because of its seemingly high and consistent presence over a wide area, as compared to the other.