By Michael Salassi
LSU AgCenter
An invasive species is defined as a nonnative plant or organism that can be introduced into a new environment through a variety of means. Left unchecked, invasive species can cause tremendous, and in some cases irreparable, economic or environmental damage. Louisiana’s agricultural and natural resources continue to be under attack from a wide variety of invasive species. Some of these invasive species are new to the state, while others have been here for a long time.