The Forest Service’s Southern Research Station has produced a new map for the United States which shows the extent of forested plots that have at least one invasive species present. The study that the map is based on shows that in Southeastern forests, about 39 percent of all the plots tested had at least one invasive species. The map shows that in some areas, over 80 percent of the subplots are estimated to have some non-native plants present.
You can read more about the study at https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/2016/01/05/a-big-picture-view-of-the-invasive-plant-problem/. As climate continues to warm, it is likely that more tropical species will move north into our area, impacting local ecosystems as well as farms and forests.
