Alien plants in the Australian Alps

The current status of alien plants in the alpine and sub-alpine areas of the Australian Alps is assessed in this article. The number of alien species has increased following the region's use by non-indigenous Australians over the last 170 years. One hundred and seventy-five alien plant taxa have been recorded above 1500 m in the Australian Alps. These taxa are mainly perennials from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. They are predominantly associated with disturbance and are categorised here according to the types of human activities with which they are associated. There are roadside or path weeds (78% of species), resort weeds (58%), grazing weeds (25%), and rehabilitation weeds (11%). Just over 20% of the alien taxa have become naturalised in the region. Diversity, distribution, and biology of the species are evaluated along with the threats they pose to the conservation of the region.