New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- Invasive species are spreading at an annual rate of 15,000 square kilometres in forest areas and nearly two-thirds of India's natural ecosystems now harbour 11 major invasive species, according to a new study published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal, Nature Sustainability.

The species, including Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata and Prosopis juliflora, are spreading across India at some of the fastest rates recorded globally, said the analysis of a million vegetation records from the National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) assessments between 2006 and 2022.

The study by scientists from the Denmark's Aarhus University, Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Bengaluru-based National C...