Invasive Alien Plant Species in the Northwestern & Western Provenance of Ethiopia and Linking Its’ Phonological Implication to Management and Control

Abstract

Biodiversity loss caused by invasive species may soon surpass the damage done by habitat destruction and fragmentation. Biological invasions are an important component of human-caused global environmental change. Invasive alien species are now a major focus of global conservation concern. The decisions need to be made on whether benefits derived from the invasive spread of an alien species outweigh the reduced value of ecosystem services, e.g. the loss of grazing land in areas invaded with Lantana camara and Senna occidentalis. It is necessary to consider actions to deal with the current problems caused by invasive species and to reduce the magnitude of the problem in the future. The present catalogue on invasive alien plant species of the northwestern & Western Ethiopia is therefore timely one. It focuses on some species of invasive alien plants in Ethiopia. These include the most serious invasives, such as Alternanthera philoxeroides, Cassia uniflora, Chromolaena odorata, Eichhornia crassipes, Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Senna obtusifolia and others. I am confident that this publication will be immense value to foresters, environmentalists, field researchers and conservation managers to pay attention on the ecological impact of invasive aliens both at the species and at the ecosystem levels.

Keywords: Biodiversity, invasive species, conservation, environmental change

DOI: 10.7176/ALST/74-04

Publication date:May 31^st 2019