"Experts Question Removal-Only Approach to Invasive Plants"
Invasive alien species
an organism established outside its natural range that outcompetes native species
Phreatophyte
a deep-rooted plant that draws water directly from groundwater sources
Concern over invasive alien species (IAS) in India has grown from a niche scientific issue into an administrative and judicial priority. Courts and state governments now order the identification, mapping and removal of plants such as Prosopis juliflora, Lantana camara, and Senna spectabilis. They treat these plants as the core threat to native ecosystems. Prosopis juliflora was introduced to India in 1877 as part of a forestry experiment. It is a well-known example of an invasive plant. It reduces biodiversity in areas where it grows by forming dense thorny thickets. These thickets suppress native plants and alter soil and water conditions. Globally, the IUCN's Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) maintains the Global Invasive Species Database. This shows how invasive species are tracked and classified as an international conservation concern, not just an Indian one.
However, most eradication drives are based on a simple assumption: remove the invasive plant and the ecosystem will recover on its own. This assumption rarely accounts for why the invasive species was able to establish itself in the first place. It also does not explain what conditions now allow it to persist.
Three patterns explain why invasive plants spread and persist across the subcontinent. First, physical and habitat changes usually came before the invasion, not after it. Colonial-era forestry, plantation expansion, and later infrastructure and agricultural intensification already degraded native habitats. They simplified diverse ecosystems into commercial landscapes. In places like Wayanad, forest edges had already weakened before Lantana camara spread into them. This means removal alone cannot restore biodiversity that was lost well before the plant arrived.
Second, changes in water and nutrient regimes created the specific conditions these species exploit. Prosopis juliflora is a deep-rooted phreatophyte (a plant that draws water from deep groundwater). …
Why is a plant called Prosopis juliflora often mentioned in news ?
'Invasive Species Specialist Group' (that develops Global Invasive Species Database) belongs to which one of the following organizations?
Consider the following statements about Prosopis juliflora in India:
1.It was introduced to India in the 19th century.
2.It is a shallow-rooted plant that depends entirely on surface rainwater.
3.It is associated with a reduction in native biodiversity where it spreads.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The 'Invasive Species Specialist Group', which maintains the Global Invasive Species Database, functions under which organization?
Which of the following factors have been associated with favouring the spread of woody, nitrogen-fixing invasive plant species in India?
1.Increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition
2.High fertiliser (urea) use
3.Heavy livestock grazing pressure
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to invasive alien species in India, consider the following pairs:
Plant : Associated Characteristic
1.Prosopis juliflora : Deep-rooted phreatophyte exploiting groundwater
2.Lantana camara : Thorny, disturbance-tolerant shrub persisting under grazing pressure
3.Senna spectabilis : Nitrogen-fixing woody species
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
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