Massive Ecological and Economic Impacts of Woody Weed Invasion in Ethiopia – ScienceDaily

Dr. Urs Schaffner, who supervises lead author Hailu Shiferaw for his doctoral studies, contributed to Total environmental science published research that shows that the devastator Prosopis The annual loss in value of ecosystem services in the Afar region has been estimated at $ 602 million in just 31 years.

Mr. Shiferaw, in the document entitled "Implications of Land Use / Coverage Dynamics and Prosopis invasion of ecosystem services values ​​in the Afar region, in Ethiopia, pointed out that between 1986 and 2017, weeds had spread at a rate of 31,127 ha / year, while meadows and bushes shrank at a rate of 19,312 ha and 10,543 ha / year, respectively.

Hailu M. Shiferaw, Water Resources and Land Resource Center, Addis Ababa University, Dr. Schaffner and colleagues at the Botswana Agricultural and Natural Resources University, School of Water Agriculture and Agri-Food Economics at Haramaya University in Ethiopia and the Center for Development and the Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Switzerland, reported that local communities had the impression that climate change, frequent droughts and invasive species were the main drivers of change in land use and vegetation cover.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, various species and hybrids of Prosopis – originating in South America and Central America – were planted outside their native range, notably in Australia, South Asia and East Africa. . The aim was to provide firewood, charcoal, fodder and timber to stabilize soils in degraded ecosystems and prevent desertification.

While the first introductions to Ethiopia took place in the 1970s and 1980s, problems quickly arose in the early 1990s when the tree began to invade cultivated land, grbadlands, riverbanks and highways. resulting in significant environmental impacts and a source of conflict between pastoralist groups due to the effect on declining pastures.

Mr. Shiferaw said, "Our study shows that changes in land use and land cover in the Afar region have resulted in a significant loss of the value of ecosystem services, with serious consequences for the livelihoods of rural people.

"Negative net changes have been noted for grbadlands, mowing lands, bush-shrubs and natural forests as a result of Prosopis spread so quickly. "About 50% of lost grbadlands are now dominated by Prosopis. Therefore, Prosopis causes serious negative effects on pastoralism, the traditional livelihood of the region.

In a previous article entitled "Modeling the current fractional coverage of an invasive alien plant and its invasion factors in an arid land ecosystem," published in Scientific reportsDr. Shiferaw and his team of international scientists suggested that migration of livestock and wildlife may have contributed to the distribution of the woody weed, but that this statement requires further investigation.

Scientists also believe that rivers, especially during floods, are known to be used as transportation Prosopis pods and seeds in downstream areas – a process also known as dispersal in a corridor.

With regard to paper in Scientific reportsMr. Shiferaw said: "Our findings have revealed that the invasion of riparian habitats along the Awash River would continue downstream, thereby accelerating the loss of grazing areas during the drought season, which could worsen conflicts between pastoral communities. "

The researchers say that despite the potential benefits of ProsopisEthiopia has declared it a noxious weed and recently published a book entitled Prosopis management strategy to try to manage it.

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