Saving SA from alien invasion

Abstract

The future of South Africa’s natural resources is threatened by the invasion of aliens. No, not little green space men, but rather species from other parts of the world that are taking over our ecosystems, using up the country’s scarce water resources. Invasive alien plants constitute one of the greatest single threats to conservation in South Africa. Some of these invaders arrived by accident, however, the majority were introduced deliberately by people who thought it a good idea at the time. Many alien species were imported for commercial reasons (such as forestry) or as ornamental garden plants. Today, there are more than 700 alien plant species in southern Africa, originating from places such as Asia, South America and Australia. About 10% of these are considered invasive plants. This is because of their aggressive qualities, and their capacity to invade natural habitats and overwhelm some, or even all of the indigenous vegetation. Invasive plants have specific traits that make them especially good competitors.

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