Costs, benefits and management options for an invasive alien tree species: The case of mesquite in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Wise, Russell M.; Wilgen, Brian W. van; Maitre, David C. Le

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.03.001

Cited by 88 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Farmers are making substantial investments every year to manage Prosopis on their land (Table 5). The average costs of manual cutting and poisoning when done by farmers were generally lower than those of the Working for Water program which range from R 130 per ha in sparsely invaded areas to R 5340 per ha under dense invasions (Wise et al 2012).…”

Section: Knowledge Perceptions and Practices Relating To Prosopis Imentioning

confidence: 81%

“…This is in agreement with other sources that have shown that Prosopis invasions in the Northern Cape province increased from approximately 128 000 ha in 1974 to 1.5 million ha in 2007, and that the extent increased by around 8 % per annum from 1974 to 2007 (Van den Berg 2010; van Wilgen et al 2012). This will increase costs and reduce benefits, thereby increasing human vulnerability in the future (Shackleton et al 2007;Wise et al 2012). Most people (98 %) would like to see Prosopis populations reduced in the study area (Table 5).…”

Section: Knowledge Perceptions and Practices Relating To Prosopis Imentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This includes reductions in bird and insect species' richness and diversity (Steenkamp and Chown 1996;Dean et al 2002), Prosopis causing increased mortality of Acacia erioloba and a reduction in the population stability of native tree species, due to competition for limited resources (Schachtschneider and February 2013;Shackleton et al 2015), loss of grazing potential (Ndhlovu et al 2011), impacts on water resources (Dzikiti et al 2013), and negative impacts on the South African economy (Wise et al 2012). On the other hand, it is still used for fodder and fuelwood in its invasive range (Wise et al 2012). However, understanding of the social dimensions of Prosopis invasions is poor, and this is thwarting attempts to implement effective management to reduce the costs while, where possible, maintaining some or all of the benefits (Richardson 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although success has been achieved in reducing the density and impacts of invasive stands on a small scale in some areas, the extent and the magnitude of impacts are increasing rapidly (Wise et al 2012). Between 1996 and 2008, the cover of Prosopis in South Africa increased by 35 %, despite the expenditure of R 435.5 million (US$ 42.7 million) on management .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The release of further biological control agents may be the only cost-effective way of managing Prosopis invasions. However, further work in this area has been put on hold due to the conflicts of interest surrounding Prosopis use (Zachariades et al 2011;Wise et al 2012). A national strategy for tackling invasive Prosopis, along the lines of the one proposed for Australian Acacia species in South Africa (van Wilgen et al 2011), is urgently needed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stakeholder perceptions and practices regarding Prosopis (mesquite) invasions and management in South Africa

Shackleton

Maitre

Richardson

2014

Ambio

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Invasive alien trees impact the environment and human livelihoods. The human dimensions of such invasions are less well understood than the ecological aspects, and this is hindering the development of effective management strategies. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of Prosopis between different stakeholder groups. Chi-squared tests, Welch ANOVAs, and Principle Component Analyses were run. Factors such as land tenure and proximity to invasions were especially important for explaining differences in perceptions and practices relating to Prosopis among different stakeholder groups. Most respondents were aware of Prosopis and considered it to be invasive (i.e., spreading). Costs associated with Prosopis were perceived to exceed benefits, and most stakeholders wanted to see a reduction in the abundance of Prosopis stands. The mean total cost for the management of Prosopis was US$ 1914 year -1 per farm, where costs ranged from under US$ 10 to over UD$ 500 per ha based on invasion densities and objectives for control. The findings highlight the need for more effective management interventions.

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Section: Knowledge Perceptions and Practices Relating To Prosopis Imentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Knowledge Perceptions and Practices Relating To Prosopis Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stakeholder perceptions and practices regarding Prosopis (mesquite) invasions and management in South Africa

Shackleton

Maitre

Richardson

2014

Ambio

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Ensemble approach for potential habitat mapping of invasive Prosopis spp. in Turkana, Kenya

Silva

Rima

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Aim Prosopis spp. are an invasive alien plant species native to the Americas and well adapted to thrive in arid environments. In Kenya, several remote‐sensing studies conclude that the genus is well established throughout the country and is rapidly invading new areas. This research aims to model the potential habitat of Prosopis spp. by using an ensemble model consisting of four species distribution models. Furthermore, environmental and expert knowledge‐based variables are assessed.LocationTurkana County, Kenya.MethodsWe collected and assessed a large number of environmental and expert knowledge‐based variables through variable correlation, collinearity, and bias tests. The variables were used for an ensemble model consisting of four species distribution models: (a) logistic regression, (b) maximum entropy, (c) random forest, and (d) Bayesian networks. The models were evaluated through a block cross‐validation providing statistical measures.ResultsThe best predictors for Prosopis spp. habitat are distance from water and built‐up areas, soil type, elevation, lithology, and temperature seasonality. All species distribution models achieved high accuracies while the ensemble model achieved the highest scores. Highly and moderately suitable Prosopis spp. habitat covers 6% and 9% of the study area, respectively.Main conclusionsBoth ensemble and individual models predict a high risk of continued invasion, confirming local observations and conceptions. Findings are valuable to stakeholders for managing invaded area, protecting areas at risk, and to raise awareness.

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Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

Wilgen

Measey

Richardson

et al. 2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

101

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South Africa has much to offer as a location for the study of biological invasions. It is an ecologically diverse country comprised of nine distinct terrestrial biomes, four recognised marine ecoregions, and two sub-Antarctic Islands. The country has a rich and chequered socio-political history, and a similarly varied history of species introductions. There has been a long tradition of large-scale conservation in the country, and efforts to manage and regulate invasions began in the nineteenth century, with some notable successes, but many setbacks. With the advent of democracy in the early 1990s, South Africa established large alien species control programmes to meet the dual demands of poverty alleviation and conservation, and has since pioneered regulatory approaches to address invasions. In terms of research, South Africa has played an important role in the development of invasion science globally. It continues to have one of the most active communities anywhere in the world, with strengths in theoretical and applied invasion science, and world-leading expertise in specific sub-disciplines (e.g. the classical biological control of invasive plants). In this introductory chapter to the book "Biological Invasions in South Africa", we highlight key events that have affected biological invasions, their management, and the research conducted over the past two centuries. In so doing, we build on earlier reviews-from a national situational review of the state of knowledge in

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Costs, benefits and management options for an invasive alien tree species: The case of mesquite in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Cited by 88 publications

References 32 publications

Stakeholder perceptions and practices regarding Prosopis (mesquite) invasions and management in South Africa

Stakeholder perceptions and practices regarding Prosopis (mesquite) invasions and management in South Africa

Ensemble approach for potential habitat mapping of invasive Prosopis spp. in Turkana, Kenya

Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

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