Realizing UN decade on ecosystem restoration through a nature-based approach: A case review of management of biological invasions in protected areas

Abstract

As the influx of different invasive species and their spread to new areas increases, there is a need for a rigorous and relevant scientific evidence-based control and restoration (EBCR) approaches to inform practical decisions and policymaking. While evidence-based decision is gaining popularity in science and policy, its potential for transformative change especially in the management of invasive plant species remains unexplored. Control and restoration of areas invaded by invasive plant species in natural and protected ecosystems require such decisions. Here, we provide a framework to guide how EBCR can contribute to transformative change and we argue that upscaling existing EBCR practices in areas invaded by invasive plant species (especially in protected areas (PAs)) requires coalitions of interdisciplinary science, public, private, and civil society actors with a common goal. Since actors’ roles and stakeholder interactions are dynamic, to achieve durable impacts, the upscaling process must continually engage and involve actors, while maintaining a balance of incentives among them. Social and cultural dimensions of local communities as well as their indigenous and local knowledge need to be incorporated. Pathways to upscaling EBCR may involve leveraging adaptive governance, integrating successful initiatives and lessons into public policy and practices, or reinforcing governance and management-led change with private efforts. We identify general lessons from (complex) PAs for successful upscaling of EBCR and illustrate the components of our framework through a novel application of a nature-based approach (NbA) in PAs invaded by invasive plant species.

Review of Invasive Plant Functional Traits and Management Using Remote Sensing in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…There are many IAPs that have been reported in SSA countries [6,[70][71][72]. Table 2 provides examples of detrimental IAPs found in SSA.…”

“…The management and prevention of biological invasions are being widely discussed in a number of international conventions (e.g., CBD, Ramsar Convention, Bern Convention), organizations (e.g., International Union for Conservation of Nature), policies, and initiatives intended to promote sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, human health, and other socioeconomic development challenges [6,16,36]. Therefore, it becomes essential to avert IAPs to ensure a healthy environment that supports sustainable development through biodiversity resources and human health in order to achieve the UN SDGs [36,82].…”

“…Invasive alien plants (hereafter IAPs) are considered environmental pollutants because, like other pollutants, they are threatening human well-being and livelihoods [1,2], biodiversity, and natural ecosystems [3][4][5]. They cause biodiversity loss and functional changes [6,7], endangering and/or suppressing native (local or indigenous) species [3,8], and forming novel plant communities [1,9]. They are one of the major factors inducing biotic homogenization [9], which is defined by an increase in genetic, taxonomic, or functional similarities across different sites over a predetermined period of time [10,11].…”