Invasive Alien Plants

Invasive alien plants pose a major threat to agriculture, the natural environment and livelihoods worldwide and create challenges for development. This is especially the case for those who live and work in rural areas. This book, for the first time, brings together a wide range of invasive plant specialists from the Asia-Pacific region who shares their experience in addressing the problem and delivering solutions. Mikania micrantha is used as case study in the book as it exemplifies many of the issues that need to be addressed. This neotropical vine is a major weed across the tropical humid zones of the region, where it smothers agroforestry, home gardens, natural forests and plantation production systems. The book emphasises the social and economic implications of plant invasion, and discusses direct impacts on livelihoods and biodiversity. It explains how various approaches to management including traditional ecological knowledge and classical biological control can be keys to the delivery of sustainable solutions, focusing on experiences in India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and China. The use of policy frameworks in biological control and other management measures are also described. Key features: Empircal work from a wide range of geographical areas Examines the wide scale multi-sector impacts of individual invasive species Considers the practicalities of policy development and implementation Shows how management solutions to invasive species are achievable This book will be of value to management practitioners, researchers, studentsand officials in policy, quarantine, and agriculture departments who wish to understand the importance of alien plant invasions in their countries.