Noxious Weed Threatens the Biggest Wildlife Migration on the Planet (Nov 24, 2010)
International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Serengeti - Masai Mara ecosystem in Africa, which hosts the largest wildlife migration known to man, is under attack from a noxious weed from Central America, commonly known as feverfew (Parthenium hysterophorus). The fast growing weed which has the ability to produce 10,000-25,000 seeds produces chemicals which inhibit the growth of other plants. It is also toxic, which means that animals will not eat it unless they are starving or stressed, with fatal consequences. If left unchecked it could threaten the continued migration of millions of animals across the plains every year, including 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson's gazelle and 200,000 zebra.
Focus
on Invasive Aquatic Plants (Oct 10, 2010; PDF
| 994 KB)
Agricultural Research Council. SAPIA
News (South African Plant Invaders Atlas).
This
issue of SAPIA News gives some background to
the problem of invasive aquatic and wetland
plants in South Africa and provides a photographic
guide to the most troublesome species and some
of the emerging species.
Are
Protected Areas in Africa Harbouring Invasive
Species? (May 20, 2010)
International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Protected areas, long thought of as safe refuges for animals and plants, are
under increasing threats from invasive species which not only affect biodiversity
but also people’s livelihoods. According to the Global
Invasive Species Programme, a partnership of IUCN and
CABI, many managers of protected areas in Africa are not aware of the severity
of the threat of invasive species, which is approaching, nor how to address it.
For more information, see Invasive
Species and Protected Areas: Managing the increasing threat of Invasive Species
in Protected Areas in Africa (2010; PDF | 64 KB). |
