Removal of Exotic Plant Species To ensure Food for Wild Animals

Context

As per a study by the Kerala State Forest Protective Staff Organisation (KSFPSO), removing exotic plants from forest areas will help ensure food for wild elephants at Chinnakkanal in Munnar.

• KSFPSO is an association of frontline forest officers,

Exotic Plant Species in Kerala State

• Exotic Species Invasion in Forestland: Exotic plant species have been found in nearly 4,000 hectares of forestland in the district. 
  • The Chinnakkanal landscape is dominated by West Indian Lantana (known locally as kongini), hindering other plant species’ growth and impeding animal access.
• Absence of Prey in Exotic Plant-Filled Forests: The presence of wild animals, including tiger and leopard has been detected in the adjacent areas due to the absence of prey in forests filled with exotic plant species.
  • In forested areas abundant with exotic trees, the absence of other vegetation prevents the movement of wild animals, including elephants. 
• Critical Measures: Removing exotic species such as Acacia mearnsii (black wattle) and eucalyptus from forests is vital to addressing the problems.
• Transitioning these regions into natural grasslands would ensure food and water sources for wild elephants in Chinnakkanal, including the landscape. 

Invasive Species in India

• About: An invasive species can be any kind of living organism (plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, an amphibian,  that is not native to an ecosystem.
  • For Example: Water hyacinth
• Concerns: They can harm the environment, the economy or even human health by the destruction of native species and local biodiversity.

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Common Exotic Plant Species in India

• Common Lantana: It is an annual or perennial, small, broadleaf evergreen shrub native to the West Indies and Mexico to Tropical America. 
  • Distinctive Trait:  This invasive weed stands out because of its rapid spread, intensity of infestation, allelopathy, opportunistic growth behavior, reproductive biology traits and strong resistance to cutting and burning. 
  • Invasive Impact: In the Indian subcontinent, it has invaded vast tracts of dry-moist forests and other culturable wastelands, and has potentially altered biodiversity, landscape ecology and ecosystem services. 

• • • Its invasion has resulted in the scarcity of native forage plants for wild herbivores and it has invaded more than 40% of India’s tiger range.
  • Eucalyptus: It is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia. The eucalyptus tree oil is used as an antiseptic, a perfume, as Forest Fires In India: Statistics, Causes, Impact, Initiativesan ingredient in cosmetics, as a flavoring, in dental preparations, and in industrial solvents.
    • Distinctive Trait: It is adapted to grow in a wide range of climatic regimes or soil types and grows rapidly and establishes itself easily; etc. With these attributes, it can outcompete/displace native species for space, access to nutrients and water, etc. 
  • Acacia Mearnsii: It is a fast growing leguminous tree native to Australia. It is used as a commercial source of tannin or a source of fire wood for local communities. 
  • Distinctive Trait: It threatens native habitats by competing with indigenous vegetation, replacing grass communities, reducing native biodiversity and increasing water loss from riparian zones.
    • The invasiveness of this species is partly due to its ability to produce large amounts of long-lived seeds and the development of a large crown (which shades other vegetation). 
    • Its leaves and branches may have allelopathic properties. 

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