Forest Ecology and Management
Invasive species in Indian forests: experiments in restoring native biodiversity.
Investigator: Ankila Hiremath
Location: Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary, Karnataka
Funded by: Department of Science and Technology
Duration: 2005-2008
Lantana camara (hereafter, lantana) is one of a number of invasive alien species
that have come to dominate native ecosystems over large parts of India. In tropical
deciduous forests of southern India, lantana is today regarded as one of the principal
threats to native biodiversity. Although invasive alien species are now recognized
as a significant threat to biodiversity both nationally and globally, very little
information exists in India today on the mechanisms by which invasive species invade
native ecosystems and persist in them to the gradual exclusion of native species.
Similarly, very little research exists on various methods of invasive species removal
and restoration of native biodiversity. We propose to monitor vegetation recovery
following lantana removal, in addition to testing hypothesized mechanisms of invasive
species persistence and dominance in tropical deciduous forests invaded by lantana
in the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary in South India. Understanding
the mechanisms underlying invasive species success is the first step toward being
able to control invasive species and to restoring native biodiversity, and has
tremendous basic and applied relevance.
|
