Facilitating strategy and action plans to address woody weeds in Tanzania’s Lake Natron Basin
Prosopis juliflora is considered one of the world’s most threatening non-native tree species. Though it was introduced to Eastern Africa in the 1970s to provide wood and fodder and reduce erosion on degraded land, it has since spread rapidly with a range of severe impacts. In part one of a two-part blog, we look at how…
Workshop explores strategy to tackle woody weed threat to biodiversity and livelihoods in Tanzania
CABI has taken part in a two-day workshop of a project funded by the Darwin Initiative which is aimed at tackling the scourge of woody weeds that threatens biodiversity and livelihoods in Tanzania.
New policy brief highlights the unintended consequences of projects that promote invasive alien woody plants
A new policy brief has been published providing recommendations to support decision making about funding for projects that aim to introduce new, or promote established alien woody plant species.
Kenya faces devastating Prosopis invasion: What can be done
By Purity Rima Mbaabu. Originally published on The Conversation. Woody plant species have been deliberately introduced into many arid and semi-arid regions across the world as they can help combat desertification and provide resources – like fuelwood – to the rural poor. But some of these alien trees and shrubs have become invasive, having devastating effects on other species as…
Scientists recommend measures to contain rapid woody weed spread in Baringo County, Kenya
A team of international scientists, including CABI’s Dr Urs Schaffner, have recommended ways to manage the devastating spread of the woody weed Prosopis juliflora, where in Baringo County, Kenya, its coverage rapidly increased by 2,031 percent in just 28 years. PhD student Purity Rima Mbaabu, affiliated to the University of Nairobi and co-supervised by Simon…
CABI helps map ferocious speed and likely cause of woody weed spread across Ethiopia
CABI scientists have helped map the ferocious speed and probable cause of a devastating spread of the invasive alien tree Prosopis juliflora (Swartz DC) across an area equivalent to half of neighbouring Djibouti in the Afar Region of north eastern Ethiopia. Dr Urs Schaffner, who is supervising lead author Hailu Shiferaw for his PhD studies,…