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Distribution and impact of invasive alien plant species in Bardia National Park, western Nepal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2020

Suneeta Bhatta ,
Laxmi Raj Joshi  and
Bharat Babu Shrestha Open the ORCID record for Bharat Babu Shrestha [Opens in a new window]
Suneeta Bhatta
Affiliation:
Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
Laxmi Raj Joshi
Affiliation:
National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardia Conservation Program, Bardia, Nepal
Bharat Babu Shrestha*
Affiliation:
Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Bharat Babu Shrestha, Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) are spreading into protected areas worldwide; however, knowledge of these invasions and their impacts in Nepal’s protected areas is poor. Here, the spatial distribution pattern of IAPS in Bardia National Park (BNP), Nepal, was analysed using roadside surveys and grid sampling. The impacts of the most abundant IAPS, Lantana camara, on plant communities were analysed by comparing 60 pairs of non-invaded and invaded quadrats. Twelve IAPS, including two of the most prolific species globally, L. camara and Chromolaena odorata, were recorded from BNP. The Karnali floodplain in the south-western region of the park, a prime habitat of one-horned rhinoceros, was highly invaded by the IAPS. Tree canopy and distance to road, river and settlement were the major factors affecting IAPS occurrence. Lantana camara modified plant community structure and significantly reduced plant species richness and diversity; species richness of native plants was reduced to less than half in invaded plots. Plant invasions and impacts on native plant diversity have been increasing in BNP. We recommend management interventions involving immediate eradication of C. odorata and other species with single satellite populations and control measures for other widespread species such as L. camara and Ageratum houstonianum.

Keywords

Ageratum houstonianumecological impactsLantana camaramanagementspecies diversitywildlife habitat
Type
Research Paper
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 47 , Issue 3 , September 2020 , pp. 197 - 205
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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