Harmful plants spreading nationwide
Nov 18, 2008
SCIENTISTS have warned that infestation of habitats by harmful weeds has reached crisis proportions in many parts of Uganda, posing a threat to many livelihoods.
By Gerald Tenywa
and Juliet Waiswa
SCIENTISTS have warned that infestation of habitats by harmful weeds has reached crisis proportions in many parts of Uganda, posing a threat to many livelihoods.
“We have a crisis; invasive plants (harmful) like Lantana Camara are still spreading and invading new lands,†said Geoffrey Howard, a specialist on invasive species working at the World Conservation Union. “It is now found in most parts of this country.â€
Howard said Lantana Camara, commonly known as Kayukiyuki or Kapanga, grows very fast and its leaves contain poison that kills other plants. This means that other plants do not survive where it grows.
“Its leaves, when they drop on the ground do not allow other plants to grow,†said Howard. “This is leading to the disappearance of pastures in many parts of the cattle corridor.â€
He was speaking at Lake Victoria Hotel, Entebbe during the opening of a workshop on the legal and institutional framework for the management of invasive species in Uganda.
Other wild plants like lemon grass, locally known as omuteete, is also on the increase, with Mbarara, Isingiro, Lyatonde, Kiruhura and part of Kiboga.
Howard said some of the plants were introduced into the country because of their ornamental values while others were being imported deliberately as bio-fuel crops.
Dr. Gadi Gumusiriza, the national coordinator of the UNEP-funded project on invasive species, said the threat of the plant species is significant because of their negative impact on agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry and tourism.
He said the water hyacinth was spreading in dams, ponds and smaller lakes because people erroneously believe that it prevents the drying of the water. He also said a devastating thorny weed known as mimosa had been sighted in some wetlands in western Uganda.
“The threat of invasive plants to our environment, therefore, calls for drastic and concerted efforts before the situation deteriorates further,†he said.
and Juliet Waiswa
SCIENTISTS have warned that infestation of habitats by harmful weeds has reached crisis proportions in many parts of Uganda, posing a threat to many livelihoods.
“We have a crisis; invasive plants (harmful) like Lantana Camara are still spreading and invading new lands,†said Geoffrey Howard, a specialist on invasive species working at the World Conservation Union. “It is now found in most parts of this country.â€
Howard said Lantana Camara, commonly known as Kayukiyuki or Kapanga, grows very fast and its leaves contain poison that kills other plants. This means that other plants do not survive where it grows.
“Its leaves, when they drop on the ground do not allow other plants to grow,†said Howard. “This is leading to the disappearance of pastures in many parts of the cattle corridor.â€
He was speaking at Lake Victoria Hotel, Entebbe during the opening of a workshop on the legal and institutional framework for the management of invasive species in Uganda.
Other wild plants like lemon grass, locally known as omuteete, is also on the increase, with Mbarara, Isingiro, Lyatonde, Kiruhura and part of Kiboga.
Howard said some of the plants were introduced into the country because of their ornamental values while others were being imported deliberately as bio-fuel crops.
Dr. Gadi Gumusiriza, the national coordinator of the UNEP-funded project on invasive species, said the threat of the plant species is significant because of their negative impact on agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry and tourism.
He said the water hyacinth was spreading in dams, ponds and smaller lakes because people erroneously believe that it prevents the drying of the water. He also said a devastating thorny weed known as mimosa had been sighted in some wetlands in western Uganda.
“The threat of invasive plants to our environment, therefore, calls for drastic and concerted efforts before the situation deteriorates further,†he said.