Ecological insights and environmental threats of invasive alien plantChromolaena odorata: Prospects for sustainable management

Abstract

AbstractThe Anthropocene witnessed the landscape spread of several invasive alien plants which can remarkably influence the ecosystem services and environmental sustainability. To this end,Chromolaena odorata(Asteraceae) is widely identified among top hundred pervasive invaders in view of its adverse influence on environment, agriculture, and wildlife. The adverse effects ofC. odoratacan further be exacerbated under the event of invasion interaction with other anthropogenic stressors such as climate change. Nevertheless, there exists dearth of pragmatic studies on invasion ecology, socio‐economic impacts, ecological economics, and sustainable management prospects ofC. odorata. The present review discusses the invasion ecology, distribution, mechanisms, impacts, and management strategies ofC. odoratainvasion. The side‐effects and unsustainable use of traditional control measures (e.g., controlled fire and chemical herbicides) ofC. odoratapaves the way to biological control methods (e.g., gall fly). However, the control measures ofC. odorataneed to be assessed for their long‐term ecosystem level effects to mitigate the possible adverse environmental responses. The wise application ofC. odoratabiomass in marginal lands for soil fertility restoration, biosorption, biorefinery, bio‐medicine, and bioenergy in conjunction with ecological control measures can cover economic incentive to facilitate sustainable management ofC. odoratain forestry/agroforestry systems. Nevertheless, the use of weed biomass as feedstock in biorefinery and ethno‐medicine may be inadequate in reducing its invasion. Future studies should explicitly elucidate the ecological mechanisms ofC. odoratain concert with the quest for its field‐scale application in biorefinery to augment sustainable management.