‘Caused entire communities to be displaced’

A highly invasive species originally introduced to combat desertification has been wreaking havoc across Kenya, forcing entire communities to relocate, the Guardian reported.

What’s happening?

The mesquite shrub, known in Kenya as mathenge, has overtaken gr***lands used for grazing, caused livestock’s teeth to fall out, and even redirected the flows of waterways in the course of consuming an estimated 7,700 square miles of land across the East African nation, according to the Guardian.

In the 1970s, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the Kenyan government highly encouraged the planting of mathenge, which is native to South America, per the Guardian.

Those authorities viewed mathenge as a potential solution for expanding deserts and deforestation, creating shade as well as food for grazing livestock. At first, mathenge provided clear benefits like reducing dust storms and acting as a source of firewood for locals, according to Forest News.

Over time, however, the problems with mathenge became clear. Its dense foliage blocked the light from reaching other plants, killing native species. While its pods provided food for grazing animals, they were so sugar-rich that they caused goats’ teeth to rot and fall out, found a study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science.

The dense foliage and shade of the mathenge plant also have given predators a place to hide and created “an ideal ground for mosquito breeding,” increasing the risk of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, the study found.

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Adding to the problems, mathenge plants grow incredibly deep root systems — as far as 115 feet below ground — that have redirected water flows in certain areas, the Guardian reported.

“The spread [of mathenge] is so fast that it has caused entire communities to be displaced, schools to close, and even disrupted river flows, as the plant blocks water courses, contributing to flooding and displacement,” Davis Ikiror, Kenya-Somalia country director for Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse, told the Guardian.

By the time the mathenge plant’s enormous problems became apparent, its expansion already was out of control, growing at an estimated 15% annually.

Why are invasive species important?

Mathenge is just one example of how invasive species wreak havoc on local ecosystems, disrupting food supplies, outcompeting local species, and even forcing communities to move.

As shown in Kenya, invasive species can impact the human food supply by outcompeting plants used for grazing and robbing the soil of vital nutrients needed to grow crops.

Invasive species also impact biodiversity.

“Globally, invasive species are the second most critical factor in reducing biodiversity,” coming in behind only habitat loss, said the study published in Frontiers.

What’s being done about invasive species?

In Kenya, while total eradication of mathenge is essentially impossible at this point, many groups have been exploring ways to make productive use of the plant while managing its spread. For example, a study published on ScienceDirect examined efforts at using mathenge for honey production and to make charcoal.

If successful, these strategies could help meet local needs for fuel and food, while also providing employment and curbing the spread of an invasive species.

On an individual scale, there are many things you can do at home to help prevent the spread of invasive species. When choosing plants, select native varieties and make sure to avoid invasive ones.

If you’d like to go even further, you can explore upgrading to a natural lawn or even rewilding your entire yard with native plants, helping pollinators and other local wildlife.

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