PROSOPIS JULIFLORA

PROSOPIS JULIFLORA

Subject : Environment

Context : The Delhi cabinet Monday approved a plan to restore over 400 hectares of the Central Ridge, that is currently covered by an invasive tree species planted by the British in the 1930.

Concept :

• The five-year revival plan intends to turn the ridge into a full-grown forest with indigenous plants and trees that will provide a recreational space for people in the heart of the city, forest department officials said.
• The plan would be made possible with the removal of the vilayati kikar tree, or Prosopis juliflora, which allows no other species to thrive due to its weed-like properties — fast growth in arid conditions, depleting ground water and killing any competition.

Prosopis Juliflora

• Prosopis Juliflora is a shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae.
• It is native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean.
• It was initially introduced in India during colonial times. Since then it has become invasive species

Harmful Effects

• It causes stomach poisoning in livestock by inducing a permanent impairment of its ability to digest cellulose.
• It causes drying up of water bodies and ground water as it absorbs more than 4 litres of water to obtain one kg of biomass.
• It cannot even shelter birds as it produces less oxygen and more carbon dioxide.
• It causes land erosion due to the loss of the grasslands that are habitats for native plants and animals.
• Dispersal of the species is mainly through animals by endozoochory (dispersal by vertebrate animals).
• Other modes of seed dispersal are –

Autochory – Self dispersal

Barochory – Dispersal by gravity

Anemochory –  Dispersal by air

Hyderochory – Dispersal by water

Chiropterochory – Dispersal by bats

Epizoochory – Dispersal by Non-vertebrate animals