THE IMPACT OF INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS ON THE

THE IMPACT OF INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BY: SR MUGANWA

INTRODUCTION n n WHAT TYPES OF PLANTS ARE THESE? PLANTS FOUND IN PLACES WHERE THEY DID NOT OCCUR IN THE PAST WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? THEY COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES BROUGHT BY HUMANS WHO INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY INTRODUCE THESE PLANTS IN OUR COUNTRY OR THROUGH DISPERSAL BY ANIMALS, AIR etc…

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT n n n REASONS FOR SELECTING TOPIC EDUCATIONAL: Most people are not aware of the difference between invasive alien plants and indigenous plants. Some plants are used as medicine, others for wood, food, decorating sides and people think that they are good and should be kept. Every year on “Abor” day communities are given plants to grow and some of these plants are invasive alien plants. Learners and Educators cannot classify plants which grow around their areas as indigenous or invasive alien plants.

WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE COMMENCEMENT OF PROJECT n n n BEFORE COMMENCEMENT OF PROJECT BOTH BUILDING AND THE PAVEMENT NEAR WHERE ALIEN PLANTS WERE GROWN HAD STARTED TO CRACK. PLANTS THAT HAD BEEN PLANTED IN THE GARDEN HAD DISAPPEARED AND HAD BEEN REPLACED BY STRANGE PLANTS/SPECIES. LEARNERS DOING LIFE SCIENCES (ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ) COULD NOT CLASSIFY PLANTS AS INVASIVE OR INDIGENOUS, WHEN DOING PRACTICAL INVESTIGATION.

CRACKS ON THE PAVEMENT

CRACK ON THE WALL

PLANTS DESTROYED ALIEN PLANTS HAVE TAKEN OVER

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED n n ALIEN INVASIVE PLANTS ARE THE ONES THAT CAUSE CRACKS ON THE PAVING. ALIEN INVASIVE PLANTS KILL OTHER PLANTS, MOSTLY THE INDIGENOUS ONES AND END UP TAKING OVER THE WHOLE GARDEN.

A CHOKED TREE

INVASIVE PLANTS HAVE TAKEN OVER ONE GARDEN IN THE COMMUNITY

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS n n n REMOVAL OF INVADERS BIG TREES IN SCHOOL YARD : DOE HAS PROMISSED TO REMOVE ALL ALIEN INVASIVE TREES DURING MAJOR RENOVATION OF THE SCHOOL. LEARNERS WILL UPROOT AND BURN ALL ALIEN INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE SCHOOL GARDEN AND SURROUNDING AREA WHEN THE FIRST RAINS COME.

ACTIVITIES INSIDE THE CLASSROOM n n LEARNERS WERE GIVEN A PRACTICAL INVESTIGATION. EXAMPLE: ’’ READ THE PARAGRAPH BELOW AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW:

Activities cont. n n n ALIEN INVASIVE PLANTS WERE INTRODUCED BY ENTHUSIASTIC GARDNERS TO BEAUTIFY THE ENVIRONMENT OR TO HELP CONTROL SHIFTING SANDS (e. g. PORT JACKSON AND ROOOIKRANS) OR AS NATURAL FENCING (e. g. PRINCKLY PEAR). TODAY THEIR CONTROL COSTS HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY ANNUALLY. HIGH-YIELD, HIGH-INPUT GREEN FOOD CROPS WERE DEVELOPED TO MEET THE HUNGER NEEDS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THESE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BECOME COSTLY INTRODUCTIONS THAT DO NOT OFFER THE SAME BENEFITS COUNTRIS, SO ARGUABLY, INCREASING POVERTY. QUESTIONS 1. 1 MENTION THREE IMPORTANCES OF INTRODUCING ALIEN PLANTS (3) 1. 2 GIVE THREE REASONS WHY GM GOODS WERE DEVELOPED IN TRYING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE (3) 1. 3 LIST THREE ALIEN PLANTS THAT YOU KNOW. (3) 1. 4 SUPPLY THE REASONS WHY THEIR CONTROL IS SO COSTLY. 1. 5 WHAT IS MEANT BY THE FOLLOWING TERMS: a. Indigenous plants (1) b. Exotic plants (1) c. Invasive alien plant (1) d. Endemic (1) e. Genetically modified foods (1)

LEARNERS PREPARING IAP's FOR PRESSING

PRESSING TAKES PLACE

DISPLAY OF PRESSED DRIED PLANTS

MORE DISPLAY

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM n n WORK IN GROUPS AND CHOOSE AN AREA THAT HAS PLANTS BUT IS NOT CULTIVATED. STEP 1: COLLECT A SAMPLE OF AN ALIEN PLANT IN YOUR AREA STEP 2 : MAKE A DRAWING/TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF EACH PLANT STEP 3 : IDENTIFY THE PLANT, NAME , DETAILS OF HABITAT, DATE AND PLACE OF COLLECTION, INDICATE WHETHER PLANT IS COMMON, RARE, OCCASIONAL, FREQUENT OR ABUNDANT

CONTINUED n STEP 4 : PRESS THE PLANT BETWEEN TWO NEWPAPERS FOR A LAYOUT n STEP 5 : USE A STICKY TAPE TO ATTACH A DRIED PLANT SPECIMEN TO A PIECE OF A 4 CARD. ON THE CARD RECORD THE INFORMATION FROM STEP 3 n STEP 6 : PRESENT YOUR IDEAS TO A GROUP. IN YOUR PRESENTATION EXPLAIN HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR INVESTIGATION AND HOW VALUABLE THE INFORMATION IS FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. TOTAL : 25

COLLECTING IAP's

MORE COLLECTION

THE CHALLENGES n n n LITTLE OR NO EASILY AVAILABLE LITERATURE ON ALIEN PLANTS IN BOTH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY LIBRARIES. THIS TOPIC SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN SCHOOL THE CURRICULUM. NEED FOR MORE EXPERTISE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN USEFUL IAP's (FOR PROTECTION/PRESERVATION FOR FURTHER/FUTURE USE) AND DANGEROUS IAP's (FOR DESTRUCTION)

WAY FORWARD/RECOMMENDATIONS n n AWARENESS CAMPAINS SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE MEDIA, CURRICULUM AND GATHERINGS TO SENSITISE THE NATION SO THAT EVERYBODY IS SKILLED TO IDENTIFY AND PROTECT, DESTROY IAP's AS THE CASE MAY BE. LEARNERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD OF STUDY AT HIGHER LEVELS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOULD ALSO BE UNDERTAKEN BY ACADEMICS. WHOLE NATION SHOULD TAKE OWNERSHIP OF ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS/ISSUES. ENVIRONMENT SHOULD NOT BE THE CONCERN OF ONLY A FEW MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

CONCLUSION n DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS (under which the environment portfolio falls SHOULD STRIVE TO OBTAIN POLITICAL BUY IN SO THAT MORE FUNDS ARE INVESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE END THANK YOU!