The International Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Eupatorieae and other Invasive Alien Plants will be organized under the patronage of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), India, the International Organisation for Biological Control(IOBC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network. Earlier workshops in this series discussed the biological control of invasive alien plants such as Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha. This workshop will evaluate the success, status and future prospects of the biological control of these species and the scope and options for biological control of the other major invasive plants widespread in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
KFRI, the workshop venue, is located in the lap of the Western Ghats, which is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and a World Heritage Site. Invasive alien plants, especially the members of Eupatorieae and other species are widespread in most of the habitats in the region, posing significant impacts on the environment, wildlife, agriculture, and the livelihoods, especially of economically weaker communities.
Climate, land-use change and forest degradation promote invasion by alien species and threats from these are predicted to increase in the future. Management of invasive alien plants in the region is mostly attempted through physical and chemical measures, which are not long-term and sustainable solutions. Biological control is considered the most suitable management approach to contain the problem, especially when the species are widespread.
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Organizing Committee
Mr. Michael Day (Queensland Dept. of Agriculture &Fisheries)
Dr. KV Sankaran (IPBES Expert on Invasive alien species)
Dr. Shiroma Sathyapala (Forestry Officer, FAO)
Dr Kannan CS Warrier (Director, KFRI)
For further details, please contact:
Coordinating Committee:
Dr P Sujanapal (sujanapal@kfri.res-in, sujanapalp@gmail.com)
Dr TV Sajeev (sajeev@kfri.res.in, tvsajeev@gmail.com)