Invasive plant species (IPS) are considered one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss, altering ecosystem services and socio-economic conditions through different mechanisms. The present study was conducted in Gutwa village, located near Ranchi, where the encroachment of invasive plants was accelerated by infrastructure and other anthropogenic activities. For the enumeration of invasive plant species (IPS), the research site has been classified into three groups: (1) G1 (infrastructure developed area); (2) G2 (developing; infrastructure is going on), and (3) G3 (undeveloped or natural vegetation dominant area). Field data have been collected from 15 quadrats, each measuring 3 m x 3 m. Quantitative analysis has been done with standard methods. Statistically, the variance of all quadrats emphasises the dispersive nature of alien species within the group of all quadrats. The risk of accidental invasion by alien species may increase with rapid urbanisation and globalisation. To this end, the present study aimed to document the harmful and beneficial uses of invasive alien plant species along the rural-urban gradient in Gutwa village. Therefore, it is necessary to consider actions to address the current problems in Gutwa village, Ranchi, caused by invasive species and to mitigate the problem's magnitude in the future. Management prospects can be further strengthened by linking them to geospatial technologies (remote sensing and GIS) to map and monitor the spread of IPS.

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An official publication of Society for Environment and Development (SED India)

Rahul Kumar1*, Shambhu Nath Mishra2, Prasanjit Mukherjee3

Rahul Kumar¹*, Shambhu Nath Mishra², Prasanjit Mukherjee³