Management of Invasive Alien Species in Arid Land of Kachchh as an Alternative Forestry Resource and Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

Prosopis juliflora is an Invasive alien plant species in Kachchh district of Gujarat, introduced for checking salinity ingression in Banni grassland from the Greater Rann of Kachchh. After its introduction, the species gradually flourished in whole of the district and spread in all kind of ecosystems and habitats. The species is now an important natural resource of the local communities for sustaining their livelihood. Therefore, this study was attempted to assess the impact of P. juliflora in the livelihood of local communities and its role in mitigation of climate change. To assess the impact of P. juliflora, field surveys and questionnaire survey were conducted.