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Abstract

The effect of invasive species on biodiversity is a major issue of world. This study was conducted at the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, this study assessed the invasive species status factor associated with it and their impact on seedling and sapling of trees. Modified Whittaker Nested sampling stratifies was adopted for vegetation sampling. A total of 15 plots were taken with 195 subplots between 1409 m to 2140 m. altitudinal ranges. A total of 32 tree species and nine invasive species were recorded from the studied sites. The pine forest was having significantly (W = 3, p = 0.03) more coverage of invasive species than mixed forest, the coverage of invasive species was also significantly (W = 50, p = 0.009)more with more invasive species than plot with single invasive types. Besides this coverage was also affected by canopy cover, trampling and altitude but not significantly different. The invasive species have impact on numbers of seedling, sapling and their diversity species coverage. We recommend removing these invasive species.
... Native shrub species are being displaced as a result of the expansion of invasive species in the forest. The significant species richness of both alien and native plants in these zones is attributed to factors such the mesic environmental conditions, humidity, thermal stress, and high productivity at mid-elevations (Whittaker and Heegaard, 2003;Thapa et al., 2018;Karki et al., 2022). This mid-elevation Banj-oak and Chir-pine forest provided valuable ecosystem services to the local communities (Naudiyal and Schmerbeck, 2021;Joshi et al., 2023). ...
... The three invaders that were the subject of our study are predicted to extend their distribution range (Shrestha et al. 2018a, b). High-elevation PAs of Nepal, such as Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (960-2732 m a.s.l.) and Langtang National Park (1000-7245 m a.s.l.) are also invaded by invasive plants like Ageratina adenophora, Bidens pilosa, Lantana camara, and Parthenium hysterophorus (Maharjan et al. 2019;Poudel et al. 2020;Karki et al. 2022), but these invasions are not considered disastrous due to the lack of research outlining the scale of the problem (Bhatta et al. 2021). ...
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Protected areas are expected to harbour fewer invasive plants due to the absence of anthropogenic disturbance and greater resistance of natural vegetation to invasion. Our study aimed to quantify the impacts of selected invasive plants on native plant species richness, diversity, and composition in five protected areas of Nepal spread across ~ 3403 km² at the Himalayan foothill. Lantana camara, Mikania micrantha, and Parthenium hysterophorus were selected as target species based on their abundance in the study area. For each species, 30 pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots of 10 × 10 m were sampled to record the presence and covers of all vascular plants. The impacts of invaders on species diversity were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models, those on plant community composition by direct gradient ordination. The analysis of merged data, including all studied invaders, showed that the invasions reduced native species richness and diversity, which decreased to less than half of the values recorded in uninvaded plots. Similarly, each of the three species had a significant negative impact on native species richness and diversity when tested separately, with M. micrantha having the greatest impact, followed by P. hysterophorus and L. camara. In addition, the invasion by L. camara explained the greatest percentage of variation in the species composition of the invasive species studied. The results support the invasion meltdown theory, as the invasion promoted the presence of other alien species in the invaded plots.
... While IAP pose a significant threat to the valuable wildlife landscape, both within and around the protected areas, there is potential to transform these invasive plants into positive resources at the local level. The biomass obtained by removing IAP can be employed in various practical applications, including medicine, green manure, animal bedding, charcoal, fertilizer, and handicrafts, among other products (Bhatta et al. 2021;Karki et al. 2022;Shah et al. 2020). Additionally, it offers a range of forest services and goods, including animal feed, fuel wood, soil conservation, the restoration of damaged areas, and cultural values; nevertheless, these advantages are outweighed by their negative effects. ...
... Invasive species have caused serious headaches for aquatic and terrestrial ecology. Climate change has also worsened the challenge of alien species in protected areas (Karki et al., 2022;Yaqoob et al., 2022). Various ways of dealing with alien species have been adopted in different areas to protect biodiversity. ...
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Due to climate change’s effects, protected areas, particularly national parks, face conservation challenges, negatively impacting tourism. Sustainable tourism requires understanding the climate and conservation challenges in national parks and their implications for tourism. Marakele National Park in South Africa faces climatic and conservation challenges. A purposive and snowball sampling strategy was used to select study participants. An in-depth interview was conducted with the employees of South African National Parks, including top managers, scientists, field, section, honorary rangers, conservationists, and hospitality staff. A perception survey involving 871 tourists was conducted along with field observations, archival data, and an analysis of archival data. The study results indicate that rainfall levels in the national park vary greatly from season to season and are declining. A warm climate and high rainfall were also observed, and increased drought episodes. The observed climatic extremes led to several ecological challenges, including bush thickening and encroachment, intense soil erosion, wetland degradation and an increased frequency of wildfires. The environmental challenges impact the park’s aesthetic value, affect tourist comfort and perceptions, and cause employee discomfort. The paper recommends that the park develops anticipatory action plans for the identified climatic and tourist attraction risks.
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