Biodiversity Forum Ethiopia

Invasive alien species (IAS) are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural past or present distribution threaten biological diversity.

Total annual costs of these invasions, including losses to crops, pastures and forests, as well as environmental damages and control costs, have been conservatively estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars and possibly more than one trillion. This does not include valuation of species extinctions, losses in biodiversity, ecosystem services and aesthetics.

IAS have been introduced to Ethiopia through various ways for some reasons. These introductions have created serious invasions of different ecosystems such as invasions by Prosopis juliflora. Some people suggest total eradication of invasive species such as Prosopis from the country

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