Achyut Kumar Banerjee

Idea: Ornamental plant invasion in India

Conceived: Mid-2019

Planning: December 2019

Initiation: March 2020

Planned execution: September 2020

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Biological invasions are a major global challenge for the conservation of natural resources, biodiversity and livelihoods. The horticulture trade is the principal pathway for the introduction of alien plants and trade volume, plant traits and climate change have been identified to facilitate their naturalization. However, records of alien ornamentals, the underlying causes of their naturalization success and response capacities are rare in developing nations. To address these gaps, we will study the alien ornamental plant invasion in India, considered as an example for a developing country. In this study, we will use existing databases and nursery catalogues to compile a database of alien ornamentals in India. Based on the relationship of socioeconomic variables and plant traits with naturalization success, emerging aliens will be identified and their naturalization risk will be assessed in present and future climate scenarios.

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The analytical approaches of this study, unique of its kind in the context of a developing nation, will advance the scientific knowledge of the field. The findings will be communicated to widely read academic journals for proper dissemination of knowledge, and will be shared with the public to create awareness about risk of alien ornamental plants.

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This project will be completed in three phases – building database, analyzing data and dissemination of the findings. This is a joint work initiated by the scientists from the Indian Statistical Institute (Giridih, Jharkhand, India), Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, China), and Institute of Chemical Technology (Mumbai, India).