Kabir Sharma, Mihir Mathur, Ankila J. Hiremath , Abi T. Vanak, Ramya Ravi , Madhura Niphadkar, Ovee Thorat , Ninad Jagdish

Journal of Environmental Management | November 19, 2024

Invasive species are a significant driver of environmental change in social-ecological systems (SES) globally. Given that SES are inherently complex adaptive systems (CAS), they continuously reorganize themselves and adapt to change, including changes in ecological composition, as well as in associated lives and livelihoods. Decision-making on invasive species management in such systems can be contested and fraught with tradeoffs. The Banni Grasslands in Kutch, India, is one such system where the introduction of Prosopis juliflora (P.juliflora), an invasive woody species, has over decades resulted in deeply coupled social-ecological change.