Climate Change, Invasive Alien Flora and Concerns for their Management in Sri Lanka

Climate is the key driver of diversity of life in ecosystems. Changes in the climate, would not only alter the spatial distribution of species but also facilitate some of the non-native species to become invasive. This would further imbalance the status quo of native species and may bring about irreversible changes in some ecosystems imposing large economic costs for their management. Few researchers have addressed the issue of the interaction of climate change and invasive species in developing countries. We review the ecological impacts of invasive alien flora on the environment and the necessity to assess the economics of these impacts, particularly in developing countries. The potential implications of climate change on invasive alien flora relevant to Sri Lanka are discussed, highlighting how disturbances to ecosystems during climate change would facilitate the dispersal, establishment and spread of these invasive species and result in a change in the species distribution of native flora within ecosystems. The management of invasive alien species is already formulated for Sri Lanka. We draw attention to how climate change aspects should be incorporated into these management strategies. Important aspects to be considered are assessment of risk, targeting ecosystems vulnerable to climate change and mapping to monitor the location and progress of invasive flora. Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio. Sci.) 43 (2): 1-15, 2014