IWMB mulls over removing invasive species from Margallah Hills

Islamabad : The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) is pondering over a comprehensive ten years plan to remove all invasive plant species from the Margallah Hills National Park (MHNP).

The ambitious plan requires certain amount of funds most of whom would be generated through donor agencies that work to protect natural environment around the world.

According to the official record, the suggestion to prepare a plan to root out invasive species was floated in November last year after which IWMB pondered over the issue in the later months.

The record showed that no meeting was held to further discuss this issue after emergence of coronavirus pandemic in the country.

“Now the IWMB is giving a serious thought to the issue of invasive plant species and it has decided to resolve it once for all to protect indigenous plants and vegetative cover in the MHNP,” the record said.

The official record further stated that one of the invasive plant species is lantana that is competing aggressively with local plants on south-facing slopes of the Margallah Hills where it has overtaken native vegetation.

The other invasive plant species include cocklebur, carrot grass, castor oil, marijuana and paper mulberry. All of them are damaging local species and occupying spaces especially along the roadsides and water streams.

The record said the plant species are naturally controlled by factors within the habitats in which they evolve, adding “When plants are artificially introduced to new areas they may grow rapidly and inhibit the growth of the local species.”

It is hoped that removal of invasive plant species would pave the way for local species such as wild olive (kahu), phulai, wild pomegranate (daruna), Chinese soapberry (reetha), katha, bamboo (baans), white mulberry (thooth), black mulberry (thooth siah) and banyan tree (bohar).