Perennial grasses: natural allies for soil health and biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and invasive plant management
Fredrick Ojija
Abstract
Climate change and invasive alien plant species (IAPs) pose environmental challenges that affect soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability. This review investigates the potential of perennial grasses as a sustainable eco-friendly alternative solution for promoting soil health and biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and combating IAPs. An extensive review of global research and applications of perennial grasses was conducted, and the benefits of perennial grasses in reducing climate change and IAP impact are highlighted in this review paper. Overall, perennial grasses can help mitigate climate change and combat IAPs. Their dense and extensive root system, drought-resistant, and water-efficiency make them effective at sequestering, and storing carbon, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and adapting to climate fluctuations. They also reduce the need for tillage and synthetic fertilizers, enhancing ecosystem resilience to climate change. This suggests that incorporating perennial grasses into land management can help with climate change mitigation and adaptation, resulting in more sustainable and resilient ecosystems. Besides, well-managed perennial grasses can considerably reduce IAPs' impact of due to their suppressive ability, enhanced by strong root systems and competitive growth patterns. Moreover, perennial grasses offer a sustainable and long-term solution to the challenges posed by IAPs owing to their capacity to restore and maintain native plants and promote soil biodiversity, ecosystem health, and resilience following restoration. Thus, integrating perennial grasses into restoration and management strategies can allow land managers and ecologists to effectively combat IAPs. Overall, this review advocates for the inclusion of perennial grasses in conservation and restoration initiatives.