Prosopis juliflora is an invasive legume shrub that has been increasingly prevalent in India over the past decades. Native to the Americas, P. juliflora was brought to India in the early 20th century from modern-day Pakistan in order to green the countryside of dry areas in the western states. P. juliflora known for its ability to survive the harsh climes of India's drylands. It can resist drought conditions - it is best with annual precipitation of 250-600 mm, though it can survive with 150mm - and it can be sustained on lands with high salinity, which means it can establish stable populations in areas where other vegetation cannot, like in many parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It has been very successful in spreading itself throughout the country, penetrating ecosystems across regions of the country; it thrives in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharastra, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamilnadu and West Bengal. This species is fast growing and establishes a large lateral canopy, which allows local populations to cover plots of land quite quickly.
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Flowers of Prosopis juliflora
Its success in establishing itself has caused ecological damage. It easily out-competes native shrubs and grasses due to its fast pace of growth and large lateral root system that hordes ground moisture. Further, its leaves may have chemical properties that prevent germination of other flora species, especially grasses. Its expansion is thought to work in tandem with another invasive shrub, Lantana Camera. On the whole, this species is blamed for negative changes in rural agro-ecosystem: e.g., it caused a 6% reductions in grass cover in Gujarat through the 1980's.
Yet, its biophysical properties haven't been the only catalyst of its propagation in India. It has been used extensively in forestry programs in order to meet vegetation-cover targets, as it lateral canopy grows extensively and quickly. It is also farmed in some states in India. Finally, it is a significant source of fodder for goats and its seeds are disbursed in goat dung.
Despite its negative ecological impact, P. juliflora has become integral in rural livelihoods in India. As noted above, it serves as a source of goat fodder - although it is also blamed for reductions in more valuable fodder types, such as native grasses. Nonetheless, its presence on degraded common lands make it invaluable to landless livestock herders. Beyond its importance as fodder, it is a major source of fuelwood to rural households, who collect it from these degraded common lands for use as a source of energy. In areas where common lands have been degraded severely, P. juliflora may be the only viable source of household energy. Additionally, the poorest households will sell P. juliflora in fuelwood markets as a source of income. With its high calorific value and ability to coppice quickly, it can be considered a good source of fuelwood and is actually preferred by many rural communities.
The link via livelihoods is what makes recent interest in P. juliflora as a large-scale fuel for biomass power plants a threat to the rural poor. Biomass powerplants are on the rise in India, raising the demand for cheap biomass. In this trend, P. juliflora has become one of the most sought-after sources of fuel among biomass powerplants. For instance, 30% of electricity in Andhra Pradesh state generated from biomass powerplants is from P. Juliflora alone. Its increasing demand has raised its price: on average, it went from Rs 700-1,000 per ton to Rs 1,800-2,300 per ton in the past year. Proponents of biomass power production seek to exploit common lands, the ones that support the landless rural poor, for production of fast-yield woody biomass species, like P. juliflora. Doing so robs the poor of lands that support their very survival through the provision of crucial ecosystem services, including fuelwood and fodder, but myriad others as well.
The increased price and demand has a severe negative impact on the rural poor who depend on P. juliflora for daily needs. Its increased value will mean that it will be extracted by highly organized, contracted collectors and sold to power plants, instead of being available for household collection. With little political power, the poor cannot do much to prevent P. juliflora's diversion toward industrial interests. With P. juliflora less available, how will poor rural households meet their daily fuelwood and fodder needs? More importantly, if the lands where P. juliflora grows are cut-off, perhaps the provision of P. juliflora is just one among many services that local ecosystems provide that will be lost to the poor. Needless to say, without significant support and planning from government and NGO partners, India's land-dependent rural poor face a considerable welfare crisis. If we could go back in time, perhaps we'd choose against introducing P. juliflora at all. Promoting native species is certainly a better option. However, as it stands now, the rural poor depend on P. juliflora and this must be taken seriously as it becomes less available to them. Long term policy should increase the poor's power to manage degraded commonlands and regenerate them ecologically, phasing-out P. juliflora in favor of native species that promote better ecosystem functioning. However, this is a long term goal that requires careful environmental and social planning with gradual steps that are sensitive to impacts on the ground. Industrial takeover of P. juliflora, and indeed the lands where it thrives, is a step in the wrong direction.
Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products. (1998, 05-15-2010). Prosopis juliflora. from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Prosopis_juliflora.html#Ecology
Ramesh, N., Kandhari, R., & Pallavi, A. (2010). Biomass market in flux. Down to Earth, 18.
Robbins, P. (2004). Comparing invasive networks: Cultural and political biographies of invasive species. Geographical Review, 94(2), 139-156.
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