Espinosa-García (2009) - Invasive weeds in Mexico: Overview of awareness, ...

F.J. Espinosa-García (2009)
Invasive weeds in Mexico: Overview of awareness, management and legal aspects
pp. 17-29
in: S.J. Darbyshire and R. Prasad (eds.), Proceedings of the Weeds Across Borders 2008 Conference. May 2730, 2008, Banff, Alberta. Alberta Invasive Plants Council, Lethbridge, AB. Canada
Abstract: The status of the awareness, knowledge, management and societal involvement in invasive weeds in Mexico is reviewed. The invasive species awareness in Mexico is very limited, and it is concentrated mainly in a governmental commission and in a handful of university scientists. This is probably due to the relatively slow process in which exotic weeds become pests, gaining attention when mitigation or nothing can be done to control their effects. The invasive weeds identity and distribution at a national scale are reasonably known, but this knowledge, along with the invasive species abundance and impacts, is scanty, anecdotal or absent at a regional scale. The number of research projects or research products dealing with invasive weeds is very low considering the biodiversity and extension of Mexico. The legislation on invasive exotic weeds prevention covers only noxious species as contaminants in crop seeds for cultivation, but not as contaminants in grains or seeds for human or livestock consumption. The quarantined species list is incomplete and needs actualization. The risk analysis unit in the agriculture ministry is mandated to address only agricultural pests or potential pests from all phyla, but it is severely undermanned. Activities on early detection, eradication, containment or mitigation are severely limited or absent for weed pests. Although there are regulations and government institutions responsible for these activities, they are ineffective due to lack of personnel and interest in the problem. Besides a National Strategy to deal with weeds, a big environmental education campaign is needed to obtain societal awareness and action to deal with invasive weeds.
(The abstract has been supplied by the author or ISPI and is excluded from the Creative Commons licence.)
Database assignments for author(s): Francisco J. Espinosa-Garcia

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
review

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Pontederia crassipes (weed)		Mexico
	Rottboellia cochinchinensis (weed)		Mexico
	Convolvulus arvensis (weed)		Mexico
	Sorghum halepense (weed)		Mexico