Exotic/ alien plantations and depletion of water table

• Exotic plants are plants that are imported from another ecosystem and established in a new habitat
• Commercial forestry is an important part of the economy and exotic tree species are planted in large plantations
• Exotic plants normally need more water than natural indigenous plants for survival
• Over time, large plantations with exotic trees use large volumes of water, thus drastically reducing the water table
• Many exotic plant species have better developed root systems than indigenous species, which means that they can absorb the groundwater at deeper levels and thus deplete the water table
• Possible actions to reduce the effect of alien plants:

  • Create awareness of the negative impact of alien plants
  • Remove alien vegetation using mechanical, chemical and biological control
  • Encourage the planting of indigenous plants
  • Plant plots of indigenous vegetation in commercial forests