Abstract

Invasive alien plant species (IAPs) that invade natural habitats usually end up altering the ecosystem services and the socio-economic conditions. This review provides an appraisal of the IAPs used as alternative livestock feed in Zimbabwe. A literature search was conducted using available databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus®, SpringerLink®, ScienceDirect®, SciELO, and PubMed®, as well as using pre-electronic literature sources obtained from the university library. This study recorded 45 taxa that are used as fodder, forages, and pastures in Zimbabwe, out of which 64.4% are monocots and 35.6% are eudicots. More than half of the taxa (64.4%) are members of the Poaceae family, followed by Fabaceae (31.1%), Cactaceae, and Meliaceae (2.2% each). Several genera are represented, and these include Cynodon, Lolium, and Paspalum with four taxa each, followed by Avena, Bromus, and Medicago with three taxa each; and Dichanthium, Melilotus, Panicum, and Polypogon with two taxa each. About half of the alien taxa used as livestock feed in Zimbabwe (48.9%) are native to Asia, followed by Europe, contributing 40%; America, 31.1%; and Africa, 28.9%, while the Mediterranean and the Oceanic regions are represented by three taxa each (6.7%). The region with the highest number of alien taxa used as livestock feed in Zimbabwe is Central (84.1%), followed by Eastern (56.8%), Northern (38.6%), Western (31.8%), and Southern Zimbabwe (22.7%). These research findings contribute valuable literature about IAPs in maintaining the productivity of livestock populations in Zimbabwe. This research suggests that if IAPs are properly managed and controlled, they can provide benefits to local communities as important sources of livestock feed.

Key words: Alien species; floristic diversity; livestock feed; plant invasion; taxonomy; Zimbabwe