Mimosa diplotricha: a review and synthesis of its problem and control options.

Abstract Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright ex Sauvalle (=Mimosa invisa Mart.) (Mimosaceae) is a perennial weedy shrub of neotropical origin and a serious biotic threat in its invasive range. Despite its invasiveness and associated problems, there are surprisingly few reviews on this weed. This paper, therefore, reviews the existing but scattered literature on the invasion history and negative impacts of M. diplotricha in different ecological systems in its introduced ranges. Following the introduction of M. diplotricha into Indonesia and Australia in the early nineteenth century, the weed has since rapidly spread into many other countries in Asia, Africa and Oceania. It is known to be present and/or invasive in more than 14 Asian (e.g. India, Thailand, the Philippines) and 17 African countries (e.g. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya) and more than 16 countries in Oceania including Australia and Papua New Guinea, with some serious negative effects on agriculture, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods. Landowners, locals and peasants in invaded areas employ physical/mechanical, cultural and chemical control methods to manage M. diplotricha, but these methods are unsustainable, costly and largely ineffective. The first biological control of M. diplotricha worldwide began in Australia in the 1980s with the release and establishment of Heteropsylla spinulosa, a sap-sucking bug that significantly reduced densities of the weed. This bug was subsequently introduced to many Islands in Oceania where it established and reduced the densities of the weed. This paper discusses the problems of M. diplotricha in different ecosystems in invaded areas, control options and gives recommendations for the sustainable management of the weed in Asia and Africa.