[RangelandsPartnership] FW: Recap - Global Grasslands Dialogue Platform 15 July

Tue Jul 22 14:21:13 MST 2025

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From: Meier, Leonie <Leonie.Meier at wwf.de>
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 7:44 AM
To: Global Grasslands and Savannahs Initiative <ggsi-global-grasslands-and-savannahs-initiative at wwf.panda.org>; Nigel Dudley <nigel at equilibriumresearch.com>; Hannah Timmins <han at equilibriumresearch.com>; Urs Schaffner <u.schaffner at cabi.org>; Ernesto Reyes <ernesto.reyes at agribenchmark.net>
Subject: [EXT] Recap - Global Dialogue Platform 15 July

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Hello everyone,

Thanks for joining our call on last Tuesday on the threats of invasive species and the sustainability trade-offs of planted and exotic pastures in grassland and savannah ecosystems. You can access the recording through the link below, and for your reference find the slides attached and below a summary. Huge thanks to our speakers Urs Schaffner and Ernesto Reyes for their insightful presentations and thanks to all of you for your active participation and providing so much food for thought.

Recording: https://wwf.zoom.us/rec/share/OGxixgqSadml52b5fo1MuhSfTuXO7fDvkzFWaK94fQTvXAMyiCf3U2mII3RUMGYi.dA_6xX7tppCQTrrk
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Global Grasslands and Savannahs Dialogue Platform
Threats of invasive species and the sustainability trade-offs of planted and exotic pastures in grassland and savannah ecosystems
15 July 2025 - Summary notes

1. Invasive Species and Grassland Degradation: Urs Schaffner (CABI)

  *   Invasives are a global driver of biodiversity loss (IPBES).
  *   Examples from Eastern Africa: Prosopis juliflora, Lantana camara, Opuntia spp., Parthenium hysterophorus.
  *   Impacts of Prosopis:
     *   Reduces water availability (consumes 50% of annual rainfall).
     *   Displaces pastoralism and native biodiversity.
     *   Increases human health risks (e.g. malaria, leishmaniasis).
  *   Management strategies:
     *   Prevention, early detection, mechanical/chemical/biological control.
     *   South Africa's "Working for Water Programme" shows classical biological control is effective.
     *   CABI's Landscape Initiative promotes integrated management.

2. Sustainability of Planted/Exotic Pastures: Ernesto Reyes (Agribenchmark)

  *   Sustainable forage models: Use improved pastures (e.g. Brachiaria, Panicum) strategically to:
     *   Buffer natural systems during non-growing season for herd performance
     *   Increase cash flows to compete with other land uses (high pressure from other crops such as rice, soy)
     *   Recovery of degraded soils with aim of improving conditions for implementation of natural grasslands
  *   Case study - Brazil: Combine introduced pastures with soil recovery and seasonal crops (e.g. sorghum) to reduce deforestation.
  *   Trade-offs:
     *   Exotic pastures can degrade soil if mismanaged.
     *   Sociological and technical support needed for adoption: time and relationships are key.
     *   Long-term investment for management and conservation, long learning curve and continuous technical support needed.
  *   Risks of introduced species becoming invasive (e.g. buffel grass in Australia).

  *   Key Discussion Points

  *   Business models for managing invasives often fail due to high cost, lack of coordinated policy, and poor post-removal land management.
  *   Utilization of invasives (e.g. for charcoal) can help livelihoods but doesn't stop their spread.
  *   Livestock and wildlife can both contribute to invasive species dispersal.
  *   Control strategies: Stocking rates, fencing, targeted grazing, and fire (with limits).
  *   Cultural perspectives: Diverging views between pastoralists and conservationists on what defines a "healthy" grassland.
  *   Monitoring & Indicators: Ongoing efforts to create a global monitoring framework with core biodiversity indicators.

  *   Takeaways

  *   Invasives must be prevented and actively managed-not normalized through "sustainable use" narratives.
  *   Introduced pasture systems can offer benefits if managed wisely, and are sometimes a viable sustainable solution especially where land use competition is high (e.g. in productive grasslands of South America) but can pose long-term ecological risks.
  *   Sustainability requires integrated landscape planning, technical support, long-term investment, and policy coherence.
  *   Cross-sector collaboration is key to balancing ecological, economic, and social goals.

  *   Links that were shared during the discussion:

  *   Annual grass invasions and wildfire deplete ecosystem carbon storage by >50% to resistant base levels https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01795-9<https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/FouoCzqg1Dim0YpO0C4fDi9p5E8?domain=nature.com>
  *   Invasive species and ecological restoration in indigenous knowledge systems https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/24/1.0394715/4<https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/46DgCA8EBzt1vK3Gvi8hviG_6sE?domain=open.library.ubc.ca>
  *   Technologies applied 'against' invasive species Search SLM Data | WOCAT<https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/l5cQCB1GDATlgX9zgINiBi2qCYm?domain=wocat.net>
  *   Biological control of invasive species: https://www.cabi.org/what-we-do/cabi-centres/biological-control-of-invasive-plants/<https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Lka1CDwKGDTORLKDRtZsPijlU2s?domain=cabi.org/>

I would also like to share with you a blog I recently published on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration website about restoring grasslands and savannahs with some examples of ongoing restoration efforts from the WWF Network: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/restoring-grasslands-and-savannahs-reviving-planets-overlooked-powerhouses<https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/7dhwCEKLJEt6Q8JkQCZt2i7Reu5?domain=decadeonrestoration.org>

All the best,
Leonie

[cid:image001.png at 01DBFAF4.A369DD70]

Leonie Meier
Global Lead Ecosystem Restoration and Grasslands & Savannahs

WWF International <file://it/Automatisierung/GP/ci/ci/ci-manager/editor/http:/www.wwf.de> | Reinhardtstr. 18 | 10117 Berlin | DE
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