Botanical Institute.

Effective management of invading alien plants in natural and semi-natural systems is imperative if we are to prevent enormous impacts. An integrated approach involving the combined use of range of methods is usually necessary to control invasive alien plants effectively. The various methods that are available are usually classified as follows: • Mechanical methods (felling, removing of invading alien plants, often in conjunction with burning); • Chemical methods (using environmentally safe herbicides); • Biological control (using species-specific insects and diseases from the alien plant's country of origin). Approaches available for integrated control depend on the species under consideration (features of individual species and the number and identity of species that occur together), features of the invaded systems, the availability of resources and other factors. Mechanical and chemical control are short-term activities, whereas rigorous and disciplined follow-up and rehabilitation are necessary in the medium term. Biological control can provide effective control in the shor