Why in news
The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department has launched an afforestation drive with the goal of increasing the state's green cover to over 33% of its geographical area.
As part of this initiative, the department has advised authorities to select trees from a recommended list of 25 indigenous species for planting.
It directed not to plant three exotic species, considered detrimental to the environment and human health
Exotic plants
Exotic plants are those that are not native to the area in which they are growing.
Some common exotic plants that are grown in gardens include bromeliads, orchids, cacti, and succulents.
These plants often require special care, as they may not be accustomed to the local climate or soil.
Exotic tree species grow faster than their indigenous counterpart.
They can also be more profitable than native tree plantations in terms of timber.
The exotic species like Eucalyptus species are fast growing and were introduced for paper and pulp production as well as oil production.
Poplar and Prosopis juliflora were mostly planted for curbing desertification.
These trees are also grown in commercial purpose for their high market value.
These species are more dominant in comparison to the native species, as they easily acclimatize to the environment.
Several of them turn out to be invasive and interfere with the delicate balance of ecosystems.
Since these plants easily acclimatize with their surroundings, they spread fast.
Soon enough, we have higher population of exotic plants than native ones in our forests.
This causes a cascade of changes where the organisms which are dependent on these native plants are adversely affected
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