Lessons from Local Community Perspectives on Ecosystem Services and Disservices of Invasive Alien Plant Species in Speke Gulf, Lake Victoria, Tanzania

Assessing and documenting the impacts of biological invasions on ecosystems driven by environmental change, such as invasive plant species, is critical. However, little is known about local perspectives on invasive species, especially in Tanzania's lake zones. We used social surveys and interviews to identify local communities' perceptions of the ecosystem services (ES) and ecosystem disservices (EDS) provided by selected invasive plant species, including Argemone mexicana, Chromolaena odorata, Eichhornia crassipes, Ipomoea hildebrandtii, and Lantana camara. Overall, 81% of the respondents acknowledged the negative impacts of the species (EDS), and 19% acknowledged the positive effects (ES). The noted ES were a source of livestock fodder (41%), medicinal value (35%), and a fuel source (33%). On the other hand, the highest ecosystem disservices (EDS) were resource costs at 77% and reduced plant diversity at 74. %, and Biodiversity loss at 73%. The results from the logistic regression model suggest that education level and village location were significant predictors of the likelihood of experiencing ES and EDS from invasive plant species. At the same time, age and gender did not affect the results. Again, the respondents reported that E. crassipes is the costliest in terms of time and money, at 42% and 38%, respectively. The most reported outcomes for the control methods did not decrease for E. crassipes (70%) and L. camara (66%). Evaluating local knowledge and perspectives on invasive species offers valuable insights that can inform future biodiversity conservation planning and decision-making.