RJ23031Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) shrub intrusion on wildlife foraging rangelands in the Ruaha National Park
The association between the rapidly encroaching plant apple of sodom (Calotropis procera) and the understorey plant cover and environmental variabless such as soil pH, humidity, light intensity, and soil temperature in wildlife grazing land was investigated in Ruaha National Park, south of Tanzania. The findings demonstrated that the apple of sodom decreases the canopy cover of understorey herbaceous plants and, further, it changes the pH of the soil, hence reducing percentage cover of forage plant species for wildlife. It is therefore emphasised that control efforts are needed promptly to stop the spread of the encroaching plants that have shown properties of invasiveness.