ABSTRACT
The human dimensions of invasive plants have received some attention (McNeely, 2001), but the focus of the research has been on developed countries. Although most instances of invasive plant species have been reported from and investigated in the temperate zones and a limited number of publications focusing on the tropics have been produced, tropical systems are far from immune from invasive organisms (Binggeli, 1996). This review focuses solely on plants in tropical Africa and surrounding islands (for a global review of invasive woody plants, see Binggeli, 2001a) and aims to highlight how populations with a low standard of living and restricted access to the modern world perceive introduced and invasive species. The impacts of invasives on human daily activities in relation to socio-economic factors, occasionally leading to conflicts of interest between different stakeholder groups, are reviewed. Scientific activities in relation to invasive species are also investigated. In view of the dearth of publications on the topic and the difficulty in tracing information, this paper can only hope to bring a preliminary account on the way in which introduced and invasive plants are viewed, used and managed in tropical Africa.
