Forest Structural Conditions Influence the Success of Invasive Plant Management: A Review of Mikania micarantha, Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata in South Asia

Effective management of invasive plant species (IPS) is important for protecting biological diversity and sustaining ecosystem services. Studies focusing on the invasive pattern and species-specific impacts are widely available, but those examining the effectiveness of management interventions across ecological contexts are scattered. In particular, the mechanism underlying the continued effectiveness of the IPS management approach remained inadequately understood and documented. Altogether 43 peer-reviewed articles (published from 2000 to 2024) were examined to synthesize the management approaches for three globally important IPS-Mikania micrantha, Lantana camara, and Chromolaena odorata. The review showed that the management interventions included mechanical, biological, chemical, and forest management approaches. However, most of these approaches are implemented on a short-term basis. The frequent reinvasion indicates that these IPS cannot be effectively addressed through short-term, single-method interventions alone. Instead, interventions that focus on the forest’s structural condition have been found to control reinvasion and provide more sustainable outcomes than single species-specific interventions. This review paper recommends context-specific adaptive management interventions to enhance the long-term effectiveness of IPS management in forest ecosystems.