The exotic invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus is invading rangelands in Africa while causing negative effects on the biodiversity, environment, economy, and human and animal health because eco-friendly control methods are lacking. We conducted experiments to investigate the suppressive effects of forage legume plant species; Desmodium intortum (Fabaceae), Lablab purpureus (Fabaceae), and Medicago sativa (Fabaceae) in suppressing the growth of Parthenium hysterophorus. Parthenium hysterophorus growth was suppressed when grown with fodder plant species at high density. However, the effect was mediated by the presence of Lablab purpureus. Our work highlights the importance of competitive native plant diversity and density in rangeland management. Moreover, this control method could be part of an integrated control toolkit being deployed in a community-based approach in other countries.

Droughts have varied impacts on social and ecological rangeland systems in the Northern Rockies region of the United States. We used a participatory methodology, grounded in local conditions and including multiple stakeholder groups, to create visions for increased drought resilience. Visions for increased drought resilience were focused on three themes: sustaining ranching livelihoods, supporting functioning ecosystems, and building social connections. Participatory research suggests drought interventions must consider the local context of resources and vulnerabilities in order to enact sustainable and acceptable future change.