Invasive Alien Plant Species: An Exploration of Social Aspect and Phytoremediation Acceptability

Abstract

Reduction and degradation of several types of soil contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, emerging contaminants, etc. are one of the major serious global challenges in the present scenario. For removal of heavy metals from the environment, various physical and chemical methods are used with some limitations like high cost, intensive labor, alteration of soil properties, etc. which make it problematic at application level. In the present time, science offers a green technique, i.e., phytoremediation; plants are capable of uptake, translocate, transform, and immobilize hazardous metals and reduced their toxicity and concentration in the environment. So, there is an increasing interest in utilization of “invasive alien species” among plant’s kingdom in a productive way due to its easy availability, adaptability to changing climate, alternative mode of reproduction, phenotypic plasticity, and allelopathic in nature. These characteristics also make them more suitable for survival in high stress conditions. They can be used not only as a bioresource, but also as a method for the management of heavy metal polluted land. Invasive alien species are also source of medicines, fodders, and biofuel or bioenergy. The present chapter is focused on exploration of invasive alien plant species for various social aspects and phytoremediation of the heavy metal contaminated land. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.