Editing IPCC:AR6/SRCCL/Chapter-3 (section)

==== 3.7.3.3 Mexico ====

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Buffelgrass ( ''Cenchrus ciliaris'' L.), a native species from southern Asia and East Africa, was introduced into Texas and northern Mexico in the 1930s and 1940s, as it is highly productive in drought conditions (Cox et al. 1988; Rao et al. 1996). In the Sonoran desert of Mexico, the distribution of buffelgrass has increased exponentially, covering 1 Mha in Sonora State (Castellanos-Villegas et al. 2002 <sup>[[#fn:r1637|1637]]</sup> ). Furthermore, its potential distribution extended to 53% of Sonora State and 12% of semi-arid and arid ecosystems in Mexico (Arriaga et al. 2004 <sup>[[#fn:r1638|1638]]</sup> ). Buffelgrass has also been reported as an aggressive invader in Australia and the USA, resulting in altered fire cycles that enhance further spread of this plant and disrupt ecosystem processes (Marshall et al. 2012 <sup>[[#fn:r1639|1639]]</sup> ; Miller et al. 2010 <sup>[[#fn:r1641|1641]]</sup> ; Schlesinger et al. 2013 <sup>[[#fn:r1642|1642]]</sup> ).

Castellanos et al. (2016) reported that soil moisture was lower in the buffelgrass savannah cleared 35 years ago than in the native semi-arid shrubland, mainly during the summer. The ecohydrological changes induced by buffelgrass can therefore displace native plant species over the long term. Invasion by buffelgrass can also affect landscape productivity, as it is not as productive as native vegetation (Franklin and Molina-Freaner 2010 <sup>[[#fn:r1643|1643]]</sup> ). Incorporation of buffelgrass is considered a good management practice by producers and the government. For this reason, no remedial actions are undertaken.

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