Abstract Worldwide, there is increasing recognition in the application of nature‐based solutions (NbS) that can be generated among others from nature‐based approaches (NbA) to restore degraded natural habitats. This paper reports systematic evidence established from performing a series of laboratory, screen house (ex situ) and field (in situ) experiments for over a decade to collate and communicate the effectiveness of NbA for managing ecosystems degraded by invasive plants. We first tested ex situ (2015–2017); the effect of Desmodium uncinatum leaf extracts and re‐seeding of a native grass Cynodon dactylon on the growth and development of selected species of the family Asteracea following a completely randomized design (CRD). We then tested in situ (2018–2020) by targeting invasive plants of the same family in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) by setting 12 pilot blocks of 28 × 28 m, following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The in situ trials were conducted to assess the effectiveness of C. dactylon re‐seeding, spraying of D. uncinatum leaf extract and D. uncinatum seeding on invasive plant species ground cover, native plant species diversity and invasive and native plants' seedling density. The in situ trials were then followed by a validation workshop (2020–2021) and later on (2022 onwards) the approach was up‐scaled. Compared to control plots, in situ we found that our NbA were able to reduce invasion by over 60%. The highest level of invasive plant suppression was observed when 6.65 g/m 2 of Bermuda grass ( Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers) and 100% Silver leaf Desmodium ( Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.) leaf extract were reseeded and sprayed, respectively. This improved forage species diversity by four species and reduced the number of germinated invasive plant seeds by over 85%. These two treatments further improved the soil seedbank of forage species by over 55%. Practical implication: Taken together with the ex situ evidence, the in situ evidence suggests that invasive plants, often dominated by the family Asteraceae , can be effectively controlled in sub‐Saharan Africa landscapes by our novel NbA while simultaneously restoring them. Our results inform wider landscape level restoration actions to prevent and mitigate further invasive plants' encroachment and associated negative effects.
Ngondya et al. (Tue,) studied this question.