刺槐被引入作为环境援助，因为它提供了柴火的替代品，有助于稳定土壤，并支持退化土地的恢复。然而，其快速生长使其在许多种植地区迅速蔓延。由此形成的灌木丛可能取代本地植被并减少放牧区，而该树的花粉、刺以及对蚊子种群的潜在影响也带来了额外的健康问题。2020年《植物》期刊的一篇题为《入侵性刺槐（Prosopis juliflora）：过敏与健康挑战》的综述探讨了这些风险。
Mesquite was introduced as an environmental aid because it offered an alternative to firewood, helped stabilize soil, and supported the restoration of degraded land. However, its rapid growth has allowed it to spread aggressively in many places where it was planted. The resulting thickets can displace native vegetation and reduce grazing areas, while the tree's pollen, thorns, and potential effects on mosquito populations pose additional health concerns.A 2020 review in Plants, titled Invasive Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), an Allergy and Health Challenge, examines these risks.
该文描述了刺槐在20世纪70年代和80年代如何进入埃塞俄比亚，用于土壤和水资源保护，并在20世纪80年代被种植在肯尼亚巴林戈湖附近，以解决柴火短缺问题。阿拉伯联合酋长国也在20世纪70年代引入了刺槐，作为绿化干旱景观努力的一部分。其快速生长、广泛的根系以及固氮能力使其在土地恢复方面具有吸引力，但这些特性也帮助它在多个引入地区建立并激烈扩散。
The paper describes how Prosopis juliflora reached Ethiopia in the 1970s and 1980s for soil and water conservation and was planted near Lake Baringo in Kenya in the 1980s to address fuelwood shortages. The United Arab Emirates also introduced it in the 1970s as part of efforts to green arid landscapes. Its rapid growth, extensive root system, and ability to fix nitrogen made it attractive for land restoration, but these characteristics also helped it establish and spread aggressively in several introduced regions.
花粉、刺与蚊子刺槐花粉可引发鼻炎、结膜炎和哮喘等呼吸道过敏。2020年的综述报告称，在沙特阿拉伯卡西姆地区接受检测的患者中，对刺槐过敏原的皮肤试验阳性反应达到76.1%，而在霍夫夫仅为11%。在印度，220名呼吸道过敏患者中有71人对刺槐花粉提取物呈阳性。开花期可延长对花粉的暴露时间。综述描述了德里部分地区全年开花，以及巴西和海地入侵地区的开花期延长。
Pollen, thorns, and mosquitoesMesquite pollen can trigger respiratory allergies such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. The 2020 review reports that positive skin-test reactions to mesquite allergens reached 76.1% among patients tested in Qassim, Saudi Arabia, compared with 11% in Hofuf. In India, 71 of 220 people with respiratory allergies tested positive to a mesquite pollen extract. Flowering can prolong exposure to the pollen. The review describes year-round flowering in parts of Delhi and extended flowering in invaded regions of Brazil and Haiti.
该树的长而硬的刺构成另一种危险。它们可以刺穿皮肤，断裂的刺尖有时会残留在皮肤内，可能导致感染。2020年的论文引用了肯尼亚因刺伤导致住院以及苏丹因刺伤导致截肢的报告。
The tree's long, hard thorns pose another danger. They can penetrate the skin, with broken thorn tips sometimes remaining embedded and potentially leading to infections. The 2020 paper cites reports of hospitalizations in Kenya and amputations in Sudan linked to thorn injuries.
刺槐也可能通过提供树液和花蜜来支持蚊子种群。评论中讨论的马里2019年实验发现，移除该树木可使蚊子数量减少69.4%。能够携带疟疾的以糖为食的雌蚊比例从73%降至15%。刺槐在占其饮食较大比例时也可能对牲畜造成危害。其坚硬的荚果可能损伤动物的牙齿和颚骨，而其高糖含量可能导致蛀牙并干扰进食。由于其足垫较软，骆驼尤其容易受到刺伤。
Mesquite may also support mosquito populations by providing sap and nectar. A 2019 experiment in Mali, discussed in the review, found that removing the tree reduced mosquito numbers by 69.4%. The proportion of sugar-fed female mosquitoes capable of carrying malaria fell from 73% to 15%.Mesquite can also harm livestock when it makes up a substantial proportion of their diet. Its hard pods can damage animals' teeth and jaws, while their high sugar content may contribute to tooth decay and interfere with feeding. Camels are particularly vulnerable to thorn injuries because of their soft footpads.
为何难以根除2024年发表于《前沿保护科学》的一篇综述考察了刺槐的生态和经济影响。该论文由埃塞俄比亚沃洛大学的阿莫格内·阿斯法乌·埃舍图撰写，描述了密集分布如何取代本地植物并减少放牧动物的饲料，给牧民社区带来额外压力。综述中讨论的埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区的两项调查显示，在一项调查中，84%的家庭认为刺槐不可取；而在另一项调查中，近90%的受访者对该树持负面看法。
Why it is so difficult to eliminateThe ecological and economic effects of mesquite are examined in a 2024 review published in Frontiers in Conservation Science. Written by Amogne Asfaw Eshetu of Wollo University in Ethiopia, the paper describes how dense stands displace native plants and reduce forage for grazing animals, placing additional pressure on pastoral communities. In two surveys from Ethiopia's Afar region discussed in the review, 84% of households in one considered mesquite undesirable, while nearly 90% of respondents in the other expressed negative views of the tree.
清除已建立的分布区并非易事。在埃塞俄比亚的阿瓦什地区，砍伐和焚烧被报告为劳动密集型、成本高昂且无效的方法，因为树木会迅速再生。然而，这并不意味着所有管理该树的方法效果相同。即使单靠砍伐和焚烧无法根除已建立的分布区，持续为商业目的进行采伐也能提供清除新生长的动力。刺槐也提供有用的产品。其硬木可用于生产木炭，其荚果可加工成动物饲料，其花朵可为蜂蜜生产提供花蜜。
Removing established stands is not straightforward. In Ethiopia's Awash region, cutting and burning were reported to be labor-intensive, expensive, and ineffective at eliminating mesquite because the trees regrew quickly. However, this does not mean every method of managing the tree has the same outcome. Sustained harvesting for commercial purposes can provide an incentive to clear new growth, even when cutting and burning alone fail to eradicate established stands. Mesquite also supplies useful products. Its hardwood is used to produce charcoal, its pods can be processed into animal feed, and its flowers provide nectar for honey production.
这些好处有助于解释为什么有些社区倾向于为经济利益而管理这种树木，而不是尝试彻底根除。在综述中，埃舍图引用了肯尼亚巴林戈县木炭生产大幅减少该树木蔓延的例子。在埃塞俄比亚的阿法尔地区，生产木炭和加工豆荚作为动物饲料的合作社一年内清理了超过396公顷（相当于约980英亩）的灌木丛。综述将商业利用呈现为控制刺槐蔓延的潜在手段，同时强调受其入侵威胁的各国之间合作的重要性。
These benefits help explain why some communities favor managing the tree for economic gain rather than attempting complete eradication. In the review, Eshetu cites examples in which charcoal production in Kenya's Baringo County has substantially reduced the spread of the tree. In Ethiopia's Afar region, cooperatives producing charcoal and milling pods for animal feed cleared more than 396 hectares, equivalent to about 980 acres, of thicket in one year. The review presents commercial use as a potential means of controlling mesquite's spread while emphasizing the importance of cooperation among countries threatened by its invasion.
刺槐的案例表明，旨在保护干旱地区的干预措施可能会带来额外的环境和经济问题。管理这种树木需要在保护本地植被和牧民生计与一些社区继续从中获得的实际利益之间取得平衡。
The case of mesquite demonstrates how an intervention intended to protect arid regions can create additional environmental and economic problems. Managing the tree requires balancing the protection of native vegetation and pastoral livelihoods with the practical benefits that some communities continue to derive from it.