Colombia farmers fight fire-prone gorse before El Nino

Farmers near Bogota are cutting out invasive gorse, a highly flammable shrub, as Colombia prepares for wildfire risks linked to the El Nino weather pattern.

In Cogua municipality, farmer Albert Montano and other workers are removing Ulex europaeus, commonly known as gorse, from land where they fear its yellow flowers and thorny branches could help fires spread.

Gorse arrived in Colombia from Europe in the mid-20th century and spread from the capital to other areas, including paramo ecosystems, the high-altitude moors that store much of the country's water. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as one of the world's 100 most aggressive invasive species.

Biologist and invasive plant expert Edinson Sesquile said higher temperatures promote seed dispersal. He said that without a coordinated approach, current work amounts to containment rather than permanent eradication.

The group working near Cogua collects about 1,500 kilograms of gorse each day from roughly 170 square metres. Some affected communities have used agrochemicals or burned the plant, though burning carries wildfire risks.

In nearby Zipaquira, organic waste company Adaptica is turning the plant into pellets, a biofuel more common in Europe than in Colombia. Daniel Jimenez, the company's production director, said the process uses the plant “from the root to the flower.”