Invasiveness and soil and water depletion
It is considered a noxious weed in Australia and Venzuela where it smothers native grasses (Smith, 1995 cited by Csurhes et al., 1998).Gamba grass infestations have spread extensively across various landscapes where it has significantly altered soil-nutrient cycles and water cycles as it requires more nutrients and water than native grasses (DAF, 2020)
Fire risk
Dense stands of ungrazed, dry gamba grass constitute fuel reserves that can yield intense fires in the late dry season in Australia and damage native plant communities (Csurhes et al., 1998). Gamba tussocks recover well after fire, thus suppressing native species (Cook et al., 2020)
Soil reclamation
Gamba grass has been used for reclaiming overgrazed and eroded land (Quattrocchi, 2006).