scholarly journals Lantana camara invasion along road–river interchanges and roadsides in Soutpansberg, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 116 (9/10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheunesua Ruwanza ◽  
Edward S. Mhlongo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Invasion ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Lantana Camara ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Shrub ◽  
Solanum Mauritianum ◽  
Road Survey

Roads and rivers act as conduits of alien plant invasion; however, little is known regarding the abundance and invasion extent of Lantana camara, an invasive shrub, along road–river interchanges and roadsides in South Africa. We assessed the effects of road–river interchanges and roadsides as invasion corridors that facilitate L. camara invasion. A road survey method was used to measure the invasion extent of L. camara along road–river interchanges and roadsides from national and regional roads covering 446 km in Soutpansberg, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. L. camara occurred along 21 of the 48 surveyed road–river interchanges and its abundance and cover were similar between road–river interchanges and roadsides, although height and diameter of L. camara were greater along road–river interchanges than roadsides. Other alien species that dominated road–river interchanges were Solanum mauritianum, Caesalpinia decapetala and Rubus rigidus. Our results indicate that L. camara dominates both road–river interchanges and roadsides, therefore roads and bridges should be considered important targets for L. camara control.

scholarly journals Shola tree regeneration is lower under Lantana camara L. thickets in the upper Nilgiris plateau, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 14562-14568
Author(s):  
Muneer Ul Islam Najar ◽  
Jean-Philippe Puyravaud ◽  
Priya Davidar
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Lantana Camara ◽  
Regeneration Potential ◽  
Invasive Shrub ◽  
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Different Levels

Lantana camara is a dominant invasive shrub in many protected areas of India including the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).  We conducted a study to assess the regeneration potential of endemic native (shola) trees under different levels of Lantana infestation in the upper plateau of NBR.  A total of 61 plots in a total area of 0.73ha were sampled, out of which 0.57ha was in Lantana dominated sites and 0.16ha in undisturbed shola forests.  The plots were classified as per the level of Lantana infestation (intensive, moderate, and low infestation). We found that regeneration of shola trees, including endemics decreased with increasing intensity of Lantana invasion.  No regeneration occurred in the intensively infested plots whereas regeneration was high in undisturbed shola forests.  

scholarly journals Origins of Alien Species and Plant Invasion in India as Tapped from Kurma Purana

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-142
Author(s):  
Dinkarrao Amrutrao Patil
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Invasion ◽  
Indian Territory ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Plant Names ◽  
Literary Heritage

Ancient Sanskrit Puranas are literary heritage of India. They are studied from different perspectives but appeared largely neglected from the viewpoint of plant invasion in Indian territory. The present attempt dealt with the alien plant species as encoded in Sanskrit plant names in various verses of Kurma Purana. As many as 24 alien plant species belong to 23 genera of 16 families of angiosperms. They are analysed carefully floristically, habital categories and status regarding cultivation or naturalization. They are also studied for their nativity consulting relevant taxonomic literature. The data indirectly also indicated about utilities and awareness about classification of plants based on habits. Such investigations are warranted for better understanding of the development of natural wealth in past.

Maireana brevifolia (Chenopodiaceae: Camphorosmeae), a new naturalized alien plant species in South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mucina ◽  
D. A. Snijman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
South African ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
The South ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
African Flora

We describe and discuss the distribution of a new, naturalized alien species, Maireana brevifolia (R.Br.) Paul G.Wilson (Chenopodiaceae), a native of Australia, in the western regions of South Africa. First discovered near Worcester, Western Cape in 1976, the species is now established in disturbed karoo shrubby rangelands, along dirt roads and on saline alluvia, from northern Namaqualand to the western Little Karoo. In the South African flora, M. brevifolia is most easily confused with the indigenous Bassia salsoloides (Fenzl) A.J.Scott, from which it is distinguished by the flat to cup-shaped and almost glabrous perianth with woolly-ciliate lobes, and the hardened and winged fruiting perianth.

scholarly journals Impacts of alien plant invasions on species richness in Mediterranean-type ecosystems: a meta-analysis

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirijam Gaertner ◽  
Alana Den Breeyen ◽  
Cang Hui ◽  
David M. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Native Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Type Ecosystems

Besides a general consensus regarding the negative impact of invasive alien species in the literature, only recently has the decline of native species attributable to biological invasions begun to be quantified in many parts of the world. The cause-effect relationship between the establishment and proliferation of alien species and the extinction of native species is, however, seldom demonstrated. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) to examine: (1) whether invasion of alien plant species indeed causes a reduction in the number of native plant species at different spatial and temporal scales; (2) which growth forms, habitat types and areas are most affected by invasions; and (3) which taxa are most responsible for native species richness declines. Our results confirm a significant decline in native species richness attributable to alien invasions. Studies conducted at small scales or sampled over long periods reveal stronger impacts of alien invasion than those at large spatial scales and over short periods. Alien species from regions with similar climates have much stronger impacts, with the native species richness in South Africa and Australia declining significantly more post-invasion than for European sites. Australian Acacia species in South Africa accounted for the most significant declines in native species richness. Among the different growth forms of alien plants, annual herbs, trees and creepers had the greatest impact, whereas graminoids generally caused insignificant changes to the native community. Native species richness of shrublands, old fields and dune vegetation showed significant declines, in contrast to insignificant declines for forest habitats.

scholarly journals Main directions of the study of plant invasions in Russia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 45-56
Author(s):  
Valeriy K. Tokhtar ◽  
Yulia K. Vinogradova ◽  
Alexander A. Notov ◽  
Аndrey Yu. Kurskoy ◽  
Elena S. Danilova
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Plant Invasion ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Multivariate Statistical Methods ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Flora

Abstract This article is focused on the analysis of major approaches to plant invasion research used by Russian researchers. They fall within three main groups: 1. Conventional approaches to floristic analysis based on the Russian scientific tradition of floristic research, 2. Approaches focused on the study of the fraction of invasive flora, making blacklists and regional Black books, 3. New comprehensive approaches based on a synthesis of methods used in botany, geo-information technology and population genetics. Multivariate statistical methods allow for the visualization of various data, including those on alien species group structures in various regions. They make it possible to identify boundaries of ecological niches occupied by plants in respect to climate-and-environmental or ecological variables. An assessment of current statistical interdependence between alien plant characteristics and scores of factors limiting their dissemination facilitates the making of predictive models of plant invasion. Examples of multivariate statistical methods used in invasion biology were analyzed, along with different approaches to the study of the variability of alien species. Alien and invasive fractions of the flora of the Trans-Siberian Railway were analyzed not by administrative units but by natural biomes. This approach allowed us to assess the correlation between the number of invasive species with different natural-climatic and floristic characteristics of biomes. The publication of "Black Books" of various administrative subjects of Russia according to a unified methodology allowed us to make an inventory of invasive species over the vast territory of the country. The experience gained by Russian researchers may be further used for developing universal approaches to plant invasion research.

scholarly journals Once upon a time in the far south: Influence of local drivers and functional traits on plant invasion in the harsh sub-Antarctic islands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuele Bazzichetto ◽  
François Massol ◽  
Marta Carboni ◽  
Jonathan Lenoir ◽  
Lembrechts Jonas J ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Alien Species ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Plant Invasion ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Alien Plant

AbstractAimHere, we aim to: (i) investigate the local effect of environmental and human-related factors on alien plant invasion in sub-Antarctic islands; (ii) explore the relationship between alien species features and their dependence on anthropogenic propagule pressure; and (iii) unravel key traits conferring invasiveness in the sub-Antarctic.LocationPossession Island, Crozet archipelago (French sub-Antarctic islands).TaxonNon-native vascular plants (Poaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Juncaceae).MethodsSingle-species distribution models were used to explore the effect of high-resolution topoclimatic and human-related variables on the occurrence of six of the most aggressive alien plants colonizing French sub-Antarctic islands. Furthermore, the interaction between alien species traits and their response to anthropogenic propagule pressure was analysed by means of a multi-species distribution model. This allowed identifying the features of species that were associated to low dependence on human-assisted introductions, and were thus potentially more invasive.ResultsWe observed two main invasion patterns: low-spread species strongly dependent on anthropogenic propagule pressure and high-spread species limited mainly by harsh climatic conditions. Differences in invasiveness across species mostly related to their residence time, life history and plant height, with older introductions, perennial and low-stature species being more invasive.Main conclusionsThe availability of high-resolution data improved our understanding of the role of environmental and human-related factors in driving alien species distribution on sub-Antarctic islands. At the same time, the identification of alien species features conferring invasiveness may help anticipating future problematic invasions.

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