Biological control of South African plants that are invasive elsewhere in the world: A review of earlier and current programmes
- Olckers, Terence, Coetzee, Julie A, Egli, Daniella, Martin, Grant D, Paterson, Iain D, Sutton, Guy F, Wood, Alan R
- Authors: Olckers, Terence , Coetzee, Julie A , Egli, Daniella , Martin, Grant D , Paterson, Iain D , Sutton, Guy F , Wood, Alan R
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414336 , vital:71137 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a21"
- Description: South Africa supports a rich floral diversity, with 21 643 native plant taxa that include a high proportion (76.3%) of endemic species, and many of these favoured as ornamentals, both locally and globally. Consequently, South Africa has contributed substantially to global plant invasions, with 1093 native taxa (5% of all species) naturalized in other countries. At least 80 taxa are invasive in natural or semi-natural ecosystems elsewhere, while an additional 132 taxa are potentially invasive. Of the global naturalized flora, 8.2% originate from South Africa and largely comprise species of Poaceae, Asteraceae, Iridaceae and Fabaceae. Australia, in particular, but also Europe and North America are major recipients of South African weeds. However, few countries have targeted South African plants for biological control (biocontrol), with most efforts undertaken by Australia. Previous and current targets have involved only 26 species with 17 agents (15 insects, one mite and one rust fungus) of South African origin released on five target species in Australia and the United States of America. South Africa’s history of weed biocontrol, together with a large cohort of active scientists, is currently facilitating several internationally funded programmes targeting invasive plants of South African origin. In particular, the recently inaugurated Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have provided the impetus for novel efforts on five new target species and renewed efforts on four previously targeted species. In this contribution, we review the history of earlier biocontrol programmes against weeds of South African origin and the status of projects currently in progress in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Olckers, Terence , Coetzee, Julie A , Egli, Daniella , Martin, Grant D , Paterson, Iain D , Sutton, Guy F , Wood, Alan R
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414336 , vital:71137 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a21"
- Description: South Africa supports a rich floral diversity, with 21 643 native plant taxa that include a high proportion (76.3%) of endemic species, and many of these favoured as ornamentals, both locally and globally. Consequently, South Africa has contributed substantially to global plant invasions, with 1093 native taxa (5% of all species) naturalized in other countries. At least 80 taxa are invasive in natural or semi-natural ecosystems elsewhere, while an additional 132 taxa are potentially invasive. Of the global naturalized flora, 8.2% originate from South Africa and largely comprise species of Poaceae, Asteraceae, Iridaceae and Fabaceae. Australia, in particular, but also Europe and North America are major recipients of South African weeds. However, few countries have targeted South African plants for biological control (biocontrol), with most efforts undertaken by Australia. Previous and current targets have involved only 26 species with 17 agents (15 insects, one mite and one rust fungus) of South African origin released on five target species in Australia and the United States of America. South Africa’s history of weed biocontrol, together with a large cohort of active scientists, is currently facilitating several internationally funded programmes targeting invasive plants of South African origin. In particular, the recently inaugurated Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have provided the impetus for novel efforts on five new target species and renewed efforts on four previously targeted species. In this contribution, we review the history of earlier biocontrol programmes against weeds of South African origin and the status of projects currently in progress in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Field-based ecological studies to assess prospective biological control agents for invasive alien plants: An example from giant rat's tail grass
- Sutton, Guy F, Canavan, Kim N, Day, Michael M, Paterson, Iain D
- Authors: Sutton, Guy F , Canavan, Kim N , Day, Michael M , Paterson, Iain D
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423756 , vital:72091 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13834"
- Description: Biological control (biocontrol) of invasive alien plants is a widely utilised weed management tool. Prospective biocontrol agents are typically assessed through host specificity testing and pre-release efficacy studies performed in quarantine. However, rearing of the potential biocontrol agents and/or test plants is often difficult or impossible under quarantine conditions. Moreover, practitioners may attain laboratory artefacts in quarantine, which may result in the potential agent being needlessly rejected. Field-based studies in the weed's indigenous distribution could overcome these issues.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Sutton, Guy F , Canavan, Kim N , Day, Michael M , Paterson, Iain D
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423756 , vital:72091 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13834"
- Description: Biological control (biocontrol) of invasive alien plants is a widely utilised weed management tool. Prospective biocontrol agents are typically assessed through host specificity testing and pre-release efficacy studies performed in quarantine. However, rearing of the potential biocontrol agents and/or test plants is often difficult or impossible under quarantine conditions. Moreover, practitioners may attain laboratory artefacts in quarantine, which may result in the potential agent being needlessly rejected. Field-based studies in the weed's indigenous distribution could overcome these issues.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Progress and prospects for the biological control of invasive alien grasses Poaceae) in South Africa
- Sutton, Guy F, Bownes, Angela, Visser, Vernon, Mapaura, Anthony, Canavan, Kim N
- Authors: Sutton, Guy F , Bownes, Angela , Visser, Vernon , Mapaura, Anthony , Canavan, Kim N
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414448 , vital:71147 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a12"
- Description: Historically, invasive alien grasses have not been considered a major threat in South Africa, and as a result, very few resources are allocated to their management. However, there is an increasing awareness of the severe environmental and socio-economic impacts of invasive grasses and the need for appropriate management options for their control. South Africa has a long history of successfully implementing weed biological control (biocontrol) to manage invasive alien plants, however much like the rest of the world, invasive grasses do not feature prominently as targets for biocontrol. The implementation and early indicators of success of the few grass biocontrol programmes globally and the finding that grasses can be suitable targets, suggests that biocontrol could start to play an important role in managing invasive alien grasses in South Africa. In this paper, we evaluated the prospects for implementing novel grass biocontrol projects over the next ten years against 48 grasses that have been determined to represent the highest risk based on their current environmental and economic impacts. The grasses were ranked in order of priority using the Biological Control Target Selection system. Five grasses were prioritised – Arundo donax L., Cortaderia jubata (Lem.) Stapf, Cortaderia selloana (Schult and Schult) Asch. and Graebn., Nassella trichotoma (Hack. ex Arech.), and Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb., based on attributes that make them suitable biocontrol targets. Arundo donax has already been the target of a biocontrol programme in South Africa. We reviewed the progress made towards the biocontrol of this species and discuss how this programme could be developed going forward. Moreover, we outline how biocontrol could be implemented to manage the remaining four high-priority targets. While biocontrol of grasses is not without its challenges (e.g. unresolved taxonomies, conflicts of interest and a lack of supporting legislation), South Africa has an opportunity to learn from existing global research and begin to invest in biocontrol of high-priority species that are in most need of control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Progress and prospects for the biological control of invasive alien grasses Poaceae) in South Africa
- Authors: Sutton, Guy F , Bownes, Angela , Visser, Vernon , Mapaura, Anthony , Canavan, Kim N
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414448 , vital:71147 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a12"
- Description: Historically, invasive alien grasses have not been considered a major threat in South Africa, and as a result, very few resources are allocated to their management. However, there is an increasing awareness of the severe environmental and socio-economic impacts of invasive grasses and the need for appropriate management options for their control. South Africa has a long history of successfully implementing weed biological control (biocontrol) to manage invasive alien plants, however much like the rest of the world, invasive grasses do not feature prominently as targets for biocontrol. The implementation and early indicators of success of the few grass biocontrol programmes globally and the finding that grasses can be suitable targets, suggests that biocontrol could start to play an important role in managing invasive alien grasses in South Africa. In this paper, we evaluated the prospects for implementing novel grass biocontrol projects over the next ten years against 48 grasses that have been determined to represent the highest risk based on their current environmental and economic impacts. The grasses were ranked in order of priority using the Biological Control Target Selection system. Five grasses were prioritised – Arundo donax L., Cortaderia jubata (Lem.) Stapf, Cortaderia selloana (Schult and Schult) Asch. and Graebn., Nassella trichotoma (Hack. ex Arech.), and Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb., based on attributes that make them suitable biocontrol targets. Arundo donax has already been the target of a biocontrol programme in South Africa. We reviewed the progress made towards the biocontrol of this species and discuss how this programme could be developed going forward. Moreover, we outline how biocontrol could be implemented to manage the remaining four high-priority targets. While biocontrol of grasses is not without its challenges (e.g. unresolved taxonomies, conflicts of interest and a lack of supporting legislation), South Africa has an opportunity to learn from existing global research and begin to invest in biocontrol of high-priority species that are in most need of control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
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