Seed bank and growth comparisons of native (Virgilia divaricata ) and invasive alien (Acacia mearnsii and A. melanoxylon ) plants: implications for conservation

PeerJ
Stefan A GoetsKeith M Little

Abstract

Invasive alien plants with long-lived dormant seed banks and fast growth rates are difficult to manage. Acacia mearnsii and Acacia melanoxylon are two such invaders in the southern Cape of South Africa which occasionally co-occur with a native, ecologically analogous species, Virgilia divaricata. We compared the performance of these three species to determine potential for the native species to be used in management of the invasives. We compared the study species in terms of (i) soil seed bank densities, their vertical distribution, and the viability of seeds underneath the canopies of mature trees; (ii) seedling growth from planted seeds over a period of three months; and (iii) growth rates of saplings over a period of 10 months in stands that have naturally regenerated in the field (these stands were dominated by A. mearnsii) and where saplings have been exposed to varying levels of competition from surrounding saplings. Seed bank densities differed significantly among species but not among soil depth classes. Acacia mearnsii had the highest seed bank densities (mean of 7,596 seeds m-2), followed by V. divaricata (938 seeds m-2) and A. melanoxylon (274 seeds m-2). Seed viability was high (87-91%) in all three study species an...Continue Reading

References

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