The effect of the armored scale,Rhizaspidiotus donacis (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), on shoot growth of the invasive plant Arundo donax (Poaceae: Arundinoideae)

The effect of feeding by the armored scale, Rhizaspidiotus donacis (Leonardi, 1920) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on the growth of the plant Arundo donax L. (Poaceae) was evaluated under field conditions in its native range. The study was designed to evaluate the impact of R. donacis, a candidate agent for biological control of A. donax which is invasive in arid riparian ecosystems of the Southwestern USA and Mexico. The study was carried out at five A. donax sites in the Province of Alicante, Spain, differing in altitude and climate. At each site, 30 infested lateral shoots were selected and 15 were randomly treated monthly with imidacloprid insecticide. Shoot lengths were measured monthly over a 1-year period in a comparative growth analysis. Shoots infested with R. donacis had an over 2-fold reduced growth rate as compared to treated shoots. Growth of shoots varied by site, and the effect of R. donacis on growth was most pronounced in the late spring, when mature females produced first instar scale crawlers. The impact of R. donacis on A. donax growth under field conditions in the native range, combined with its narrow host specificity, indicate that R. donacis is a promising candidate for biological control of A. donax in North America and other areas invaded by this weed.     

Population Ecology of Hybrid Mesquite (Prosopis Species) in Western Australia: How Does it Differ from Native Range Invasions and What are the Implications for Impacts and Management?

Beneficial exotic trees and shrubs have been widely spread throughout semiarid and arid regions of the world. These trees and shrubs can however cause severe negative impacts. Mesquite (Prosopis species), native to the New World, is one example which continues to be promoted despite causing serious impacts both in its native and introduced ranges. We describe the population structure of the largest population of fire-tolerant hybrid mesquite (P. velutina × P. glandulosa var. glandulosa × P. pallida) in Australia, which was intentionally established in the 1930s. We compare it with invasive populations within its native range, and consider the implications for managing exotic mesquite invasions. We found relatively high juvenile densities at all levels of canopy cover (<30% to 90–100%), and low mortality rates for both juveniles and adults (<2%/y), which suggests that populations are still in an early phase of invasion. Exotic populations differed from native range populations in being more dense (average 4,859 adults/ha), having a sizable sapling (seedling and juvenile) bank that can remain quiescent under canopy cover (average 10,914 seedlings and juveniles/ha), failing to act as nurse plants for native shrubs (<8 native shrubs/ha), and almost totally excluding the herbaceous (grass) layer (average 0.3% cover). Our results suggest that ecosystem impacts in the introduced range are likely to be even worse, and management even more difficult, than has already been reported for invasions within its native range. The lack of feasible means for managing highly invasive, broad-scale mesquite populations need to be addressed, and needs to be considered explicitly when promoting mesquite as a beneficial plant.     

The Impact of the Weed Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata on Coastal Leaf Litter Invertebrates

In coastal areas of Australia, there are extensive infestations of the environmental weed Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata (bitou bush). This study looked at the impact of long-term infestations on the abundance and assemblage composition of leaf litter invertebrates. Assemblages were compared in weed infested and native shrublands along the New South Wales coastline over 12 months. The total abundance was not significantly reduced in the weedy habitat but the abundance of mites, thrips, spiders, ants, and centipedes was reduced at many sites. The invertebrate assemblages also differed between habitats, with the C. monilifera supporting a lower diversity of beetles. However, the millipedes, amphipods, earthworms, pseudoscorpions and isopods appeared to respond positively to the invasion, occurring in higher abundance and detected more frequently in the weedy areas. This has been partially attributed to a change in microclimate within the C. monilifera infestations. It is generally moister and darker, which these invertebrates tend to prefer. Secondly, C. monilifera produces less leaf litter of higher quality, and possibly higher palatability than the native sclerophyllous vegetation, which may encourage species that consume litter.     

Establishment and rapid spread of the bitou seed fly, Mesoclanis polana Munro (Diptera: Tephritidae), in eastern Australia

The establishment and spread of the seed fly Mesoclanis polana Munro, an introduced biological control agent for Chrysanthemoides monilifera (L.) Norlindh, is described. From an initial release of 124 adult flies in August 1996, the species occupied virtually the entire range of bitou bush by October 1998, from Rainbow Beach in the north to Tathra in the south, a distance of over 1200 km. Early data on abundance are provided.     

庐山外来植物物种

生物入侵正日益成为普遍关注的生态环境问题.在庐山野外调查的基础上,再结合庐山植物引种记录资料的分析,发现庐山引入的2285种植物中,有1301种是室外栽培的,其中有127种82属35科逸为野生,成为庐山的外来物种.通过对这127种外来物种从物种组成、生活型、引入时间和方式、原生地和入侵性进一步分析,可以看出:外来物种主要由菊科、玄参科、禾本科、石竹科和苋科组成,这5科含种数占到总种数的63%;外来物种绝大多数为草本植物,含114种,占总种数的86.76%;原生地主要来源北美洲、其次是欧洲和亚洲,大部分是有意引进,引种目的主要用于观赏,其次是药用;在庐山127种外来物种中,有70种是列于中国100主要外来入侵物种,可见其入侵性还是很强.     

红薯水提物对外来入侵植物喜旱莲子草生长的化感影响

从植物化感作用的角度,探索利用具有较高经济价值的本地植物或伴生的本地物种对入侵植物进行抑制和清除,是一种控制外来入侵植物行之有效的方法。本研究以本地作物红薯和入侵植物喜旱莲子草为试验对象,探究红薯不同部位(根、茎、叶)3个浓度(0.025、0.05、0.1 g·mL^-1)的水提物对喜旱莲子草的化感作用。以形态学指标(无性系小株个数、节数、叶片数、叶面积、株高、总干重和根数)、化感响应指数、性状比值(肉质化程度、根冠比、比叶面积、叶生物量比、茎生物量比、根生物量比)、新生叶片中过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)、丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)等作为衡量红薯对喜旱莲子草根状茎生长影响程度的参数。结果表明: 1)不同浓度不同部位红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草生长有不同影响。0.1 g·mL^-1根水提物显著抑制所有形态学指标,除总干重和根数外,其他形态学指标均随不同部位水提物浓度的升高而显著降低。2)所有处理的综合化感响应指数均为负值,说明红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草各指标具有负效应,抑制其正常生长。在所有处理中,0.1 g·mL^-1根水提物的化感抑制作用最强,化感响应指数为-0.73,其次为0.1 g·mL^-1茎水提物和0.05 g·mL^-1根水提物,化感响应指数均为-0.44。3)从性状比值可以看出,红薯水提物对肉质化程度、根冠比、比叶面积和叶生物量比有显著抑制作用,而对茎生物量比和根生物量比无显著性影响。4)红薯水提物显著增加新生叶片中丙二醛含量,显著降低超氧化物歧化酶含量,但对过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶无显著影响。表明红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草根状茎生长有显著抑制作用。