Biological Control of Australian Acacia Species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Willd.) Nielsen (Mimosaceae) in South Africa

By F. Impson, C. Kleinjan, J. Hoffmann, J. A. Post, A. Wood. 2011

106 citations recorded by the source corpus.

In total, ten agent species have been released in South Africa for the biological control of ten invasive Australian Acacia species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Willd.) Nielsen (Mimosaceae). Besides a single fungal pathogen species which affects both reproductive and vegetative growth of its host plant, Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L.Wendl., there are nine herbivorous insect species which predominantly suppress the reproductive output of their host plants. These include five seed-feeding weevil species, two flower-galling fly species and two bud-galling wasp species. An indigenous basidiomycete fungus, which causes die-back disease of Acacia cyclops A. Cunn. ex G. Don, has also been investigated. During the last ten years, considerable effort has been directed at searching for new agents in Australia and in collecting additional material to bolster populations of recently-established agents in South Africa. Concurrently, ongoing evaluation studies in South Africa have measured the dynamics of the introduced agents as well as their impact on the vigour and fecundity of their host plants and the extent to which their damage is reducing the density, distribution and invasiveness of the Acacia species. Progress with all of these projects is reviewed.

Subfields: Cell Biology, Insect Science, Nature and Landscape Conservation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/afdc7f51f81a203e490ec0ed39a81e26ca68186a

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Cell Biology

1. Ian A. DICKIE
2. D. Peltzer
3. Martin A. Nuñez

In Insect Science

1. D. Richardson
2. John R. U. Wilson
3. Petr Pyšek
4. Lesley Henderson
5. Martin A. Nuñez
6. M. Rejmánek
7. B. V. van Wilgen
8. M. Arianoutsou

In Nature and Landscape Conservation

1. D. Richardson
2. John R. U. Wilson
3. Martin A. Nuñez
4. Petr Pyšek
5. M. Rejmánek
6. B. V. van Wilgen
7. Ian A. DICKIE
8. R. D. Zenni

Citations in the corpus

• Risk assessment, eradication, and biological control: global efforts to limit Australian acacia invasions (2011, background): “There are still many potential biological control agents that have not been fully assessed, including several reproductive feeders (Kolesik et al., 2010; Impson et al. 2011), but also, given the previous limitations on agent selection in South Africa, many root and stem borers (Impson et al. 2011).”
• Changes in the composition and distribution of alien plants in South Africa: An update from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas (2017, background): “…28 -0.19 Seed-feeder (1986) Substantial Acacia podalyriifolia Pearl acacia 57 82 44 -0.09 Seed-feeder (2008) Not determined Acacia elata Pepper tree wattle 35 51 46 -0.24 None Under investigation Source: Klein 2011; Impson et al. 2011; with the level of control as per the categories in Appendix 2c.”
• A native at home and abroad: the history, politics, ethics and aesthetics of acacias (2011, background): “South Africa remains the only country in the world to have a biological control programme against acacias (Impson et al., 2009).”
• Conflicting values: ecosystem services and invasive tree management (2013, methodology): “Use of lethal biological control remains blocked Stubbings 1977; Van Wilgen et al. 2011; Impson et al. 2009 South Africa.”