Successful Control of the Invasive Shrub<i>Chromolaena odorata</i>in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Beest, Mariska te; Howison, Owen; Howison, Ruth A.; Dew, L. Alexander; Poswa, Mandisa Mgobozi; Dumalisile, Lihle; Rensburg, S. Janse van; Terblanche, Colette

doi:10.1017/9781139382793.020

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…We hypothesized that grazers would respond more strongly to invasion by C. odorata than browsers, because C. odorata most strongly affects the grass layer and transforms grasslands to shrublands (Te Beest, Esler, et al., , Te Beest, Howison, et al., ). Our results confirmed this hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These results suggest that the focus of clearing programmes should be on the heavily invaded patches (>50% cover) to reduce immediate impacts (Gaertner et al., ), while at the same time managing low‐density areas to prevent them from becoming dense. This approach has been successfully implemented in HiP in the last ten years, albeit at a high economic cost (Te Beest, Howison, et al., ; Dew et al, ). Our results show that these clearing programmes have potential to restore animal habitat selection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the height of the invasion, 20% of the northern half of the park (Hluhluwe) was covered in dense C. odorata monocultures, especially along rivers, forests margins and as an understorey in woodlands (Te Beest et al., ). In 2004, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW—the park's management authority) began a large‐scale clearing programme in collaboration with the provincial government (Te Beest, Howison, et al., ; Dew, Rozen‐Rechels, le Roux, Cromsigt & te Beest ), which reduced densities of C. odorata with success (currently <5% total park cover). Maintenance of the cleared areas is ongoing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2004, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW-the park's management authority) began a large-scale clearing programme in collaboration with the provincial government (Te Beest, Howison, et al, 2017;Dew, Rozen-Rechels, le Roux, Cromsigt & te Beest 2017), which reduced densities of C. odorata with success (currently <5% total park cover). Maintenance of the cleared areas is ongoing.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Contrasting impacts of an alien invasive shrub on mammalian savanna herbivores revealed on a landscape scale

Rozen‐Rechels

Beest

Dew

et al. 2017

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the main drivers of defaunation, that is the loss of large mammals. Biological invasions could be drivers of such phenomenon. However, their impact on large herbivore communities has not been studied to our knowledge. We made use of a landscape‐scale control programme of one of the world's worst invaders, the shrub Chromolaena odorata, as a natural experiment to assess how this alien invader affects habitat use by 14 species of ungulates in an African savanna. Location Hluhluwe‐iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. Methods At the height of the invasion in 2004, a large‐scale control programme was initiated that successfully reduced densities of C. odorata across the park. We estimated mammalian herbivore habitat and patch use by dung counts and the presence and density of C. odorata along 24 line transects with a total length of 190 km during the peak of the invasion (2004) and a decade after the initiation of a successful control programme (2014). To account for differences in herbivore assemblies between habitats and the preferential invasion of closed savanna woodlands, we analysed the recolonization of previously invaded patches by herbivores based on the change in dung abundance. Results Herbivore species differed in how they responded to invaded patches of this non‐native shrub. Grazers were the most negatively affected, especially those that avoid predators by running. Browsers were negatively impacted only at the highest invasive shrub densities. Some species, especially bushpig, positively selected invaded patches. Main conclusions Large herbivores varied in their response to invasion with differences in impact depending on feeding strategy and predator avoidance strategy, but the majority of ungulates responded positively to the removal of this invasive shrub.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting impacts of an alien invasive shrub on mammalian savanna herbivores revealed on a landscape scale

Rozen‐Rechels

Beest

Dew

et al. 2017

Diversity and Distributions

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“…The plant is allelopathic (Fitter, 2003) and is one of the worst weeds in the southern African subregion (Goodall & Erasmus, 1996). In KwaZulu�Natal province, South Africa, it has invaded nearly all conservation areas, and in Hluhluwe�iMfolozi Park (HiP) where the current study has been conducted, it poses a threat to the natural vegetation (Macdonald, 1983;Te Beest et al, 2017). There has been some success in its clearing in the HiP .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The effects of an invasive alien plant (Chromolaena odorata) on large African mammals

Dumalisile¹,

Somers²

2017

Nat. Cons. Res.

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Alien plants have invaded most ecosystem types (terrestrial, fresh water and marine) and are responsible for the loss of irreplaceable natural services on which humankind relies. They alter food quantity, quality and accessibility, and may result in declines in native species richness, which may ultimately result in e�tinc� in declines in native species richness, which may ultimately result in e�tinc� declines in native species richness, which may ultimately result in e�tinc� result in e�tinc� in e�tinc� in e�tinc� e�tinc� e�tinc� tion. For an effective management of invasive alien plants, it is important to understand the effects that such plants have on all levels of biodiversity. However, the effects that invasive alien plants, such as the Triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata), have on mammalian biodiversity, especially large mammalian species, are not well�known, although they play major ecological roles in areas such as nutrient cycling. Also, little is known about the recovery of the ecosystem following alien plant removal. This study investigated the effects of C. odorata invasion on large mammalian herbivores in Hluhluwe�iMfolozi Park and whether clearing of this plant helped in rehabilitating the habitat. We used track counts to estimate and compare species richness, di� versity and abundance indices for large mammalian species between areas with differing C. odorata invasion durations (ca 2 years, ca 10 years, ca 20 years), areas with differing clearing times (cl < 2 years, cl 3-5 years) and an area without any history of C. odorata invasion as a control. The results from this study show that large mammalian species utilised the uninvaded and the cleared areas more than the invaded areas. Species richness, abundance and diversity decreased with increasing invasion duration and cleared areas showed an increasing species richness and abundance. We conclude that this invasive alien plant modifies habitats and their removal does aid in the restoration of the ecosystem.

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The Extent and Effectiveness of Alien Plant Control Projects in South Africa

Wilgen

Wilson

Wannenburgh³

et al. 2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

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Since 1995, the South African government has spent at least ZAR 15 billion (unadjusted for inflation; approximately USD1 billion) on alien plant control operations across South Africa. The amount spent per year has risen exponentially since 2010, and in 2019 annual spending is around ZAR 2 billion per year. Based on a small (but growing) number of case studies that have assessed management effectiveness, it is clear that the cover of invasive alien plants has been reduced in some localised areas, but continues to grow in others. A number of factors contribute to success, but the effort and resources required for successful control appear to be routinely underestimated , with actual costs between 1.5 and 8.6 times higher than initial budget estimates. Currently, therefore, control measures (other than biological control) have largely failed to check invasions at a national scale, and there have been no documented eradications of plant invasions from continental South Africa. We argue that control can be considerably improved by effective prioritisation, goal-setting and planning; monitoring of outcomes rather than of inputs;

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Successful Control of the Invasive ShrubChromolaena odoratain Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Cited by 13 publications

References 43 publications

Contrasting impacts of an alien invasive shrub on mammalian savanna herbivores revealed on a landscape scale

Contrasting impacts of an alien invasive shrub on mammalian savanna herbivores revealed on a landscape scale

The effects of an invasive alien plant (Chromolaena odorata) on large African mammals

The Extent and Effectiveness of Alien Plant Control Projects in South Africa

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