Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology

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Browsing Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology by Subject "Acacia mearnsii -- South Africa -- Western Cape"

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    Invasive perennial species in an agricultural area of the Western Cape Province : distribution and relationship with various land-use types
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-04) Midgley, John Claude; McGeoch, M. A.; Esler, Karen J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Conservation Ecology and Entomology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This project consists of two botanical investigations in an agricultural area of the Western Cape Province. A farm known as De Rust, in the Elgin Valley, was used to sample the geographic location, density, height and life stage of six prominent invasive plant species in various land-use categories. In the first investigation, the density, height and age structures of the six invasive species populations were analyzed. The density distribution of the six species was also displayed cartographically. Species were then ranked according to the potential threat that they pose to the conservation of the remaining natural areas on the farm. Results indicated that Acacia mearnsii and Acacia saligna are the major invaders at De Rust and that Hakea sericea can be considered as an emerging invader. The second investigation explores the statistical relationship between the various land-use categories and density, height and age of the six prominent invaders identified in the first investigation. The loglikelihood ratio analysis of observed frequencies resulted in statistically significant (P<0.01; P-values range between 1.35 x 10-3 and 2.7 x 10-224) relationships between certain land-use types and certain invasive species. A conclusion was reached that it could be useful to include land-use categories in simulation models of invasive plant species distribution and spread.