Read more about the article Invasive plants are more phytochemically diverse than native counterparts
Triffid weed (Chromolaena odorata) - one of the invasive alien plants that pose severe ecological threats in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo credit: Llewellyn Foxcroft)

Invasive plants are more phytochemically diverse than native counterparts

When comparing three invasive alien plants (IAP) in South Africa to their native counterparts in the United States, a clear increase in phytochemical diversity in the invaded region was found, highlighting the role of secondary metabolites in plant invasions.

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Read more about the article Controlling famine weed under elevated CO2: a troubling future ahead?
Famine weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) stands to benefit in terms of both growth and reproduction under elevated CO2 levels. These increases in growth are likely to make the weed less susceptible to herbicides, particularly glyphosate, in the future (Graphic by Blair Cowie).

Controlling famine weed under elevated CO2: a troubling future ahead?

A paper published in the journal Pest Management Science showed that herbicide is likely to become less effective in controlling the invasive famine weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in the future as CO2 levels rise.

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Read more about the article Invasive alien species in protected areas: a threat that should not be overlooked
Famine weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) is an aggressive invader in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo credit: Thembeka Thwala)

Invasive alien species in protected areas: a threat that should not be overlooked

In this commentary, a group of researchers, including C∙I∙B researchers and former C∙I∙B students, argue that when protected areas containing invasive alien species (IAS) are subjected to protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD), there is a higher chance that IAS will cause environmental and socioeconomic effects.

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Read more about the article Sour fig changes invertebrate diversity in the invasive range, C·I·B study shows
Carpobrotus edulis, native to South Africa, is invasive in the coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula (Galicia, Spain). (Photo credit: Jonatan Rodríguez)

Sour fig changes invertebrate diversity in the invasive range, C·I·B study shows

The invasive plant sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis: also known as Hottentot-fig, ice plant, highway ice plant, or pigface) can have a clear impact reducing the abundance of native invertebrates, with substantial effects on herbivores.

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Read more about the article We need to stop looking through rose-coloured glasses – plant biodiversity in the face of climate change
Word cloud of some of the species that contributed to increased richness in 151 studies listed by Vellend et al. [8] that had taxonomic data available. The font size of species names is proportional to the number of global biogeographic regions where they are naturalized. Different species indicated by the same font colors are naturalized in the same number of regions. For illustrative purposes, only species that have been documented as naturalized in at least 20 biogeographic regions (n=186) are included. Most of these are common invasive species such as wall speedwell Veronica arvensis (A, Rasbak / CC-BY-SA-157 3.0), Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon (B, Forest and Kim Starr / CC-BY-SA-3.0), ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata (C, Forest and Kim Starr / CC-BY-SA-3.0) and common knotgrass Polygonum aviculare (D, Matt Lavin / CC-BY-SA-3.0).

We need to stop looking through rose-coloured glasses – plant biodiversity in the face of climate change

In an article recently published in Current Biology, an international team led by C·I·B Research Associate Jaco Le Roux suggest that care should be taken when conveying scientific data related to biodiversity impacts caused by climate change, as policy makers often make decisions based on scientific evidence.

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