An intensive biodiversity assessment in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, recorded 20 naturalised alien plant species, of which only four had previously been recognized as invasive, and one species represented a new introduction for the park.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a widespread invasive species impacting a range of ecosystem services in South Africa, especially water quality and availability. To better control this aquatic weed, several biocontrol agents have been released – unfortunately with mixed success.
Urgent research is needed to guide more effective control measures for Nassella grass invasions in South Africa. This was the finding of an extensive literature review by C·I·B-funded PhD student Anthony Mapaura, with inputs from researchers at the Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University and the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa campus, and C·I·B Director Dave Richardson.
An invasive stand of Black Alder was recently detected along the banks of the Dwars River from Kylemore to Lanquedoc, near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape Province, which prompted an investigation into the history and distribution of Black Alder in South Africa.
In November 2019, the Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B) hosted an international workshop on “Frameworks used in Invasion Science”. Deliberations at the workshop and afterwards led to a bumper special issue of the journal NeoBiota which comprises 24 papers.
