Microbial communities of fynbos soils have not received as much attention as its aboveground components. This is especially true regarding the impacts of invasive plants on these communities. However, this has recently been explored in a study by C·I·B members.
Researchers at the Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B) at Stellenbosch University, found that the introduction histories of the globally important invasive tree Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) are complex and cannot be generalized.
Predicting which introduced plants and animals are likely to become invasive is a key challenge for invasion biology. To help make these predictions, scientists use models that can predict the potential spread of introduced species.
Scale-area curves have been used in conservation science as an affordable means of identifying shrinking populations that need protection. Invasions are the result of populations of invasive species that are spreading and becoming dominant in areas to which they have been introduced.
