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.
In a paper recently published in the American Journal of Botany, C·I·B postdoctoral fellow Heidi Hirsch and co-workers highlighted the very complex introduction history of the invasive tree Silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) in South Africa.
Quantifying the amount of genetic diversity and how it is distributed within and between populations (genetic structure) has become a major focus in invasion biology. Population genetic structure can be useful as a proxy for the introduction history of a species, e.g. to differentiate between multiple introductions vs. single introductions.
Invasive plants compete with native plants for important resources like water and nutrients, often outcompeting or even causing local extinction of indigenous plants. Australian acacias are one such group of plants in South Africa...
