A study by PhD student, Nasiphi Bitani and C∙I∙B Core Team member Prof Colleen Downs assessed the impacts of fleshy-fruited alien plants invading KwaZulu-Natal coastal forests.
Alien grasses occurring in South Africa have been associated with negative environmental and socio-economic impact across the globe. Some grasses can increase the intensity and frequency of fires due to their large biomass, and many grass species invade areas such as agricultural land leading to reduced crop yield and quality.
Feral mammals impact the recipient environments in various and often devastating ways. The finding was the result of a study by former C·I·B Hons student Bianca Hagen and C·I·B core team member Dr Sabrina Kumschick at Stellenbosch University. The study, which was published in NeoBiota, classified impacts using three scoring schemes.