Feathered friends help Rooikrans spread
Birds are important role-players in the spreading of seeds from the invasive tree Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops). The birds are especially attracted to the bright red fleshy stalks that surround the seeds.
Birds are important role-players in the spreading of seeds from the invasive tree Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops). The birds are especially attracted to the bright red fleshy stalks that surround the seeds.
Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are the most invasive parrot species in the world and have already invaded 35 countries on five continents. In South Africa, the first sightings were noted in the 1970’s with strongholds predominantly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is among the most widely introduced fish in rivers of the Cape Floristic Region, and may pose a serious threat to endemic fish such as redfin minnows, members of the genus Pseudobarbus, which are a unique and vulnerable group of freshwater fishes. In the Cape Floristic Region alone, there are twelve species of redfin minnow, some of which live in only a single river or stretch of river. Nine Cape minnow species face a serious threat of extinction by introduced predatory fish, such as trout.