Browsing RESEARCH: Wilson, JRU by Title
Now showing items 103-122 of 155
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Organismal complexity is an indicator of species existence value
(The Ecological Society of America, 2008) -
Ornamental plants as invasive aliens: problems and solutions in Kruger National Park, South Africa
(Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 2008)The most widespread invasive alien plant species in South Africa’s Kruger National Park (KNP) were either introduced unintentionally along rivers and roads, or intentionally for use as ornamentals. We examine the spatial ... -
Phylogeographic consequences of different introduction histories of invasive Australian Acacia species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Fabaceae) in South Africa
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2011)Aim The genetic makeup and evolutionary potential of alien species can be profoundly influenced by their introduction history, but without detailed historical records, it can be difficult to ascertain the strength of ... -
Plant diversity in the human diet: weak phylogenetic signal indicates breadth
(American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2008-02)Worldwide, humans have access to a greater range of food plants than does any other species. Examination of phylogenetic patterns in plants consumed by animals has recently uncovered important ecological processes. The ... -
Plant invasions as a biogeographical assay: Vegetation biomes constrain the distribution of invasive alien species assemblages
(2015-10-26)Plant assemblages define vegetation patterns at different scales, from plant communities at the scale of small plots to broad biomes. Species assemblages are traditionally investigated with a focus on native species, and ... -
Plant invasions in South Africa: Insights from the 2017 National Status Report on Biological Invasions
(Elsevier, 2018)The impacts of biological invasions are increasing and are felt by all sectors of society. The Department of Environmental Affairs currently invests over R1.5 billion a year on managing biological invasions, mostly on alien ... -
Population regulation of a classical biological control agent: larval density dependence in Neochetina eichhorniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a biological control agent of water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes
(2006)The release of classical biological control agents has reduced the economic, environmental and social problems caused by water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes; however, additional control measures are needed in some locations. ... -
Potential Futures of Biological Invasions in South Africa
(2020)Biological invasions are having a moderately negative impact on human livelihoods and the environment in South Africa, but the situation is worsening. Predicting future trends is fraught with many assumptions, so this ... -
Potential impact and non-target effects of Gallerucida bifasciata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a candidate biological control agent for Fallopia japonica
(Elsevier, 2010)A pre-release evaluation of a potential biological control agent is designed to estimate the impact the agent will have on the target in the introduced range, and whether the agent poses an acceptable level of risk to ... -
Predicting the subspecific identity of invasive species using distribution models: Acacia saligna as an example
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2011)Aim To explore whether the subspecific genetic entities of Acacia saligna occupy different bioclimatic niches in their native and introduced ranges and whether these niches are predictable using species distribution models ... -
Prioritising potential incursions for contingency planning: pathways, species, and sites in Durban (eThekwini), South Africa as an example
(Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), 2019)Increased trade and travel have resulted in an increasing rate of introduction of biological organisms to new regions. Urban environments, such as cities, are hubs for human activities facilitating the introduction of alien ... -
Prioritising surveillance for alien organisms transported as stowaways on ships travelling to South Africa.
(Public Library of Science, 2017)The global shipping network facilitates the transportation and introduction of marine and terrestrial organisms to regions where they are not native, and some of these organisms become invasive. South Africa was used as a ... -
A proposed national strategic framework for the management of Cactaceae in South Africa
(AOSIS, 2017)Background: South Africa has a long history of managing biological invasions. The rapid increase in the scale and complexity of problems associated with invasions calls for new, more strategic management approaches. This ... -
A proposed unified framework for biological invasions
(Elsevier Ltd., 2011-07)There has been a dramatic growth in research on biological invasions over the past 20 years, but a mature understanding of the field has been hampered because invasion biologists concerned with different taxa and different ... -
Quantifying errors and omissions in alien species lists: The introduction status of Melaleuca species in South Africa as a case study
(Pensoft Publishers, 2017)Introduced species lists provide essential background information for biological invasions research and management. The compilation of these lists is, however, prone to a variety of errors. We highlight the frequency and ... -
Rapid response to shoot removal by the invasive wetland plant, alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)
(Elsevier B.V., 2007)Resprouting plants provide an interesting test to the generality of plant allometric relationships. The ability to rapidly resprout after disturbance also makes weeds more difficult to control. We performed a glasshouse ... -
Reassessing the invasion of South African waters by the European shore-crab Carcinus maenas
(NISC (Pty) Ltd, 2017)The European shore-crab Carcinus maenas has been present in South Africa since 1983. Despite this species’ international reputation as a biological invader, its distribution in this region has only been considered by three ... -
Recent discovery of small naturalised populations of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake in South Africa
(REABIC, 2015)The discovery of a naturalised population of Melaleuca quinquenervia in South Africa in 2009 prompted an evaluation of the species’ distribution across South Africa. We found records at seven localities in two of the nine ... -
Refining the process of agent selection through understanding plant demography and plant response to herbivory
(2006)Understanding plant demography and plant response to herbivory is critical to the selection of effective weed biological control agents. We adopt the metaphor of ‘filters’ to suggest how agent prioritisation may be improved ... -
The relative importance of environment, human activity and space in explaining species richness of South African bird orders
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2008)Aim To assess the relative importance of environmental (climate, habitat heterogeneity and topography), human (population density, economic prosperity and land transformation) and spatial (autocorrelation) influences, and ...