- Title
- The biological control of aquatic weeds in South Africa: current status and future challenges
- Creator
- Hill, Martin P, Coetzee, Julie A
- Date
- 2017
- Type
- article
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59909
- Identifier
- vital:27706
- Identifier
- https://doi.org/10.4102/abc.v47i2.2152
- Description
- Aquatic ecosystems in South Africa have been prone to invasion by introduced macrophytes since the late 1800s, when water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub. (Pontederiaceae), was first recorded as naturalised in KwaZulu-Natal (Cilliers 1991). Several other species of freshwater aquatic plants, all notorious weeds in other parts of the world, have also become invasive in many of the rivers, man-made impoundments, lakes and wetlands of South Africa (Hill 2003). These are Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae) (water lettuce); Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniaceae) (salvinia); Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell. Conc.) Verd. (parrot's feather); and Azolla filiculoides Lam. (Azollaceae) (red water fern) (Hill 2003), which along with water hyacinth comprise the 'Big Bad Five' (Henderson & Cilliers 2002). Recently, new invasive aquatic plant species have been recorded which are still at their early stages of invasion, including the submerged species, Egeria densa Planch. (Hydrocharitaceae) (Brazilian water weed) and Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle (Hydrocharitaceae); the emergent species, Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G.Sm. and S. latifolia Willd. (Alismataceae); Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae) (purple loosestrife), Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton. (Brassicaceae) (watercress); Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) (yellow flag); and Hydrocleys nymphoides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Buchenau (Alismataceae) (water poppy); and the new floating weeds, Salvinia minima Baker (Salviniaceae) and Azolla cristata Kaulf. (Azollaceae) (Mexican azolla); and the rooted floating Nymphaea mexicana Zucc. (Nymphaeceae) (Mexican water lily) (Coetzee et al. 2011a; Coetzee, Bownes & Martin 2011b). The mode of introduction of these species is mainly through the horticultural and aquarium trade (Martin & Coetzee 2011), and two issues contribute to the invasiveness of these macrophytes following establishment: the lack of co-evolved natural enemies in their adventive range (McFadyen 1998); and disturbance, the presence of nitrate- and phosphate-enriched waters, associated with urban, agricultural and industrial pollution that promotes plant growth (Coetzee & Hill 2012).
- Format
- 12 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- Bothalia - African Biodiversity & Conservation, Hill, M.P. and Coetzee, J., 2017. The biological control of aquatic weeds in South Africa: Current status and future challenges. Bothalia-African Biodiversity & Conservation, 47(2), pp.1-12, Bothalia - African Biodiversity & Conservation 47 vol. 2 no. 1 12 2017 2311-9284
- Rights
- Bothalia - African Biodiversity & Conservation
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation Open Access Policy
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Collections
Coetzee, Julie A (Prof)
RU Department of Botany
RU DST/NRF SARChI for Insects in Sustainable Agricultural Ecosystems
RU Department of Zoology and Entomology
SDG 14. Life Below Water
Hill, Martin Patrick (Distinguished Professor)
SDG 15. Life On Land
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