Abstract
Beneficial exotic trees and shrubs have been widely spread throughout semiarid and arid regions of the world. These trees and shrubs can however cause severe negative impacts. Mesquite (Prosopis species), native to the New World, is one example which continues to be promoted despite causing serious impacts both in its native and introduced ranges. We describe the population structure of the largest population of fire-tolerant hybrid mesquite (P. velutina × P. glandulosa var. glandulosa × P. pallida) in Australia, which was intentionally established in the 1930s. We compare it with invasive populations within its native range, and consider the implications for managing exotic mesquite invasions. We found relatively high juvenile densities at all levels of canopy cover (<30% to 90–100%), and low mortality rates for both juveniles and adults (<2%/y), which suggests that populations are still in an early phase of invasion. Exotic populations differed from native range populations in being more dense (average 4,859 adults/ha), having a sizable sapling (seedling and juvenile) bank that can remain quiescent under canopy cover (average 10,914 seedlings and juveniles/ha), failing to act as nurse plants for native shrubs (<8 native shrubs/ha), and almost totally excluding the herbaceous (grass) layer (average 0.3% cover). Our results suggest that ecosystem impacts in the introduced range are likely to be even worse, and management even more difficult, than has already been reported for invasions within its native range. The lack of feasible means for managing highly invasive, broad-scale mesquite populations need to be addressed, and needs to be considered explicitly when promoting mesquite as a beneficial plant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
RJ Ansley, BA Kramp and DL Jones, Converting mesquite thickets to savanna through foliage modification with clopyralid. Journal of Range Management 56 (1988) 72-80
RJ Ansley, XB Wu and BA Kramp, Observation: long term increases in mesquite canopy cover in a north Texas savanna. Journal of Range Management 54 (2001) 171-176
S Archer, Have southern Texas savannas been converted to woodlands in recent history?. American Naturalist 134 (1989) 545-561
S Archer, Tree–grass dynamics in a Prosopis–thornscrub savanna parkland: reconstructing the past and predicting the future. EcoScience 2 (1995) 83-89
S Archer, C Scifres and CR Bassham, Autogenic succession in a subtropical savanna: conversion of grassland to thorn woodland. Ecological Monographs 58 (1988) 111-127
CJ Bahre and ML Shelton, Historic vegetation change, mesquite increases and climate change in south-eastern Arizona. Journal of Biogeography 20 (1993) 489-504
IM Barberis, WB Batista, EF Pire, JP Lews and RJC Leon, Woody population distribution and environmental heterogeneity in a Chaco forest, Argentina. Journal of Vegetation Science 13 (2002) 607-614
PW Barnes and S Archer, Influence of an overstorey tree (Prosopis glandulosa) on associated shrubs in a savanna parkland: implications for patch dynamics. Oecologia 105 (1996) 493-500
JS Beard, Pilbara, 1:1,000,000 Vegetation Series: the Vegetation of the Pilbara Area. Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia Press (1975).
RD Bertilde and PE Villagra, Effects of Prosopis flexuosa on soil properties and the spatial pattern of understorey species in arid Argentina. Journal of Vegetation Science 14 (2003) 543-550
JR Brown and S Archer, Woody plant invasion of grasslands: establishment of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) on sites differing in herbaceous biomass and grazing history. Oecologia 80 (1989) 19-26
JR Brown and S Archer, Water relations of a perennial grass and seedling vs adult woody plants in a subtropical savanna, Texas. Oikos 57 (1990) 366-374
JR Brown and S Archer, Shrub invasion of grassland: recruitment is continuous and not regulated by herbaceous biomass or density. Ecology 80 (1999) 2385-2396
LC Buffington and CH Herbel, Vegetational changes on a semidesert grassland range from 1858–1963. Ecological Monographs 35 (1965) 139-164
DMN Burgess, The Economics of Prescribed Burning for Shrub Control in the Western Division of NSW, Farm Business Notes No. 34. Sydney: NSW Department of Agriculture (1987).
JK Bush and OW Auken van, Light requirements for growth of Prosopis glandulosa seedlings. The Southwestern Naturalist 32 (1987) 469-473
DR Cable and SC Martin, Invasions of semi-desert grassland by velvet mesquite and associated vegetation changes. Arizona Academy of Science 8 (1973) 127-134
Campbell SD and Setter CL (1999) Mortality of Prosopis pallida following burning. In: Eldridge D and Freudenberger D (eds) People and Rangelands: Building the Future: Proceedings of VI International Rangelands Congress, Townsville, pp 596–597. Aitkinvale, Townsville, Queensland
Campbell SD, Setter CL, Jeffrey PL and Vitelli J (1996) Controlling dense infestations of Prosopis pallida. In: Shepherd RCH (ed) Proceedings of the Eleventh Australian Weeds Conference, Melbourne, pp 231–232. Weed Science Society of Victoria, Frankston, Victoria
PG Carlowitz, GV Wolf and Kemperman, Multipurpose Tree and Shrub Database: An Information and Decision Support System, Version 1.0. Nairobi, Kenya: International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (1991).
JR Cox, DE Abraham, RW Rice and JN Cox, Biological and physical factors influencing Acacia constricta and Prosopis velutina establishment in the Sonoran Desert. Journal of Range Management 46 (1993) 43-48
DeLoach CJ (1985) Conflicts of interest over beneficial and undesirable aspects of mesquite (Prosopis spp.) in the United States as related to biological control. In: Delfosse ES (ed) Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium of Biological Control of Weeds 1984, pp 301–340. Minister of Supply and Services, Canada
JS Denslow, Tropical rain forest gaps and tree species diversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 18 (1987) 431-451
DL Dunkerley, Banded vegetation: survival under drought and grazing pressure based on a simple cellular automaton model. Journal of Arid Environments 35 (1997) 419-428
E Dussart, P Lerner and R Peinetti, Long term dynamics of two populations of Prosopis caldenia Burkart. Journal of Range Management 51 (1998) 685-691
CW Fagg and JL Stewart, The value of Acacia and Prosopis in arid and semi-arid environments. Journal of Arid Environments 27 (1994) 3-25
P Felker and J Moss, Prosopis: Semi-arid Fuelwood and Forage Tree Building Consensus for the Disenfranchised. Texas: Centre for Semi-arid Forest Resources (1996).
P Felker, JM Meyer and SJ Gronski, Application of self-thinning in mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) to range management and lumber production. Forest Ecology and Management 31 (1990) 225-232
J Franco-Pizana, TE Fulbright and DT Gardiner, Spatial relations between shrubs and Prosopis glandulosa canopies. Journal of Vegetation Science 6 (1995) 73-78
Gardner G, Spafford Jacob H and van Klinken RD (2004) Seed bank of mesquite (Leguminosae: Prosopis spp.) in the Pilbara of Western Australia. In: Sindel B (ed) Papers and Proceedings of the Fourteenth Australian Weeds Conference, Sept. 5–11, 2004, pp 562–565. Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
RP Gibbens, RF Beck, RP McNeely and CH Herbel, Recent rates of mesquite establishment in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Journal of Range Management 45 (1992) 585-588
LH Gile, RP Gibbens and JM Lenz, The near-ubiquitous pedogenic world of mesquite roots in an arid basin floor. Journal of Arid Environments 35 (1997) 39-58
J Golubov, M del Carmen Mandujano, M Franco, C Montana, LE Eguiarte and J Lopez-Portillo, Demography of the invasive woody perennial Prosoips glandulosa (honey mesquite). Journal of Ecology 87 (1999) 955-962
SC Goslee, KM Havstad, DPC Peters, A Rango and WH Schlesinger, High-resolution images reveal rate and pattern of shrub encroachment over six decades in New Mexico, USA. Journal of Arid Environments 54 (2003) 755-767
JC Gower and DJ Hand, Biplots. London, UK: Chapman & Hall (1996).
Hamilton WT, Welch DN, Ueckert C, Hanselka W, White LD (1989) Management of South Texas mixed brush with herbicides. Bulletin 1623. Texas Agricultural Experimental Station, 66 pp
FAC Impson, VC Moran and JH Hoffmann, A review of the effectiveness of seed-feeding bruchid beetles in the biological control of mesquite. African Entomology Memoir 1 (1999) 81-88
PN Jurena and S Archer, Woody plant seedling establishment and spatial heterogeneity. Ecology 84 (2003) 907-919
JD Laxson, WH Schacht and MK Owens, Above-ground biomass yields at different densities of honey mesquite. Journal of Range Management 50 (1997) 550-554
UP Kreuter, HE Amestoy, DN Ueckert and WA McGinty, Adoption of brush busters: results of Texas county extension survey. Journal of Range Management 54 (2001) 630-639
P McCullagh and JA Nelder, Generalized Linear Models. London, UK: Chapman & Hall (1989).
GR McPherson and HA Wright, Threshold requirements for burning down honey mesquite. Journal of Range Management 39 (1986) 327-330
AA Mitchell and DG Wilcox, Arid Shrubland Plants of Western Australia. Perth: University of Western Australia Press (1994).
R Osmond, N March, SD Campbell, RD Klinken van, R Cobon and P Jeffrey, Best Practice Manual: Mesquite. Brisbane: Publishing Services, Department of Natural Resources and Mines (2003).
MK Owens, JW Mackley and CJ Carroll, Vegetation dynamics following seasonal fires in mixed vegetation/acacia savannas. Journal of Range Management 55 (2002) 509-516
NM Pasiecznik, P Felker, PJC Harris, LN Harsh, G Cruz, JC Tewari, K Cadoret and LJ Maldonado, The Prosopis juliflora Prosopis pallida Complex: A Monograph. Coventry, UK: HDRA (2001).
AL Payne, AME Vreeswyk van and KA Leighton, Re-assessment of Carrying Capacity in the Ashburton River Catchment, Miscellaneous Publication 16/2003. Western Australia: Department of Agriculture (2003).
SR Perkins and MK Owens, Growth and biomass allocation of shrub and grass seedlings in response to predicted changes in precipitation seasonality. Plant Ecology 168 (2003) 107-120
DM Richardson, P Bingell and G Schroth, Invasive agroforestry trees: problems and solutions. In: G Schroth, GAB de Fonseca, CA Harvey, C Gascon, HL Vasconcelos and AMN Izac (eds.) Agroforestry and Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Landscapes. Washington, DC: Island Press (2004) pp. 371-396
RC Ruthven III, Herbaceous vegetation diversity and abundance beneath honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) in the South Texas Plains. Texas Journal of Science 53 (2001) 171-186
RC Ruthven III, TE Fulbright, SL Beasom and EC Hellgren, Longterm effects of root plowing on vegetation in the eastern south Texas plains. Journal of Rangeland Management 46 (1993) 351-354
RC Ruthven III, AW Braden, HJ Knutson, JF Gallacher and DR Synatzske, Woody vegetation response to various burning regimes in South Texas. Journal of Range Management 56 (2003) 159-166
JC Scanlan, A model of woody–herbaceous biomass relationships in eucalypt and mesquite communities. Journal of Range Management 45 (1992) 75-80
JC Scanlan and S Archer, Simulated dynamics of succession in a North American subtropical Prosopis savanna. Journal of Vegetation Science 2 (1991) 625-634
JD Schade, R Sponseller, SL Collins and A Stiles, The influence of Prosopis canopies on understorey vegetation: effects of landscape position. Journal of Vegetation Science 14 (2003) 743-750
JL Schuster, Literature on the Mesquite (Prosopis L.) of North America: An Annotated Bibliography. Texas Technical University Special Report 26 (1969) 1-83
CJ Scifres, Decision-analysis approach to brush management planning: remifications for integrated range resources management. Journal of Range Management 40 (1987) 482-490
Scifres CJ, Hamilton WT, Conner JR, Inglis JM, Rasmussen GA, Smith RP, Stuth JW and Welch TG (1985) Integrated brush management systems for south texas: development and implementation. Bulletin 1493, Texas Agricultural Experimental Station, 72 pp
MR Sharifi, ET Nilsen and PW Rundel, Biomass and net primary production of Prosopis glandulosa (Fabaceae) in the Sonoran Desert of California. American Journal of Botany 69 (1982) 760-767
H Shiferaw, D Teketay, S Nemomissa and F Assefa, Some biological characteristics that foster the invasion of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC at Middle Awash Rift Valley Area, north-eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Arid Environments 58 (2004) 135-154
RL Specht, Major vegetation formations in Australia. In: A Keast (ed.) Ecological Biogeography of Australia. The Hague: Junk (1981) pp. 163-297
JC Stromberg, SD Wilkins and JA Tress, Vegetation–hydrology models: implications for management of Prosopis velutina (velvet mesquite) riparian ecosystems. Ecological Applications 3 (1993) 307-314
JC Tewari, NM Pasiecznik, LN Harsh and PJC Garris, Prosopis Species in the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of India. Jodhpur: The Prosopis Society of India and The Henry Doubleday Research Association (1998).
JR Thorpe and R Lynch, The Determination of Weeds of National Significance. Launceston: National Weeds Strategy Executive Committee (2000).
AR Tiedermann and JO Klemmedson, Effect of mesquite trees on vegetation and soils in the desert grasslands. Journal of Range Management 30 (1977) 316-367
FT Tischler, HW Polley, HB Johnson and HS Mayeux, Environment and seedling age influence mesquite response to epicotyl removal. Journal of Range Management 51 (1998) 361-365
OW van Auken, Shrub invasion of North American semiarid grasslands. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31 (2000) 197-215
RD Klinken van and SD Campbell, The Biology of Australian Weeds: Prosopis L. Species. Plant Protection Quarterly 16 (2001) 2-20
RD van Klinken, G Fichera and H Cordo, Targeting biological control across diverse landscapes: the release, establishment and early success of two insects on mesquite (Prosopis spp.) in Australian rangelands. Biological Control 26 (2003) 8-20
JF Weltzin, SR Archer and RK Heitschmidt, Defoliation and woody plant (Prosopis glandulosa) seedling regeneration: potential vs realized herbivory tolerance. Plant Ecology 138 (1998) 127-135
PJ Wood and J Burley, A Tree for All Reasons: The Introduction and Evaluation of Multipurpose Trees for Agroforestry. Nairobi: International Council for Research in Agroforestry (1991).
HG Zimmermann, Biological control of mesquite, Prosopis spp. (Fabaceae), in South Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 37 (1991) 175-186
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van Klinken, R.D., Graham, J. & Flack, L.K. Population Ecology of Hybrid Mesquite (Prosopis Species) in Western Australia: How Does it Differ from Native Range Invasions and What are the Implications for Impacts and Management?. Biol Invasions 8, 727–741 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-005-3427-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-005-3427-7