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Does allelopathy explain the invasiveness of Campuloclinium macrocephalum (pompom weed) in the South African grassland biome?

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Abstract

Campuloclinium macrocephalum is an Asteraceous alien weed that invades roadside vegetation and grassland in South Africa. The role of allelopathy and competition in its invasiveness was investigated using Eragrostis curvula (weeping lovegrass, an indigenous grass), E. tef and Lactuca sativa (lettuce) as test species. Trials were conducted in Petri-dishes, pots and in the field. Root and shoot extracts of adult C. macrocephalum plants did not inhibit seed germination in any test species. The greatest effect was radicle stunting produced by leaf extracts at 10 and 25% w/v. Eragrostis curvula was less tolerant of the extracts than E. tef. Allelopathic effects could however not be confirmed in pot trials evaluating the interference potential of the weed or weed residue effects against E. curvula. E. curvula growth and biomass was not affected by plant densities of one or five C. macrocephalum per pot, whereas C. macrocephalum suffered a 17% mortality and density-dependant trade-offs of size and biomass for survival. Under field conditions C. macrocephalum had a broader ecological niche than E. curvula, invading hygrophilous and undisturbed grasslands not amenable for E. curvula establishment, this included well drained disturbed soils on which the latter proliferated. Evidence of competitive exclusion of E. curvula by C. macrocephalum or vice versa was not detected. The coexistence of both species irrespective of relative density suggested these species have different resource requirements. Allelopathy was not an adequate causal mechanism to explain invasiveness in Campuloclinium macrocephalum. A more traditional hypothesis such as the absence of natural enemies, at this stage, better justifies the weed’s invasion success.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the following organisation and people for which this study would not otherwise have been possible. This study was funded by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (GDACE). Derrick Nkala and Lynette Khumalo helped with the running of the allelopathy experiments and pot trials. Lesley Henderson (ARC-PPRI) provided the localities of the grassland sites used in the study from the South African Plant Invaders Atlas (SAPIA). Dr Pieter Pieterse and students from Pretoria University assisted with vegetation assessments. Craig Morris (ARC-RFI) assisted with statistical analyses. We thank Profs Dave Mycock and Marcus Byrne (Wits University) for comments on earlier drafts. The authors are greatly appreciative of the comments and suggestions of the anonymous reviewers, which have improved the paper considerably.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X6006, Hilton, 3245, South Africa

    Jeremy Goodall

  2. Restoration and Conservation Biology Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa

    Jeremy Goodall & Ed T. F. Witkowski

  3. Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Range and Forage Institute, Private Bag X6006, Hilton, 3245, South Africa

    Sigrun Ammann

  4. Department of Plant Production and Soil Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Carl Reinhardt

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  1. Jeremy Goodall
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Correspondence to Jeremy Goodall.

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Goodall, J., Witkowski, E.T.F., Ammann, S. et al. Does allelopathy explain the invasiveness of Campuloclinium macrocephalum (pompom weed) in the South African grassland biome?. Biol Invasions 12, 3497–3512 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-010-9747-2

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