The impact of Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. on plant diversity, richness and soil properties in South Africa

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985939%3A_____%2F24%3A00598555" target="_blank" >RIV/67985939:_____/24:00598555 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.08.010" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.08.010</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.08.010" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.sajb.2024.08.010</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The impact of Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. on plant diversity, richness and soil properties in South Africa

Original language description

Nassella trichotoma (Poaceae) is a highly invasive South American grass that is invading montane grasslands in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. Although N. trichotoma has been recognised as a major problem in these mountains for decades, the primary concern has been on impacts on rangeland productivity and management, while the impacts of invasions on plant biodiversity have not been considered. To understand the impact of N. trichotoma on local plant biodiversity, 81 pairs of plots (total of 162 plots) were laid out in the Sneeuberg and Eastern Cape Drakensberg mountains, Eastern Cape, in March 2020 and March 2021. At each site plots were located in grassland invaded by N. trichotoma and in nearby uninvaded grassland (control). A total of 20 N. trichotoma patches were sampled with two to four plot pairs per site. All vascular plant species were recorded in all plots, the cover abundance of each species per plot was visually estimated, and the topsoil was sampled and analysed for differences in nutrient and physical factors between invaded and uninvaded plots. Plant species diversity was 24 % higher in uninvaded areas, and the native grasses Pentameris airoides (Chi(2) = 4.93, d.f. = 1, p < 0.01), Tenaxia disticha (Chi(2) = 5.51, d.f. = 1, p < 0.01), and Themeda triandra (Chi(2) = 9.28, d.f. = 1, p < 0.001) were significantly less abundant in invaded plots. Uninvaded areas had greater native species diversity (65 species) and fewer alien species (3) than invaded areas (47 and 9 respectively). Of the 18 soil variables measured, the following were significantly higher in invaded areas than uninvaded areas: boron (23 %), calcium (18 %), phosphorous (58 %), silt (10 %), total cations (12 %), and zinc (68 %). This suggest that N. trichotoma alters soil nutrients. The results indicate that N. trichotoma is a powerful driver of native biodiversity erosion in these montane grasslands and should be a cause for major concern by landowners and government.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10618 - Ecology

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF18_053%2F0017850" target="_blank" >EF18_053/0017850: Mobility 2020</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

South African Journal of Botany

ISSN

0254-6299

e-ISSN

1727-9321

Volume of the periodical

173

Issue of the periodical within the volume

October

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

175-183

UT code for WoS article

001302156300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85201680737