Invasive plants in low ligneous vegetation …...Invasive plants in low ligneous vegetation ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean: Which taxa could become potential invaders in a

Invasive plants in low ligneous vegetation ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean: Which taxa could become potential invaders in a drier bioclimate ?

Dr. Jean-Marc Dufour-DrorEcologist, Consultant & Researcher in Applied Ecology

Specialist of Alien Invasive Plant Control & Management in the Eastern Mediterranean

Workshop on climate adaptation of Ziziphus arborescent matorraland gypsophilous steppes in Rizoelia National Park forest, Republic

of Cyprus

Nicosia, 14th-15th January 2015


Workshop on climate adaptation of Ziziphus arborescent matorraland gypsophilous steppes in Rizoelia National Park forest, Republic

of Cyprus


Dr. Jean-Marc Dufour-Dror - Ecologist, Consultant & Researcher in Applied Ecology, Specialist of Alien Invasive Plant Control & Management in the Eastern Mediterranean

1 – How eastern Mediterranean low ligneous vegetation units could be affected by alien plants species in a drier bioclimate ?

2 – What taxa could pose a threat to low ligneous vegetation units in the eastern Mediterranean ? Examples from Israel and relevant for Cyprus

3 – What solutions in terms of control management ?

2


Workshop on climate adaptation of Ziziphus arborescent matorral and gypsophilous steppes in Rizoelia National Park forest, Republic of Cyprus


Dr. Jean-Marc Dufour-Dror - Ecologist, Consultant & Researcher in Applied Ecology, Specialist of Alien Invasive Plant Control & Management in the Eastern Mediterranean 3


Low matorrals occur around the Mediterranean in various forms and under different names: Garrigue, Tomillares, in the NW - Phrygana, Batha in the SE.

Low matorrals are made of dwarf shrubs, herbaceous species, both annuals and perennials, and few shrubs.

Almost no tree; many rock outcrops, bare soil pockets = discontinuous vegetation cover

A typical batha in Israel, located in the Judean hills






Low matorrals generally have a very diverse flora

Paronychia argentea

Alkana strigosaAstragalus bethlehemiticus

Kickxia aegyptiacaHelianthemum vesicarium

Scutellaria tomentosa Gundelia tournefortii






Low matorrals also harbor a rich fauna: bird species, reptiles, arthropods, that are adapted to the habitat conditions of low ligneous vegetation units.

Levantina hierosolyma Androctonuscrassicauda

Testudo graeca (Greek Tortoise)

Athene noctua (Little Owl)

Gazella gazella gazella (Mountain Gazelle)






Low matorrals in the eastern Mediterranean are distributed along the transition zone between the Mediterranean climatic region (Csa) and the Semi-arid region (BSh).

Csa

BSh

BWh

Podonosma orientalisA typical batha SE to Jerusalem in the transition zone from Csa to BSh






In Cyprus the situation is similar as low matorrals are found in the semi-arid bioclimate regions.

Semi-Arid Temperate

Semi-Arid Warm

The typical Zizphus lotus low matorral in Rizoelia National Park Forest locates in the semi-arid warm bioclimate area of Cyprus

Yet, unlike Israel, Cyprus is an island located within the Mediterranean climatic zone (Csa), therefore low matorralsin Cyprus are not bordering semiarid deserts (BSh). So Cyprus low matorrals should be better preserved from invasives spreading from arid areas, provided such taxa are not introduced…






(1) Particular spatial distribution of low matorrals: Adjacent to semi arid climatic regions, particularly true for Israel, Jordan.

(2) Vegetation structure characteristics of low matorrals may increase their invasiveness: Absence of shade + discontinuous vegetation cover offer ecological niches that may be seized by alien invasive plants. Relevant for Cyprus, Israel and Jordan.

(1) + (2) = Increasing the probability of the establishment of alien invasive plant species that are currently invading in semi-arid areas bordering the low matorrals.





If the climate gets drier we have to expect an emergence of taxa with growth forms adapted to dry habitats.

I.e. More herbaceous species: Geophytes, perennial herbaceous and annuals

2 – What taxa could pose a threat to low ligneous vegetation units in the eastern Mediterranean ? Examples from Israel, and relevant for Cyprus

One should also expect invasive ligneous taxa characteristic of arid areas.




Dr. Jean-Marc Dufour-Dror - Ecologist, Consultant & Researcher in Applied Ecology, Specialist of Alien Invasive Plant Control & Management in the Eastern Mediterranean10

An invasive geophyte that pose an immediate threat to low matorrals in Cyprus and in Israel: Oxalis pes-caprae


A native from the Cape region in South-Africa, invading more and more natural habitats in the Mediterranean basin in recent years, particularly habitats with low vegetation units





Oxalis pes-caprae in the Rizoleia National Park

Oxalis pes caprae displacing the native herbaceous species in the Ziziphus low matorral in Cyprus

Mandragora autumnalis






An invasive herbaceous perennial that could pose a major threat to low matorrals if introduced to Cyprus: Ambrosia confertiflora

A native from the semiarid areas of Texas and Mexico. Invasive in Israel and in Australia. Recorded in the EPPO database as a new threat for all the Mediterranean basin.





Ambrosia confertiflora invading dry habitats in Israel







More info about Ambrosia confertiflorais available at the Israel Ministry of Environment website:http://www.sviva.gov.il/InfoServices/ReservoirInfo/DocLib2/Publications/P0701-P0800/P0707.pdf






An invasive herbaceous annual that could pose a major threat to low matorrals if introduced to Cyprus: Parthenium hysterophorus

A native from the Caribbean. Now occurs in the southern USA and central America. Invasive in Israel, Egypt, India, eastern Africa, South-Africa, Australia.






Identified by the EPPO in late 2014 as an emerging threat for all the Mediterranean basin. It can easily spread in dry habitats such as low matorrals.

BRUNEL S., PANETTA D., FRIED G., KRITICOS D., PRASAD R., LANSINK A.O., SHABBIR A. & YAACOBY T. (2014) Preventing a new

invasive alien plant from entering and spreading in the Euro-Mediterranean region: the case study of Parthenium

hysterophorus. EPPO Bulletin 44(3):479-489.






An invasive shrub species that could pose a serious threat to low matorrals in Cyprus since it was introduced and already grow in the area of Rizoelia: Parkinsonia aculeata

A native from the semiarid region of Mexico. Introduced in Israel and in Cyprus for afforestation in dry areas by the British during the 1920s. Declared invasive.






An invasive tree species that could pose a serious threat to low matorrals if introduced to Cyprus: Acacia victoriae

A native from the semiarid region of Australia. Introduced in Israel for afforestation in dry areas about 50 years ago. Turned out to be invasive in 2005…






If introduced for forestry purposes Acacia victoriae could become pose a major risk to low matorrals in Cyprus where it could outcompete Ziziphus shrubs.

Natural areas in the semi-arid region of Israel infested with Acacia victoriae





Either natural or man-induced, drier bioclimatic conditions may facilitate the future establishment of new alien invasive plants in low matorrals.

A list of alien invasive plants potentially invasive in Cyprus must be compiled. It is a necessary tool for the Department of Forests so it can avoid the use of alien invasive plants that are likely to invade if introduced.

3 – What solutions in terms of control management ?

Climate change cannot be reversed but the proliferation of new aliens can be prevented.

Regular surveys of the low matorrals are necessary following the principle of the EDRR: Early Detection and Rapid Response so emergent foci can be controlled upon detection.

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Invasive plants in low ligneous vegetation …...Invasive plants in low ligneous vegetation ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean: Which taxa could become potential invaders in a