Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree
Alien plants are a pervasive environmental problem, particularly on islands where they can rapidly transform unique indigenous ecosystems. However, often it is difficult to confidently determine whether a species is native or alien, especially if establishment occurred before historical records. Thi...
Published in: | AoB Plants |
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Oxford University Press
2015
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_46070 https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/e0bf2e67-bae2-48d9-9725-222289fdfbb0/download https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 |
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ftunswworks:oai:unsworks.library.unsw.edu.au:1959.4/unsworks_46070 2024-05-19T07:37:52+00:00 Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree Wilmshurst, JM McGlone, MS Turney, CSM 2015-08-26 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_46070 https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/e0bf2e67-bae2-48d9-9725-222289fdfbb0/download https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 unknown Oxford University Press http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP130104156 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_46070 https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/e0bf2e67-bae2-48d9-9725-222289fdfbb0/download https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 open access https://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 CC BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ free_to_read This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original work is properly cited urn:ISSN:2041-2851 AoB PLANTS, 7, plv104 Alien Asteraceae Olearia lyallii dispersal facilitation historical ecology invasion palaeoecology pollen subantarctic islands anzsrc-for: 0607 Plant Biology journal article http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 2015 ftunswworks https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 2024-04-24T00:49:22Z Alien plants are a pervasive environmental problem, particularly on islands where they can rapidly transform unique indigenous ecosystems. However, often it is difficult to confidently determine whether a species is native or alien, especially if establishment occurred before historical records. This can present a management challenge: For example, should such taxa be eradicated or left alone until their region of origin and status are clarified? Here we show how combining palaeoecological and historical records can help resolve such dilemmas, using the tree daisy Olearia lyallii on the remote New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands as a case study. The status of this tree as native or introduced has remained uncertain for the 175 years since it was first discovered on the Auckland Islands, and its appropriate management is debated. Elsewhere, O. lyallii has a highly restricted distribution on small sea bird-rich islands within a 28 latitudinal band south of mainland New Zealand. Analysis of palaeoecological and historical records from the Auckland Islands suggest that O. lyallii established there c. 1807 when these islands were first exploited by European sealers. Establishment was facilitated by anthropogenic burning and clearing and its subsequent spread has been slow, limited in distribution and probably human-assisted. Olearia lyallii has succeededmostly in highly disturbed sites which are also nutrient enriched from nesting sea birds, seals and sea spray. This marine subsidy has fuelled the rapid growth of O. lyallii and allowed this tree to be competitive against the maritime communities it has replaced. Although endemic to the New Zealand region, our evidence suggests that O. lyallii is alien to the Auckland Islands. Although such 'native' aliens can pose unique management challenges on islands, in this instance we suggest that ongoing monitoring with no control is an appropriate management action, as O. lyallii appears to pose minimal risk to ecological integrity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Auckland Islands UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales): UNSWorks AoB Plants 7 plv104 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales): UNSWorks |
op_collection_id |
ftunswworks |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Alien Asteraceae Olearia lyallii dispersal facilitation historical ecology invasion palaeoecology pollen subantarctic islands anzsrc-for: 0607 Plant Biology |
spellingShingle |
Alien Asteraceae Olearia lyallii dispersal facilitation historical ecology invasion palaeoecology pollen subantarctic islands anzsrc-for: 0607 Plant Biology Wilmshurst, JM McGlone, MS Turney, CSM Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
topic_facet |
Alien Asteraceae Olearia lyallii dispersal facilitation historical ecology invasion palaeoecology pollen subantarctic islands anzsrc-for: 0607 Plant Biology |
description |
Alien plants are a pervasive environmental problem, particularly on islands where they can rapidly transform unique indigenous ecosystems. However, often it is difficult to confidently determine whether a species is native or alien, especially if establishment occurred before historical records. This can present a management challenge: For example, should such taxa be eradicated or left alone until their region of origin and status are clarified? Here we show how combining palaeoecological and historical records can help resolve such dilemmas, using the tree daisy Olearia lyallii on the remote New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands as a case study. The status of this tree as native or introduced has remained uncertain for the 175 years since it was first discovered on the Auckland Islands, and its appropriate management is debated. Elsewhere, O. lyallii has a highly restricted distribution on small sea bird-rich islands within a 28 latitudinal band south of mainland New Zealand. Analysis of palaeoecological and historical records from the Auckland Islands suggest that O. lyallii established there c. 1807 when these islands were first exploited by European sealers. Establishment was facilitated by anthropogenic burning and clearing and its subsequent spread has been slow, limited in distribution and probably human-assisted. Olearia lyallii has succeededmostly in highly disturbed sites which are also nutrient enriched from nesting sea birds, seals and sea spray. This marine subsidy has fuelled the rapid growth of O. lyallii and allowed this tree to be competitive against the maritime communities it has replaced. Although endemic to the New Zealand region, our evidence suggests that O. lyallii is alien to the Auckland Islands. Although such 'native' aliens can pose unique management challenges on islands, in this instance we suggest that ongoing monitoring with no control is an appropriate management action, as O. lyallii appears to pose minimal risk to ecological integrity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wilmshurst, JM McGlone, MS Turney, CSM |
author_facet |
Wilmshurst, JM McGlone, MS Turney, CSM |
author_sort |
Wilmshurst, JM |
title |
Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
title_short |
Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
title_full |
Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
title_fullStr |
Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
title_full_unstemmed |
Long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
title_sort |
long-term ecology resolves the timing, region of origin and process of establishment for a disputed alien tree |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_46070 https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/e0bf2e67-bae2-48d9-9725-222289fdfbb0/download https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 |
genre |
Auckland Islands |
genre_facet |
Auckland Islands |
op_source |
urn:ISSN:2041-2851 AoB PLANTS, 7, plv104 |
op_relation |
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP130104156 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/unsworks_46070 https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/bitstreams/e0bf2e67-bae2-48d9-9725-222289fdfbb0/download https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 |
op_rights |
open access https://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 CC BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ free_to_read This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original work is properly cited |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plv104 |
container_title |
AoB Plants |
container_volume |
7 |
container_start_page |
plv104 |
_version_ |
1799477245902848000 |