Ecology and management of invasive plants in Africa

Abstract

The relationship between frugivores and fleshy-fruited invasive plants is highly variable and deserves attention as such interactions can be the key to understanding how invasive plants spread so successfully. Invasion of fleshy-fruited plants may be facilitated by either native or invasive frugivores, and the consequences for native flora and fauna may vary from beneficial to devastating. In this chapter, we review the current literature on invasive plant species that bear fleshy fruits and the role of frugivorous animals in their establishment and spread in novel habitats. First and foremost, we will review the10.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 121 10.2 Frugivory in fleshy-fruit plants ........................................................................................ 122 10.3 Animals as seed dispersal vectors .................................................................................. 12310.3.1 Gut treatment ......................................................................................................... 123 10.3.2 Dispersion to habitats ............................................................................................ 126 10.3.3 Dispersal distances ................................................................................................ 126 10.3.4 Seed movement by epizoochory .......................................................................... 12710.4 Invasive plants as source of food ..................................................................................... 127 10.4.1 Fruit crop attractiveness ....................................................................................... 127 10.4.2 Fruiting phenology ................................................................................................ 12810.5 Management of fleshy-fruited invasive plants .............................................................. 129 10.6 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 130 References ..................................................................................................................................... 131interactions between fleshy-fruit plants and frugivorous animals to elucidate the mechanisms involved under Section 10.2, “Frugivory in fleshy-fruit plants.” Second, in Section 10.3, “Animals as seed dispersal vectors,” we will examine the consequences for invasive plants after their fruit is consumed by frugivores and how animals transport seeds both internally and externally. Third, we will address why invasive plants are attractive to frugivores in Section 10.3, “Invasive plants as source of food.” In Section 10.4, “Management of fleshy fruited invasive plants,” we outline current strategies for control and management of the invasive plants that bear fleshy fruits.