Abstract
Native or exotic woody plants can proliferate in dry and moist eucalypt ecosystems shading out many other native species, contributing to chronic decline of eucalypts and reinforcing unnatural fire regimes and nutrient cycling processes. Whether native or exotic, they proliferate as a consequence of disturbances which impact directly on these ecosystems. The most extensive ongoing disturbance since European occupation of Australia has been the disruption of frequent mild burning by humans. This burning maintained dynamically stable nutrient cycling processes and a competitive balance in dry and moist eucalypt systems and prevented plant “invasions”.
Highlights
In the invitation to this special issue, Professor Jose proposed that invasion by alien plants can alter fire regimes, nutrient cycling, hydrology and energy budgets, affecting the abundance and persistence of native species
This concept is examined by reference to some “invasive” native and exotic plants responding to disturbance in native eucalypt forests
Chronic eucalypt decline originally occurred as a result of disruption of Aboriginal burning by European settlers, and increased dramatically in Australian forests during the late twentieth century as a result of reduced burning and/or grazing [4]
Summary
In the invitation to this special issue, Professor Jose proposed that invasion by alien plants can alter fire regimes, nutrient cycling, hydrology and energy budgets, affecting the abundance and persistence of native species. Disturbance should be seen as an unnatural factor outside the “range of experience” of the ecosystem in question This requires historical and physical evidence of the environmental history of the ecosystem [3]. In this context, it can be seen that disturbance upsets a natural competitive balance favoring a few native or exotic plants at the expense of many other natives [1]. Successful “invaders” are plants that respond positively to disturbance and the traits of successful invaders vary according to the type of disturbance This concept is examined by reference to some “invasive” native and exotic plants responding to disturbance in native eucalypt forests
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