Saltcedar (Tamarix mascatensis) inhibits growth and spatial distribution of eshnan (Seidlitzia rosmarinus) by enrichment of soil salinity in a semi-arid desert

Erfanifard, Yousef; Khosravi, E.

doi:10.1007/s11104-019-04064-3

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The shrub also provides evidence for impacts of environmental change in an area, giving more information about the biotic or abiotic state of the environment and predicting how diverse other plants species, taxa and communities, are in an area. The high abundance of Lampranthus uniflorus is most likely influenced by changed soil characteristics that are a result of exotic Tamarix invasion, which is known to increase soil salt levels [43]. This plant is not only alerting of potentially irreparable damage at this site, but it provides a red flag for an urgent need of biodiversity conservation in terms of species richness, diversity, and evenness as well as land rehabilitation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Exotic Tamarix Species on Riparian Plant Biodiversity

Setshedi

Newete

2020

Agriculture

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This study investigated the impact of exotic Tamarix species on vascular plant biodiversity in riparian ecosystems in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Vegetation was sampled, using 5 m wide belt transects, along the Leeu, Swart, and Olifants riparian areas, which had varying invasion intensities. Each transect was split into three zones (Zone 1: 0–15 m; Zone 2: 15–35, and Zone 3: >35 m), which were identified at each site based on species composition across each riparian zone. Woody plant species were identified, counted, and their heights measured within the transects that were laid out from the waterpoint (Zone 1) outwards (Zone 2 and 3). Herbaceous aerial cover (HAC) was determined subjectively and objectified using the Walker aerial cover scale. Leeu River had the highest species richness (Dmg = 2.79), diversity (H′ = 2.17; −lnλ = 1.91; N1 = 8.76 and α = 4.13), and evenness (J′= 0.80). The Swart River had the lowest species richness, which declined from Dmg = 1.96 (Zone 1) to Dmg = 1.82 (Zone 3). Exotic Tamarix species ranked in the top three most abundant woody vascular plant species along the Swart and Olifants rivers, where they ranked first and third, respectively. The Jaccard’s and Sorenson’s coefficients of similarity indicated that species differed greatly between the different sites, x¯ < 27% for both indices. The indices also indicated that the Swart River had the lowest level of species distinctness between zones (x¯ > 80%) while the Leeu River had the highest level of species distinctness (x¯ < 50%) between the different zones. These findings suggest a possible displacement of herbaceous and woody tree species by exotic Tamarix invasion, inter alia, a decrease in ecosystem functions and services associated with the loss in biodiversity, as well as significant bearings on the agricultural ecosystem by reducing the faunal diversity such as crop pollinators, inter alia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Exotic Tamarix Species on Riparian Plant Biodiversity

Setshedi

Newete

2020

Agriculture

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“…Research highlights that salt cedar has highly impacted wildlife, especially since it is not fit for their consumption (Kueffer, 2017). The leaves and stems of salt cedar secrete high salt content to the ground, raising the surrounding soils' salinity (El Waer et al, 2018;Erfanifard & Khosravi, 2019;Liu et al, 2017)). Less growth of native plants reduces the food available for wild animals.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%