Acacia saligna

\"Perennial species richness and total richness, as well as perennial cover and total cover, were significantly higher in the non-invaded plots than in the invaded plots in the depressions.\"

“An investigation of the different taxa included in the meta-analysis showed the highest effect size of invasion on species richness for two Australian Acacia species (A. melanoxylon and A. saligna)” (Gaertner et al. 2009) A tabela 2 e figura 4 do estudo acima mostra o efeito negativo de A. saligna na riqueza de espécies. At all three sites quadrat species richness declined significantly through each stage of invasion (Z-test, P < 0 05, Table 2). (Holmes and Cowling 1997)

Holmes and Cowling (1997a) described the sensitivity of native plant species to different categories of invasive stands (uninvaded, recently invaded and long invaded) of Acacia saligna in South Africa. They found that in the oldest A. saligna stands many groups of native plants were totally absent (Threshold 2), specifically serotinous shrubs (Proteaceae) and that there were fewer ericoid shrubs. The most dramatic decline was observed in the cover of proteoid shrubs in recently invaded stands, suggesting that they may be very sensitive to A. saligna invasions. (...) Threshold 2—no living individuals occur in one or more discrete populations (i.e. former populations)—this may also include genotypes, but propagules occur in the seed bank (including below-ground dormant vegetative parts of a plant (e.g. Epipactis albensis may survive without any above-ground organs for 11 years (Rydlo 1995) and Scirpus maritimus for up to 25 years (Squires and van der Valk 1992))\" \"Shifts in the distribution of seed storage and regeneration guilds with invasion stage were equivocal, with only one site showing selection for species with no seed storage and species able to esprout. However, overstorey proteoid shrubs and other serotinous species were virtually absent from the long-invaded stands, indicating their imminent local extinctio\" (Holmes and Cowling 1997)