Incorporating dispersal ecology into the management of plant invasions

摘要

Research into seed dispersal and weed management has to a remarkable extent been conducted in isolation. Here we suggest that there is much to be gained by combining the knowledge of the two fields. We give examples of how an understanding of seed dispersal in rainforest systems can be utilised in meeting the threat of invasions. We outline how a knowledge of dispersal can allow predictions of the types of dispersers likely to be available to a potential or novel invader. We then describe how this information can be used to predict the scale of dispersal and, from this, invasion patterns in different parts of the landscape. We provide examples of how this information can be used to guide management decisions in the face of an impending invasion andin the early stages of invasion when knowledge of the species' ecology in the field is limited.