Lantana camara invasion along road–river interchanges and roadsides in Soutpansberg, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve in South Africa

摘要

Roads and rivers act as conduits of alien plant invasion; however, little is known regarding the abundance and invasion extent of?Lantana camara, an invasive shrub, along road–river interchanges and roadsides in South Africa.We assessed the effects of road–river interchanges and roadsides as invasion corridors that facilitate?L.camara?invasion.A road survey method was used to measure the invasion extent of?L.camara?along road–river interchanges and roadsides from national and regional roads covering 446 km in Soutpansberg, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa.?L.camara?occurred along 21 of the 48 surveyed road–river interchanges and its abundance and cover were similar between road–river interchanges and roadsides, although height and diameter of?L.camara?were greater along road–river interchanges than roadsides.Other alien species that dominated road–river interchanges were?Solanum mauritianum,?Caesalpinia decapetala?and?Rubus rigidus.Our results indicate that?L.camara?dominates both road–river interchanges and roadsides, therefore roads and bridges should be considered important targets for?L.camara?control.