Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Altered growth, population structure and realised niche of the weed Campuloclinium macrocephalum (Asteraceae) after exposure to the naturalised rust Puccinia eupatorii (Pucciniaceae)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The alien forb Campuloclinium macrocephalum (Less.) DC. (Asteraceae, pompom weed) invades disturbed rangelands in South Africa. After >40 years of naturalisation, infestations around Pretoria were severely damaged in 2006 by the biotrophic rust Puccinia eupatorii Dietel (Pucciniaceae). The disease spread rapidly and has now established at most pompom weed infestations in the country. This study reports on the efficacy of the pathogen as a biocontrol agent of pompom weed, its effect on the retention of the weed’s realised niche and tolerance to the disease. Eighty rangeland infestations originally assessed over two years in 2003 and 2004 were re-surveyed in 2009. Data from untreated plots at two pompom weed experimental sites where the rust was first detected were also used. Puccinia eupatorii induced premature senescence in late summer and stimulated the production of compensatory growth in autumn. Plants without disease symptoms senesced in late autumn without compensatory growth and remained dormant throughout winter. Pompom weed density did not change significantly over time in both the rangeland study and untreated plots. Disease incidence in rangelands in 2009 was most severe in dense infestations, with sparse infestations having the highest incidence of natural senescence and fewer pustules. The rust did not reduce the realised niche; infestations in grasslands, savanna and wetlands persisted despite significant damage by the disease. Persistence, despite high annual stem mortality, suggests that pompom weed remains adapted to the fungus after prolonged separation from the disease. This study supports earlier findings that disturbance remains key to pompom weed invasion even under biological control. The rust may enhance the biological control of pompom weed with augmentation of additional insect agents, but is unlikely to inflict a significant reduction in the weed’s population on its own. This may be an important consideration for the biological control of weeds involving biotrophic fungi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berger S, Sinha AK, Roitsch T (2007) Plant physiology meets phytopathology: plant primary metabolism and plant–pathogen interactions. J Exp Bot 58:4019–4026. doi:10.1093/jxb/erm298

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cade BS, Richards JD (2005) User manual for Blossom statistical software. Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins

    Google Scholar 

  • Cade BS, Terrell JW, Schroeder RL (1999) Estimating effects of limiting factors with regression quantiles. Ecology 80:311–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callaway RM, Ridenour WM (2004) Novel weapons: invasive success and the evolution of increased competitive ability. Front Ecol Environ 2:436–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catford JA, Jansson R, Nilsson C (2008) Reducing redundancy in invasion ecology by integrating hypotheses into a single theoretical framework. Divers Distrib 15:22–40. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2008.00521.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clay K, van der Putten W (1999) Pathogens and plant life histories. In: Vuorisalo T, Mutikainen P (eds) Life history evolution in plants. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 275–302

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Colautti RI, Ricciardi A, Grigorovich IA, MacIsaac HJ (2004) Is invasion success explained by the enemy release hypothesis? Ecol Lett 7:721–733

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins GB (1978) Rust fungi on legumes and composites in North America. University of Arizona Press, Tucson

    Google Scholar 

  • Deacon JW (1997) Modern mycology. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Denoth M, Frid L, Myers JH (2002) Multiple agents in biological control: improving the odds? Biol Control 24:20–30. doi:10.1016/S1049-9644(02)00002-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhileepan K, Florentine SK, Lockett CJ (2006) Establishment, initial impact and persistence of parthenium summer rust Puccinia melampodii in north Queensland. In: Preston C, Watts JH, Crossman ND (eds) Proceedings of the 15th Australian weeds conference. Weed Management Society of South Australia Inc., Adelaide, pp 577–580

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans HC (2008) The endophyte-enemy release hypothesis: implications for classical biological control and plant invasions. In: Julien MH, Sforza R, Bon MC, Evans HC, Hatcher PE, Hinz HL, Rector BG (eds) Proceedings of the XII international symposium on biological control of weeds. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 20–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauchereau N, Trzaska S, Rouault M, Richard Y (2003) Rainfall variability and changes in Southern Africa during the 20th century in the global warming context. Nat Hazards 29:139–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedli J, Bacher S (2001) Mutualistic interaction between a weevil and a rust fungus, two parasites of the weed Cirsium arvense. Oecologia 129:571–576. doi:10.1007/s004420100763

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodall J, Witkowski ETF, Ammann S, Reinhardt C (2010) Does allelopathy explain the invasiveness of Campuloclinium macrocephalum (pompom weed) in the South African grassland biome? Biol Invasions 12:3497–3512. doi:10.1007/s10530-010-9747-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodall J, Witkowski ETF, Morris CD, Henderson L (2011) Are environmental factors important facilitators of pompom weed (Campuloclinium macrocephalum) invasion in South African rangelands? Biol Invasions 13:2217–2231. doi:10.1007/s10530-011-0035-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher PE, Paul ND (2000) On integrating molecular and ecological studies of plant resistance: variety of mechanisms and breadth of antagonists. J Ecol 88:702–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher PE, Paul ND (2001) Plant pathogen–herbivore interactions and their effects on weeds. In: Jeger MJ, Spence NJ (eds) Biotic interactions in plant–pathogen associations. CABI International, Wallingford, pp 193–225

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson L, Goodall J, McConnachie A, Klein H (2010) Pompom weed (Campuloclinium macrocephalum): growth conditions and “weedy” nature. Agricultural Research Council. http://www.arc.agric.za/home.asp?pid=4536. Accessed 4 May 2011

  • Joshi J, Vrieling K (2005) The enemy release and EICA hypothesis revisited: incorporating the fundamental difference between specialist and generalist herbivores. Ecol Lett 8:704–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juenger T, Bergelson J (2000) The evolution of compensation to herbivory in Scarlet Gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata: herbivore-imposed natural selection and the quantitative genetics of tolerance. Evolution 54:764–777

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keane RM, Crawley MJ (2002) Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis. Trends Ecol Evol 17:164–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klimešová J, Kociánová A, Martínková J (2008) Weeds that can do both tricks: vegetative versus generative regeneration of the short-lived root-sprouting herbs Rorippa palustris and Barbarea vulgaris. Weed Res 48:131–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kluth S, Kruess A, Tscharntke T (2003) Influence of mechanical cutting and pathogen application on the performance and nutrient storage of Cirsium arvense. J Appl Ecol 40:334–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruess A (2002) Indirect interaction between a fungal plant pathogen and a herbivorous beetle of the weed Cirsium arvense. Oecologia 130:563–569. doi:10.1007/s00442-001-0829-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marais R (2004) A plant ecological study of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province. MSc Thesis, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein

  • McConnachie AJ, Retief E, Henderson L, McKay F (2011) The initiation of a biological control programme against pompom weed, Campuloclinium macrocephalum (Less.) DC. (Asteraceae), in South Africa. In: Moran VC, Hoffmann JH, Hill MP (eds) Biological control of invasive alien plants in South Africa (1999–2010). African Entomology (Special Issue) 19:258–268

  • McNaughton SJ (1983) Compensatory plant growth as a response to herbivory. Oikos 40:329–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris RJ, Memmot J, Lovell DJ (2002) The effect of rainfall on the survivorship and establishment of a biocontrol agent. J Appl Ecol 39:226–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olckers T, Hill MP (1999) Appendix: releases of introduced biological control agents against weeds in South Africa. In: Olckers T, Hill MP (eds) Biological control of weeds in South Africa (1990–1998). African Entomology, Memoir No. 1, pp 175–182

  • Paul ND, Ayres PG (1986) The Impact of a pathogen (Puccinia lagenophorae) on populations of groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) overwintering in the field: II. Reproduction. J Ecol 74:1085–1094

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul ND, Ayres PG (1987) Survival, growth and reproduction of groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) infected by rust (Puccinia lagenophorae) in the field during summer. J Ecol 75:61–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy BA, Kirchner JW (2000) Evolutionary dynamics of pathogen resistance and tolerance. Evolution 54:51–63

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thaphathi V, Manyaga K, Mugwedi L, Goodall J (2007) Herbicide effect on seed viability of Pompom (Campuloclinium macrocephalum). In: Proceedings of the 42nd annual congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, 16–20 July, Rhodes University, Grahamstown

  • van der Meijden E, Wijn M, Verkaar HJ (1988) Defence and regrowth, alternative plant strategies in the struggle against herbivores. Oikos 51:355–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiher E, van der Werf A, Thompson K, Roderick M, Garnier E, Eriksson O (1999) Challenging Theophrastus: a common core list of plant traits for functional ecology. J Veg Sci 10:609–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment for funding this study from 2003 to 2005 and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development from 2009. Linde du Toit, Lutendo Mugwedi and Khumbudzo Manyaga are thanked for their assistance with field surveys. We are also grateful to pathologists Dr. Alan Wood and Ms. Estianne Retief for their insight and perspectives on pathogens as biocontrol agents and Puccinia species in particular. Our thanks and appreciation is extended to the journal-appointed reviewers, whose advice has greatly improved the quality of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Restoration and Conservation Biology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa

    Jeremy Goodall & E. T. F. Witkowski

  2. Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), Private Bag X6006, Hilton, 3245, South Africa

    Jeremy Goodall & Andrew J. McConnachie

  3. P.O. Box 245, Howick, 3290, South Africa

    Chris Keen

Authors
  1. Jeremy Goodall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. T. F. Witkowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andrew J. McConnachie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chris Keen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeremy Goodall.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goodall, J., Witkowski, E.T.F., McConnachie, A.J. et al. Altered growth, population structure and realised niche of the weed Campuloclinium macrocephalum (Asteraceae) after exposure to the naturalised rust Puccinia eupatorii (Pucciniaceae). Biol Invasions 14, 1947–1962 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-012-0205-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-012-0205-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation