New Zealand Journal of Botany
abstracts
Invasion ecology of the alien
tussock grass Nardus stricta
(Poaceae) at Lake Pukaki, Canterbury, New Zealand
W. Daniel Kissling*
Martin Schnittler
Botanical Institute and
Botanical Garden
University of Greifswald
Grimmer Strasse 88
17487 Greifswald, Germany
Philip J. Seddon
Zoology Department
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
Katharine J. M. Dickinson
Janice M. Lord
Botany Department
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
*Present address: Institut für
Zoologie, Becherweg 13, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, D-55099
Mainz,
Germany. email: danielkissling@web.de
Abstract The
European matgrass Nardus
stricta has naturalised in New
Zealand, often on damp soils within wetlands and grasslands. In this
paper, we present for the first time field data on the ecology of this
alien invader in New Zealand, from eight kettlehole wetlands on lateral
moraine along the western side of Lake Pukaki, South Canterbury. The
invaded wetland sites were all acidic but varied in other soil
characteristics. Nardus
stricta
was the most dominant species within these wetland communities with 40%
of all plots showing more than 50% coverage, and 21% having more than
90% cover. Species richness (including vascular plants and mosses) at
some sites was relatively high (c. 40 species), but species richness
and abundance were significantly reduced in quadrats with high Nardus
stricta density. Seedling
densities of Nardus stricta
were high but variable (overall mean of 38.6 ± 116 seedlings
per m2),
and establishment mainly occurred on the cushion-forming sedge Oreobolus
pectinatus. Most reproductive
tussocks (90%) produced up to 1000 florets, but single tussocks were
able to produce up to 10 000 and more florets. Our results suggest that
Nardus stricta
is still expanding its local range and, therefore, is likely to
increase in abundance and dominance, resulting in further negative
effects on native species diversity.
Keywords
biological invasion; invasive species; Nardus
stricta; perennial bunch grass;
recruitment; reproductive ecology; species diversity
B05003; Received 5 January
2005; accepted 30 May 2005; Online publication date 15 July 2005
New Zealand Journal of Botany,
2005, Vol. 43: 601–612
0028–825X/05/4303–0601 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
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