Biological control in the management of invasive alien plants in South Africa, and the role of the Working for Water programme
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2004
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South African Journal of Science
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University of Cape Town
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The first biological control project against invasive alien plants in South Africa was in 1913. Initially, invasive cactus species were the only plants in South Africa targeted for biological control. By the early 1960s, the emphasis expanded to include problem plants that threatened the ‘Fynbos’ biome, and latterly to invasive species in other types of natural habitats. Many of the South African projects have been innovative, for example: the use of gall-forming and seed-feeding insect species that have not been used elsewhere; the emphasis on weeds in conservation areas; and the predominance of woody invaders that have been targeted for biological control. Most of these woody plants originated as forestry or agro-forestry introductions, which has created a relatively high incidence of conflicts of interest between conservationists and growers. Recent benefit:cost analyses have demonstrated exceptionally high returns on investment for biological control, even for the least successful of the projects. The inception of the Working for Water programme in 1995 has significantly enhanced biological weed control in South Africa. The benefits include: sustainable funding; investment in research on emerging weeds; a well-organized implementation programme that has increased the impact of biological control in the field; improved international cooperation, particularly in Africa, in concert with the NEPAD initiative; and the recent re-organization of research personnel into cooperative teams that include entomologists, plant pathologists, resource economists and plant ecologists.
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Zimmermann, H. G., Moran, V. C., & Hoffmann, J. H. (2004). Biological control in the management of invasive alien plants in South Africa, and the role of the Working for Water Programme: working for water. South African Journal of Science, 100(1 & 2), p-34.