Impacts and control of alien Proteaceae invasion in the Western Cape Province, South Africa by Laimi Nelago Koskima Erckie Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER SCIENTIAE in BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY in the FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES at the University of the Western Cape Supervisor: Prof. JS Boatwright Co-supervisor: Dr. E. van Wyk Co-supervisor: Dr. S. Geerts November 2017 University of the Western Cape Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa Telephone: ++27-21- 959 2255/959 2762 Fax: ++27-21- 959 1268/2266 Email:
[email protected] FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCE DECLARATION PLAGIARISM DECLARATION TO BE INCLUDED IN ALL ASSIGNMENTS, THESIS PROPOSALS ETC, BE IT FOR MARKS OR NOT: I……..Laimi Nelago Koskima Erckie………………………………………………………… Student number….......3418027……………………….declare that the attached thesis entitled ……Impacts and control of alien Proteaceae invasion in the Western Cape Province, South Africa………………………………………………………………………………….. is my own work and that all the sources I have quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Signed this day……20…… of ……November…….. 2017……. at ..........Bellville………… _____________________________ Signature i http://etd.uwc.ac.za/ ABSTRACT Research focused on ecological impacts and control of invasive alien species (IAS) is gaining attention worldwide. The eradication and control of invasive alien plants (IAP) is essential for the restoration of native plant communities. Understanding ecological impacts and potential invasive risks of IAP is important for their effective management, particularly for prioritisation. Most studies concerning impacts on vegetation structure and plant-pollinator interactions have measured few ecological metrics, resulting in a superficial understanding of plant species invasion.