Biological Invasions (2007) 9, 335-351

Petr Pysek, Lukas Krinke, Vojtech Jarosík, Irena Perglova, Jan Pergl and Lenka Moravcova (2007)
Timing and extent of tissue removal affect reproduction characteristics of an invasive species Heracleum mantegazzianum
Biological Invasions 9 (3), 335-351
Abstract: Response of the invasive species Heracleum mantegazzianum to experimental removal of tissues was studied in the Czech Republic. The study aimed at determining (i) how efficiently plants respond, in terms of quantity and quality of produced fruit, to the removal of different amounts of generative and/or vegetative tissues; and (ii) whether regeneration ability depends on the time of treatment. Total number of fruits and their mean weight were reduced by removal of leaves, but germination percentage and rate of germination did not differ from control. More vigorous individuals compensated for the loss of tissues to a higher degree, and the advantage of being larger increased with severity of the treatment. Of 40 plants with umbels completely removed, 18 (45.0%) regenerated and produced on average 103.4 ± 220.1 (mean ± SD) fruits. Total fruit numbers and total fruit weight of regenerating plants significantly differed neither among treatments nor from the control, but some treatments resulted in poorer germination compared to the control. Umbels removed from plants at the beginning of fruit development and left at the locality produced 18.6% of fruit numbers of control plants, and 24% of these seeds germinated. Control by removing umbels from plants must ensure that they are collected and destroyed. From the management viewpoint, there is a trade-off between later umbel removal, resulting in more efficient reduction in fecundity but necessity to handle more developed fruits, and early treatment, leading to a high regeneration, that produces seed of sufficient quantity and very little affected in terms of quality.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Petr Pysek

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Heracleum mantegazzianum (weed)		Czech Republic