AccScience Publishing / EER / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EER025140028
Submit to EER
Cite this article
4
Download
34
Views
Journal Browser
Volume | Year
Issue
Search
Forthcoming Issue
Current Issue
View All
News and Announcements
View All
EDITORIAL

Is biological control using seed-reducing agents a waste of time?

Brian W. van Wilgen1* ,  David M. Richardson1 ,  Guy F. Midgley1 ,  Patricia M. Holmes2
Show Less
1 Centre for Invasion Biology, School for Climate Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
2 Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Faculty of Agrisciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
EER, 025140028 https://doi.org/10.36922/EER025140028
Received: 1 April 2025 | Accepted: 18 August 2025 | Published online: 3 September 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Download PDF
XML
Cite
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
References
  1. Pyšek P, Hulme PE, Simberloff D, et al. Scientists’ warning on invasive alien species. Biol Rev. 2020;95:1511-1534. doi: 10.1111/brv.12627

 

  1. Veldtman R, Strydom M. Prioritizing scientific data over expert opinion in the valid assessment of Australian Acacia biocontrol success. Explora Environ Resour. 2025;2:5876. doi: 10.36922/eer.5876

 

  1. Van Driesche RG, Carruthers RI, Center T, et al. Classical biological control for the protection of natural ecosystems. Biol Control. 2010;54:S2-S33. doi: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2010.03.003

 

  1. Harper JL. Population Biology of Plants. London, England: Academic Press; 1977.

 

  1. Schurr FM. Seed Dispersal and Range Dynamics of Plants: Understanding and Predicting the Spatial Dynamics of Serotinous Proteaceae. Germany: Universität Regensburg, [Doctoral Dissertation]; 2007.

 

  1. Van Wilgen BW, Fill JM, Baard J, Cheney C, Forsyth AT, Kraaij T. Historical costs and projected future scenarios for the management of invasive alien plants in protected areas in the Cape Floristic Region. Biol Conserv. 2016;200:168- 177. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.06.008

 

  1. Henderson L, Wilson JR. Changes in the composition and distribution of alien plants in South Africa: An update from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas. Bothalia. 2017;47:a2172. doi: 10.4102/abc.v47i2.2172

 

  1. Kotze JD, Wannenburgh A, Van Wilgen BW. Changes in the cover of selected invasive alien plant taxa between 2008 and 2023 in South Africa. Biol Invasions. 2025;27:98. doi: 10.1007/s10530-025-03558-9

 

  1. Impson FAC, Hoffmann JH, Impson OR, Kleinjan CA, Moran VC. Densities of a perennial invasive tree, Acacia cyclops, decline in the 20 years since inception of biological control with two seed-reducing agents, a flower-galling midge and a seed-feeding weevil. Biol Control. 2024;189:105442. doi: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105442

 

  1. Wood AR, Morris MJ. Impact of the gall-forming rust fungus Uromycladium tepperianum on the invasive tree Acacia saligna in South Africa: 15 years of monitoring. Biol Control. 2007;41:68-77. doi: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2006.12.018

 

  1. Castillo ML, Schaffner U, Van Wilgen BW, Le Roux JJ. The contribution of phenotypic traits, their plasticity, and rapid evolution to invasion success: Insights from an extraordinary natural experiment. Ecography. 2021;44:1035-1050. doi: 10.1111/ecog.05541

 

  1. Holmes PM. Dispersal and predation of alien Acacia seeds: Effects of season and invading stand density. S Afr J Bot. 1990;56:428-434. doi: 10.1016/S0254-6299(16)31037-7

 

  1. Holmes PM. Depth distribution and composition of seed-banks in alien-invaded and uninvaded fynbos vegetation. Austral Ecol. 2002;27:110-120. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-9993.2002.01164.x

 

  1. Ngwenya DK, Holmes PM, Geerts S, Esler KJ. Delaying a prescribed burn to scale up the restoration of alien-invaded Lowland Sand Fynbos in South Africa. Austral Ecol. 2023;49:e13469. doi: 10.1111/aec.13469

 

  1. Impson FAC, Kleinjan CA, Hoffmann JH, Mudavanhu P. A review of research and developments with insect agents used for biological control of Australian Acacia species (Caesalpinioideae) in South Africa. Afr Entomol. 2021;29:693-712. doi: 10.4001/003.029.0693

 

  1. Richardson DM, Le Roux JJ, Marchante E. Wattles: Australian Acacia species around the world. Wallingford, England: CABI: 2023.

 

  1. Novoa A, Vimercati G, Brundu G, et al. Stakeholder’s views on the global guidelines for the sustainable use of non‐native trees. People Nat. 2024;6:1640-1654. doi: 10.1002/pan3.10670

 

  1. Impson FAC, Kleinjan CA, Hoffmann JH, Post JA, Wood AR. Biological control of Australian Acacia species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Willd.) Nielsen (Mimosaceae) in South Africa. Afr Entomol. 2011;19:186-207. doi: 10.4001/003.019.0210

 

  1. McConnachie M, Van Wilgen BW, Gaertner M, et al. Using counterfactuals to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of controlling biological invasions. Ecol Appl. 2016;26:475-483. doi: 10.1890/15-0351
Next article in this issue
Share
Back to top
Explora: Environment and Resource, Electronic ISSN: 3060-9046 Published by AccScience Publishing
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here
Accept