Abstract

Biological invasions are one of the most important challenges for protected areas around the world, both because of the seriousness of their effects and because of the costs and difficulties associated with their control. Some features of the biology of invasive species, such as growth rate and reproduction, can be particularly important when organizing control actions. Moreover, the control actions themselves can be used to gather information to adjust their effectiveness. In mountain habitats, understanding how topography influences recruitment, growth and reproduction can provide key information for optimizing prevention and control efforts. In this article, we used data from 9093 cutted invasive Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) obtained from management operations in a natural reserve in the Southern Argentinian Pampas. Our results reveal variations in the growth rate, cone production and seed release in response to topography. The specimens that grow at higher altitudes exhibit larger diameters than those of equal age growing at lower altitudes. A greater frequency of individuals with thick trunks in the mountains tops has operative implications when selecting cutting tools and calculating effort and frequency of tools maintenance. We also found that trees located in higher environments start releasing seeds at a younger age. This could mean potential higher population growth rates in this habitat and as a consequence in greater risk of long-distance dispersal, highlighting the need to prioritize control operations in higher areas and to increase the frequency between successive controls to avoid the release of seeds that can be dispersed over long distances.

中文翻译：

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阿根廷草原上的入侵性松树：防治行动的教训

摘要

生物入侵是世界各地保护区面临的最重要挑战之一，既由于其影响的严重性，又由于与控制有关的成本和困难。当组织控制措施时，入侵物种生物学的某些特征（例如生长速率和繁殖）可能特别重要。而且，控制动作本身可以用来收集信息以调整其有效性。在山区生境中，了解地形如何影响募集，生长和繁殖可以为优化预防和控制工作提供关键信息。在本文中，我们使用了来自9093切开的入侵阿勒颇松（松halepensis）是从阿根廷南部南美大草原的自然保护区的管理活动中获得的。我们的结果揭示了响应地形的生长速率，视锥细胞产量和种子释放的变化。在较高高度生长的标本比在较低高度生长的等龄标本具有更大的直径。在选择切削工具并计算工具维护的力度和频率时，在山顶上树干粗壮的人出现频率更高。我们还发现位于较高环境中的树木在年轻时就开始释放种子。这可能意味着该栖息地的潜在人口增长率更高，并导致长途散布的风险增加，