Also, the environmental dependency of biotic interactions during invasions remains
understudied, not only in South Africa, but globally. For example, agricultural
pesticides and climate change (Schweiger et al. 2010) are likely to change key biotic
interactions, which could cause major shifts in the trajectories of some invasions.
Similarly, the biotic-dependency of interaction assembly is often neglected. We need
a better understanding of how phylogenetic relatedness between invaders and native
communities is linked with interaction reassembly and what the consequences are of
novel interactions for both invasive and native species. Globally, there are still a
number of knowledge gaps regarding invader-resident species (e.g. symbiont) interactions and their roles in facilitating establishment and invasion (Richardson et al.
2000a). South Africa provides an ideal natural laboratory to fill some of these gaps
(van Wilgen et al. 2020). A large number of good ‘model systems’ have been
identified in South Africa, and in many instances their invader-mutualist/parasite
interactions have been well-studied, providing ideal situations to address some of the
issues outlined above.
Acknowledgements We acknowledge support from the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for
Invasion Biology. JLR acknowledges startup funds received from Macquarie University’s Faculty
of Science and Engineering and Department of Biological Sciences as well as South Africa’s
National Research Foundation (NRF, grant no. 112097). Additional funding from the NRF is
acknowledged (grant no. 85417 to DMR, grant no. 115093 to SG, grant no. 110507 to OLFW).
The South African Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF) are thanked for
funding the South African National Biodiversity Institute noting that this publication does not
necessarily represent the views or opinions of DEFF or its employees.
References
Aizen MA, Sabatino M, Tylianakis JM (2012) Specialization and rarity predict non-random loss of
interactions from mutualistic networks. Science 335:1486–1489. https://doi.org/10.1126/sci
ence.1215320
Alston KP, Richardson DM (2006) The roles of habitat features, disturbance, and distance from
putative source populations in structuring alien plant invasions at the urban/wildland interface
on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Biol Conserv 132:183–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
biocon.2006.03.023
Anderson GD, Condy PR (1974) A note on the feral house cat and mouse on Marion Island. S Afr J
Antarct Res 4:58–61
Anderson BW, Spencer WW, Barrett CH (2005) Specialized bird perch aids cross-pollination: a
plant scores by providing an access point for visiting sunbirds to feed on its nectar. Nature
435:41. https://doi.org/10.1038/435041a
Baker H (1955) Self-compatibility and establishment after “long-distance” dispersal. Evolution
9:347–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1955.tb01544.x
Baker HG (1974) The evolution of weeds. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 5:1–25. https://doi.org/10.
1146/annurev.es.05.110174.000245
Baker HG, Stebbins GL (1965) The genetics of colonizing species. Academic, London
Bascompte J (2009) Mutualistic networks. Front Ecol Environ 7:429–436. https://doi.org/10.1890/
080026
Berruti A, Griffiths AM, Imber MJ et al (1981) Status of seabirds at Prince Edward Island. S Afr J
Antarct Res 10:32–33
416
J. J. Le Roux et al.
understudied, not only in South Africa, but globally. For example, agricultural
pesticides and climate change (Schweiger et al. 2010) are likely to change key biotic
interactions, which could cause major shifts in the trajectories of some invasions.
Similarly, the biotic-dependency of interaction assembly is often neglected. We need
a better understanding of how phylogenetic relatedness between invaders and native
communities is linked with interaction reassembly and what the consequences are of
novel interactions for both invasive and native species. Globally, there are still a
number of knowledge gaps regarding invader-resident species (e.g. symbiont) interactions and their roles in facilitating establishment and invasion (Richardson et al.
2000a). South Africa provides an ideal natural laboratory to fill some of these gaps
(van Wilgen et al. 2020). A large number of good ‘model systems’ have been
identified in South Africa, and in many instances their invader-mutualist/parasite
interactions have been well-studied, providing ideal situations to address some of the
issues outlined above.
Acknowledgements We acknowledge support from the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for
Invasion Biology. JLR acknowledges startup funds received from Macquarie University’s Faculty
of Science and Engineering and Department of Biological Sciences as well as South Africa’s
National Research Foundation (NRF, grant no. 112097). Additional funding from the NRF is
acknowledged (grant no. 85417 to DMR, grant no. 115093 to SG, grant no. 110507 to OLFW).
The South African Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF) are thanked for
funding the South African National Biodiversity Institute noting that this publication does not
necessarily represent the views or opinions of DEFF or its employees.
References
Aizen MA, Sabatino M, Tylianakis JM (2012) Specialization and rarity predict non-random loss of
interactions from mutualistic networks. Science 335:1486–1489. https://doi.org/10.1126/sci
ence.1215320
Alston KP, Richardson DM (2006) The roles of habitat features, disturbance, and distance from
putative source populations in structuring alien plant invasions at the urban/wildland interface
on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Biol Conserv 132:183–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
biocon.2006.03.023
Anderson GD, Condy PR (1974) A note on the feral house cat and mouse on Marion Island. S Afr J
Antarct Res 4:58–61
Anderson BW, Spencer WW, Barrett CH (2005) Specialized bird perch aids cross-pollination: a
plant scores by providing an access point for visiting sunbirds to feed on its nectar. Nature
435:41. https://doi.org/10.1038/435041a
Baker H (1955) Self-compatibility and establishment after “long-distance” dispersal. Evolution
9:347–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1955.tb01544.x
Baker HG (1974) The evolution of weeds. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 5:1–25. https://doi.org/10.
1146/annurev.es.05.110174.000245
Baker HG, Stebbins GL (1965) The genetics of colonizing species. Academic, London
Bascompte J (2009) Mutualistic networks. Front Ecol Environ 7:429–436. https://doi.org/10.1890/
080026
Berruti A, Griffiths AM, Imber MJ et al (1981) Status of seabirds at Prince Edward Island. S Afr J
Antarct Res 10:32–33
416
J. J. Le Roux et al.