oa Quest - Invasive grasses : Africa burns and why this matters for grasses - : feature

Abstract

When most South Africans think about invasive species the first thing that comes to mind is a pine tree or a wattle tree. The idea that grasses can be problematic invasive species probably seems absurd. Yet if we venture beyond our shores we find that this is precisely the case in many other parts of the world. Grasses are among the most abundant and damaging invaders of natural areas in regions such as the Americas, Australasia and Pacific islands like Hawaii.