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Pyšek P, Hulme PE, Meyerson LA, Smith GF, Boatwright JS, Crouch NR, Figueiredo E, Foxcroft LC, Jarošík V, Richardson DM, Suda J, Wilson JRU. Hitting the right target: taxonomic challenges for, and of, plant invasions. AOB PLANTS 2013; 5:plt042. [PMCID: PMC4455668 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plt042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Taxonomic resources are essential for the effective management of invasive plants because biosecurity strategies, legislation dealing with invasive species, quarantine, weed surveillance and monitoring all depend on accurate and rapid identification of non-native taxa, and incorrect identifications can impede ecological studies. On the other hand, biological invasions have provided important tests of basic theories about species concepts. Modern taxonomy therefore needs to integrate both classical and new concepts and approaches to improve the accuracy of species identification and further refine taxonomic classification at the level of populations and genotypes in the field and laboratory. This paper explores how a lack of taxonomic expertise, and by implication a dearth of taxonomic products such as identification tools, has hindered progress in understanding and managing biological invasions. It also explores how the taxonomic endeavour could benefit from studies of invasive species. We review the literature on the current situation in taxonomy with a focus on the challenges of identifying alien plant species and explore how this has affected the study of biological invasions. Biosecurity strategies, legislation dealing with invasive species, quarantine, weed surveillance and monitoring all depend on accurate and rapid identification of non-native taxa. However, such identification can be challenging because the taxonomic skill base in most countries is diffuse and lacks critical mass. Taxonomic resources are essential for the effective management of invasive plants and incorrect identifications can impede ecological studies. On the other hand, biological invasions have provided important tests of basic theories about species concepts. Better integration of classical alpha taxonomy and modern genetic taxonomic approaches will improve the accuracy of species identification and further refine taxonomic classification at the level of populations and genotypes in the field and laboratory. Modern taxonomy therefore needs to integrate both classical and new concepts and approaches. In particular, differing points of view between the proponents of morphological and molecular approaches should be negotiated because a narrow taxonomic perspective is harmful; the rigour of taxonomic decision-making clearly increases if insights from a variety of different complementary disciplines are combined and confronted. Taxonomy plays a critical role in the study of plant invasions and in turn benefits from the insights gained from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Pyšek
- Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Philip E. Hulme
- The Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Laura A. Meyerson
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Gideon F. Smith
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections Division, Private Bag X101, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
- H. G. W. J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001-455 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - James S. Boatwright
- Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Belville 7535, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neil R. Crouch
- Ethnobotany Unit, South African National Biodiversity Institute, PO Box 52099, 4007 Berea Road, Durban, South Africa
- School of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Estrela Figueiredo
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001-455 Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Botany, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Llewellyn C. Foxcroft
- Conservation Services, South African National Parks, Skukuza 1350, South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Vojtěch Jarošík
- Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David M. Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Jan Suda
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Laboratory of Flow Cytometry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - John R. U. Wilson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Invasive Species Programme, Claremont 7735, South Africa
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