Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)


Eucalyptus microcorys


RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS: Low risk, score: 1 (low risk based on second screen)


Australian/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Hawai‘i.

Research directed by C. Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service

Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Eucalyptus microcorys; Australian tallowwood

Answer

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=-1, n=-1

n

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

n

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

1

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

n

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

y

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

4.1

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

n

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

n

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

y

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

n

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

3

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

y

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

y

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

1

Supporting data:

Source

Notes

1.01

no evidence

1.02

no evidence

1.03

no evidence

2.01

CAB International, (2000) Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

Natural latitude range
Approximate limits north to south: 25S to 33S
List of countries with natural populations
Oceania [Australia] New South Wales, Queensland

2.02

2.03

(1)CAB International, (2000) Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. (2) www.australiaplants.com/Eucalyptus_microcorys.htm (3)http://www.forests.qld.gov.au/qts/treetext.html (4)http://www.pfnq.com.au/Species%20Map.htm#tallow

(1)Climate descriptors
- Altitude range: 0 - 2000 m [not natural, no reproduction]
- Mean annual rainfall: 900 - 2000 mm
- Rainfall regime: summer; uniform
- Dry season duration: 0 - 2 months
- Mean annual temperature: 17 - 23C
- Mean maximum temperature of hottest month: 24 - 35C
- Mean minimum temperature of coldest month: 0 - 14C
- Absolute minimum temperature: > -6C (2)Found along the coastal areas from Queensland down to Newcastle New South Wales, USDA Zone 8. (3)Occurs on rich moist soils in coastal districts of New South Wales to Fraser Island. (4)Found in coastal wet sclerophyll forests from Newcastle, New South Wales to Maryborough and Fraser Island, Queensland.

2.04

CAB International, (2000) Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

Natural latitude range
Approximate limits north to south: 25S to 33S
List of countries with natural populations
Oceania [Australia] New South Wales, Queensland

2.05

CAB International, (2000) Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

List of countries where planted
Europe: Spain
Asia: Bhutan, China, [India] Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Indonesia, Laos, [Malaysia] Sabah, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa: Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Caribbean: Saint Lucia
Central America: Honduras
North America: [USA] Hawaii
South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay
Oceania: [Australia] New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands

3.01

no evidence

3.02

no evidence

3.03

no evidence

3.04

no evidence

3.05

Bacon, P. (Project coordinator) (1997) An electronic atlas of weeds and invasive species.Version 1.0 May 1997. (Based on the original work "Holm, L.; J.V. Puncho; J.P. Herberger & D.L. Plucknett (1979) A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. John Wiley & Sons, Inc." )

E. campageana, E. ferruginea, E. gracilis, E. marginata, E. miniata, e. pilularis, E. populnea, and E. tetradonta were listed as principal weeds in Australia (native habitat)

4.01

Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402.

no decription of these traits

4.02

no evidence

4.03

no evidence

4.04

Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp.

Keenan, D. M. (1986) Bark chewing by horses grazed on irrigated pasture. Australian Veterinary Journal, 1986, Vol.63, No.7, pp.234-235, 4 ref.
AB: At Lawes, Queensland an irrigated pasture grazed by horses had less than half the fibre content of a natural pasture, although fresh weight of pasture was similar. Bark chewing of eucalypt trees by the horses occurred much more commonly on the irrigated pasture and it is suggested that this may be related to the low fibre content of the irrigated pasture grass species inducing a craving for fibre, resulting in increased bark chewing. Of the trees exposed, those most severely chewed were the spongy stringy barked types, Eucalyptus microcorys (yellow tallow wood) and E. robusta (swamp mahogany), and the half barked E. tessellaris (Moreton Bay ash). The gum bark E. tereticornis (blue gum) and E. melliodora (yellow box) were mildly chewed and the iron barked E. crebra (narrow leaved ironbark) was only slightly chewed near the base.

4.05

no evidence

4.06

Mauchline, N. A.; Withers, T. M.; Wang, Q.; Davis, L. (1999) Life history and abundance of the Eucalyptus leafroller (Strepsicrates macropetana ). (Editor: O'Callaghan, M.) Proceedings of the Fifty Second New Zealand Plant Protection Conference, Auckland Airport Centra, Auckland, New Zealand, 10-12 August, 1999, 1999, pp.108-112, 6 ref.

AB: "S. macropetana has become a pest of increasing economic importance to young eucalyptus plantations in New Zealand."; "Of those five species (E. fastigata, E. nitens, E. microcorys, E. brookerana and E. saligna ) abundance was greater on trees without adult foliage."

4.07

no evidence

4.08

litter?

4.09

(1)Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402. (2)http://www.australiaplants.com/Eucalyptus_microcorys.htm (3)http://www.gardenbed.com/E/1535.cfm (4)http://www.agroforester.com/futfor/multispecies.html (5)http://pppis.fao.org/

(1)"very tolerant of shade" [produces the most shade??] (2)Good species for full sun (3)Prefers a sunny position (4) Tolerant of partial shade (5)Tolerates light shade, at most.

4.1

(1)Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402. (2)http://pppis.fao.org/

(1)"found on a wide variety of soils, including poor, moist sands" (2)Soil texture medium

4.11

CAB International, (2000) Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

Eucalyptus microcorys is a medium-sized to tall forest tree often in the 30 to 50 m height range but occasionally reaching 70 m.

4.12

no evidence

5.01

terrestrial

5.02

tree; Myrtaceae

5.03

no evidence

5.04

tree

6.01

no evidence

6.02

Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402.

"although seeding is not always regular, regenerates well in its natural habitat."

6.03

no evidence

6.04

no evidence

6.05

http://www.forests.qld.gov.au/qts/treetext.html

pollen source for European bees

6.06

no evidence

6.07

www.australiaplants.com/Eucalyptus_microcorys.htm

Moderate growth rate [estimate from this description based on other Eucalyptus]

7.01

no evidence

7.02

a forestry species

7.03

no evidence

7.04

Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402.

p.72 "When the seed is shade from a tree, most falls onto the ground below the rown, although some seed may be carried by a fair distance away from the tree by wind. Ecause the height of the tree concerned and the lightness of the distance is sometimes quite appreciable." [Eucalyptus species in general]

7.05

no evidence

7.06

no evidence

7.07

no evidence

7.08

no evidence of ingestion

8.01

Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402.

p.73 Eucalyptus spp. in general "100,000 - 400,000 seeds per kg." [very small seeds]

8.02

(1)Penfold, A.R. and J.L. Willis. (1961) The Eucalypts: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill Limited, London, and Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 551pp. p.402. (2)http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RM-4.pdf

(1)p.70 "Light is notnecessary for the germination of E. microcorys", "In nature, the seeds shed by mature trees will germinate as soon as suitable conditions are attained. The period of germination for the majority of eucalypts is from ten to twenty days, provided temperature is sufficiently hot and adequate moistur is present." (2)Lacks recalcitrant seeds

8.03

no evidence

8.04

(1)Guinto, D. F.; House, A. P. N.; Xu ZhiHong; Saffigna, P. G. (1999) Impacts of repeated fuel reduction burning on tree growth, mortality and recruitment in mixed species eucalypt forests of southeast Queensland, Australia. Forest Ecology and Management, 1999, Vol.115, No.1, pp.13-27, 36 ref. (2)Rajan, B. K. C.1983. The first Eucalyptus exotic plot in G.K.V.K. Myforest,19: .80-83

(1)"The diameter growth of E. pilularis , Corymbia intermedia [Eucalyptus intermedia ], E. microcorys and E. resinifera was not affected by either burning treatment. " (2)good coppice ability

8.05

no evidence


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