Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
RISK ASSESSMENT RESULTS: High risk, score: 12
|
Australian/New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment adapted for Hawai‘i. Information on Risk Assessments Original risk assessment |
| Arundo donax (Giant reed, Spanish reed, giant cane, giant feather-reed grass ). Family - Poaceae | Answer | Score | |
| 1.01 | Is the species highly domesticated? (If answer is 'no' then go to question 2.01) | n | 0 |
| 1.02 | Has the species become naturalized where grown? | ||
| 1.03 | Does the species have weedy races? | ||
| 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” | 1 | |
| 2.02 | Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2 | 2 | |
| 2.03 | Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility) | y | 1 |
| 2.04 | Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates | y | 1 |
| 2.05 | Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2 | y | |
| 3.01 | Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05 | y | 1 |
| 3.02 | Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2) | ||
| 3.03 | Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2) | n | 0 |
| 3.04 | Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2) | y | 2 |
| 3.05 | Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2) | n | 0 |
| 4.01 | Produces spines, thorns or burrs | n | 0 |
| 4.02 | Allelopathic | ||
| 4.03 | Parasitic | n | 0 |
| 4.04 | Unpalatable to grazing animals | n | -1 |
| 4.05 | Toxic to animals | n | 0 |
| 4.06 | Host for recognized pests and pathogens | n | 0 |
| 4.07 | Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans | y | 1 |
| 4.08 | Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems | y | 1 |
| 4.09 | Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle | n | 0 |
| 4.1 | Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island) | y | 1 |
| 4.11 | Climbing or smothering growth habit | n | 0 |
| 4.12 | Forms dense thickets | y | 1 |
| 5.01 | Aquatic | n | 0 |
| 5.02 | Grass | y | 1 |
| 5.03 | Nitrogen fixing woody plant | n | 0 |
| 5.04 | Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers) | n | 0 |
| 6.01 | Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat | n | 0 |
| 6.02 | Produces viable seed. | y | 1 |
| 6.03 | Hybridizes naturally | ||
| 6.04 | Self-compatible or apomictic | ||
| 6.05 | Requires specialist pollinators | n | 0 |
| 6.06 | Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation | y | 1 |
| 6.07 | Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7.01 | Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas) | y | 1 |
| 7.02 | Propagules dispersed intentionally by people | y | 1 |
| 7.03 | Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant | n | -1 |
| 7.04 | Propagules adapted to wind dispersal | y | 1 |
| 7.05 | Propagules water dispersed | y | 1 |
| 7.06 | Propagules bird dispersed | n | -1 |
| 7.07 | Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally) | n | -1 |
| 7.08 | Propagules survive passage through the gut | n | -1 |
| 8.01 | Prolific seed production (>1000/m2) | ||
| 8.02 | Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr) | ||
| 8.03 | Well controlled by herbicides | y | -1 |
| 8.04 | Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire | y | 1 |
| 8.05 | Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents) | ||
| Total score: | 12 |
Supporting data:
| Notes | Reference | |
| 1.01 | "Giant reed has played an important role in the culture of the western world through its influence on the development of music, which can be traced back 5000 years. The basis for the origin of the most primitive pipe organ, the Pan pipe or syrinx, was made from A. donax. Reeds for woodwind musical instruments are still made from the culms and no satisfactory substitutes have been developed (Perdue 1958)." [No evidence that the cultivated species substantially differs from the wild relatives.] | |
| 1.02 | ||
| 1.03 | "Several cvs are cultivated as ornamentals. In Arundo donax var. variegate (var. versicolor, var. picta) the leaves are white-striped; in var. macrophylla, leaves are large and glaucous. (2n = 40) ." | http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Arundo_donax.html |
| 2.01 | (1)Native range - India. (2)"Said to be native to the circummediterranean area to the Lower Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal and Assams the Nilgiris and Coorg; introduced to many subtropical and warm temperate regions, where it is grown as an ornamental and is often found as a stray from cultivation." (3)"Native range: Tropical Asia and the Mediterranean region, now widely naturalized in warm temperate to tropical areas." (4)"Arundo donax is a native to the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. From this area it has become widely dispersed, mostly through intentional introduction by man, into all of the subtropical and warm temperate areas of the world." (5)"A. donax is often considered indigenous to the Mediterranean Basin (Hickman 1993) or to warmer regions of the Old World, but apparently it is an ancient introduction into Europe from the Indian sub-continent (Bell 1998). In Eurasia it similarly inhabits low-gradient river courses and may provide useful wildlife habitat in greatly altered river deltas (Granval et al. 1993, He 1991)." | (1)http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/ardo1.htm (2)http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/arundo_donax.htm (3)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Arundo_donax.html (4)http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/arundon.rtf (5)http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/detailreport.cfm?usernumber=8&surveynumber=182 |
| 2.02 | (1)Native range: Considered native to Indian sub-continent. (2)Said to be native to the circummediterranean area to the Lower Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal and Assams the Nilgiris and Coorg; introduced to many subtropical and warm temperate regions, where it is grown as an ornamental and is often found as a stray from cultivation. (3)Arundo donax may be native to southern and central Asia, but it was long ago introduced to the Mediterranean region ..." | (1)http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/ardo1.htm (2)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Arundo_donax.html |
| 2.03 |
(1)"Ranging from Cool Temperate Wet through Tropical Dry to Wet Forest Life
Zones, giant reed is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 3 to 40 dm
(mean of 112 cases = 13.0) annual temperature of 9 to 28.5°C (mean of 112
cases = 23.6) and pH of 5.0 to 8.7 (mean of 48 cases = 6.9)." (2)"USDA
Zones 6 - 11." (3)Hardiness: USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3° C (-10° F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5° C (-5° F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7° C (0° F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9° C (5° F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2° C (10° F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4° C (15° F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6° C (20° F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8° C (25° F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1°C (30° F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7° C (35° F) |
(1)http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Arundo_donax.html (2)http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/arun_don.cfm (3)http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1560/ |
| 2.04 | "In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in coastal areas, often in thickets" (Wagner et al., 1999). In Fiji, widespread on hillsides, in open forest, and along roadsides, up to about 200 m (Smith, 1979)." | http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/arundo_donax.htm |
| 2.05 | Said to be native to the circummediterranean area to the Lower Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal and Assams the Nilgiris and Coorg; introduced to many subtropical and warm temperate regions, where it is grown as an ornamental and is often found as a stray from cultivation. | http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Arundo_donax.html |
| 3.01 | (1)"In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in coastal areas, often in thickets" (Wagner et al., 1999). In Fiji, widespread on hillsides, in open forest, and along roadsides, up to about 200 m (Smith, 1979)." (2)"A. donax has become invasive in several places where it has been planted, such as California and Florida, where it invades riparian areas and over-runs native plants and riverside habitat (Bodle 1998, Dudley 1998). Large control programs have been established to control A. donax infestations in these areas." (3)"Giant reed is naturalized and invasive in many regions, including southern Africa, subtropical United States through Mexico, the Caribbean islands and South America, Pacific Islands, Australia, and Southeast Asia." | (1)http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/arundo_donax.htm (2)http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/reports/html/arundo_donax.htm (3)http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/detailreport.cfm?usernumber=8&surveynumber=182 |
| 3.02 | (1)"Giant reed readily invades riparian channels, especially in disturbed areas, is very competitive, difficult to control, and to the best of our knowledge does not provide either food or nesting habitat for native animals." (2)"While it is usually associated with rivers that have been physically disturbed and dammed upstream, giant reed also can colonize within native stands ... " [ANswered yes but not scored because 3.04 is scored for being an environmental weed]. | (1)http://ceres.ca.gov/tadn/ecology_impacts/biology.html (2)http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/detailreport.cfm?usernumber=8&surveynumber=182 |
| 3.03 | No evidence | |
| 3.04 |
(1)"This plant is considered invasive by the authoritative sources noted
below. This plant may be known by one or more common names in different
places, and some are listed above. Click on an acronym to view each invasive
plant list, or click here for a composite list of Invasive Plants of the
U.S. STATE Assorted authors. 200_. State Noxious Weed Lists for 46 States. State agriculture or natural resource departments. CalEPPC California Exotic Pest Plant Council. 1999. Exotic Plant Pest List(http://www.cal-ipc.org/1999_cal-ipc_list/, October 19, 1999). California Exotic Pest Plant Council. California. HEAR USDI, Geological Survey. 1999. Information Index for Selected Alien Plants in Hawaii(http://www.hear.org, October 20, 1999). Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station. Makawao, Hawaii. SEEPPC Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. 1996. Invasive Exotic Pest Plants in Tennessee(http://www.se-eppc.org/states/TN/TNIList.html, October 19, 1999). Research Committee of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council. Tennessee." (2)"Giant reed chokes riversides and stream channels, crowds out native plants, interferes with flood control, increases fire potential, and reduces habitat for wildlife, including the Least Bell's vireo, a federally endangered bird. The long, fibrous, interconnecting root mats of giant reed form a framework for debris dams behind bridges, culverts, and other structures that lead to damage. It ignites easily and can create intense fires." |
(1)http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARDO4 (2)http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/ardo1.htm |
| 3.05 | No evidence | |
| 4.01 | No evidence | http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/reports/html/arundo_donax.htm |
| 4.02 | "Abstract: The effect of the rhizospheric soil of some terrestrial plants like Albizia lebbeck Benth, Casuarina equisetifolia Forst, Jatropha curcus L., Pinus roxburghii Sarg. and an emergent plant Arundo donax L. has been screened for their allelopathic interactions on seedling growth of mustard crop (Brassica campestris L. var. Varuna). Phytotoxicity was tested using earthenware pot experiment. The suppressed growth (length, dry weight) of mustard seedlings in the rhizospheric soil of Pinus roxburghii and Arundo donax stand has been observed. Toxicity was more pronounced in the rhizospheric soil of A. donax as compared to P roxburghii. Whereas rhizospheric soil of Albizia lebbeck, Casuarina equisetifolia, Jatropha curcus have been found to promote the shoot length of mustard seedlings but not dry weight." [Unable to conclude whether it is allelopathic under field conditions]. |