MECHANISMS CONTROLLING INVASION OF COASTAL PLANT-COMMUNITIES BY THE ALIEN SUCCULENT CARPOBROTUS-EDULIS

The South African succulent Carpobrotus edulis has been invading native and non-native plant assemblages in California since its introduction in the early 1900s. This study was designed to determine mechanisms controlling invasion by this species into three different communities: coastal grassland, backdune, and coastal scrub. The communities differed in several factors that influenced invasion by Carpobrotus: soil disturbance, herbivory, and identity of competitors. Disturbance of the soil was required for establishment of Carpobrotus at the grassland site. Soil disturbance did not promote Carpobrotus establishment in the coastal scrub or backdune. Establishment in these sites was restricted by herbivory. The influence of neighboring vegetation on Carpobrotus establishment was site dependent. At the grassland site, Carpobrotus seedling survival was reduced by grasses, and the only surviving seedlings were on gopher mounds. Growth of larger Carpobrotus plants, however, was unaffected by grasses. Proximity to shrubs, the dominant plant type at the backdune and coastal scrub sites, did not affect Carpobrotus seedling survival. It did, however, decrease both root and shoot biomass of seedlings and cuttings. Invasion is expected to occur most rapidly at the grassland site. Although germination and early survival there depend on the occurrence of rodent disturbances, these occur frequently, and seedling recruitment in the grassland was observed during this study. Once established, clonal growth is great and is not affected by herbivory or competition. In contrast, at the coastal scrub site, intense herbivory prevented successful establishment during this study. Cage experiments suggested that herbivory counteracted the high growth potential of Carpobrotus at this site. At the dune site, even caged plants showed very poor growth. Thus, although seedling recruitment does occur there, invasion is expected to be slow due to harsh physical conditions that limit both survival and growth. These findings demonstrate strong community differences in the factors governing invasability by Carpobrotus edulis.