Jorge Luis Renteria
Impacts of the Invasive Blackberry (Rubus Niveus) on the Native Vegetation of the Scalesia Forest in Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Jorge Renteria doing field work.
Jorge Renteria doing different field work.
| Town/Region | Country | Categories | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands | Ecuador | Central and Latin America, Plants, Seeds | 11 Nov 2010 |
Blackberry (Rubus niveus) is one of the worst invasive plants present in the Galapagos Islands. Blackberry has invaded open vegetation, shrub land and forest alike. It forms dense thickets up to 4 meters high, replacing native vegetation, and threatening several native communities such as Scalesia pedunculata.
In the agricultural zone the blackberry has spread aggressively and therefore transforming farmland into land useless for agriculture. So far, no studies have been carried out about the impacts of Blackberry in Galapagos; however studies in Hawaii, Australia and La Réunion, where some other Blackberry species have demonstrated the negative long term impacts of this species on natural ecosystems. Blackberry invasion can reduce the ecological value of natural areas, affecting the ecotourism and agricultural productivity.
This study aims to produce the base line to better understand the ecological impacts and the invasion dynamics of Blackberry and to predict and estimate the possible scenarios under different control strategies.
Read about Jorge's previous project http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/jorge_luis_renteria or for more information contact j.renteria07@imperial.ac.uk