Impacts of the invasive reed Arundo donax on biodiversity at the community-ecosystem level

Arundo donax is an invasive species that mostly impacts on sensitive riparian ecosystems. In California, USA, Arundo worsens flood effects, outcompetes and displaces indigenous plant and animal species, creates fire hazards, and has the potential to alter soil nutrient status. Arundo is also invasive in South Africa, though less is known about its ecology, biology, and impacts. Since California and the Western Cape of South Africa have similar Mediterranean-type climates, we could assume that the impacts of Arundo on ecosystems in California are likely to be similar in the Western Cape, and that control methods used could be extrapolated for use in South Africa.