|
Montpellier broom
Genista monspessulana
|
Alternative names: French broom, Cape broom
The Problem
Genista monspessulana (Montpellier or Cape broom)
is a perennial leguminous shrub native to the Mediterranean
that is a widespread environmental exotic weed of National,
State and urban parks and fallow land on over 600,000 ha across
South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Invaded
habitats include coastal plains, mountain slopes, riverbanks,
road cuts, forest clear-cuts grassland and open canopy forest
on a wide range of soil types. Montpellier broom is the dominant
weed that makes the Adelaide hills yellow in spring and has
infested key river systems in the Great Dividing Range. Montpellier
broom is only one of several types of broom that has invaded
southern Australia, but it is the most widespread.
The problems caused by brooms result from their tendency
to form mono-specific stands that shade out native species,
slow reforestation, and increase fire frequency and intensity.
Brooms can be controlled using an integrated approach of chemicals,
physical destruction and/or fire, however, given the areas
infested this is very costly and an effective management program
requires at least 20 years due to the long lived seed banks,
including monitoring and spot removal of regenerating plants
before they set seed.
|
