TEMPERATE
WEEDS
The
research on Australia’s temperate weeds is based in Canberra
in the east and Perth in the west. Through the use of population
biology, ecology and computer models, the Weeds group studies
how introduced natural enemies (biological
control agents) and other ways of managing weeds affect
populations of temperate and Mediterranean climate weeds in
southern Australia. The search for biological control agents
occurs in the weeds home ranges - often South Africa, Central
and South America or Europe - all places with climates similar
to ours.
Both
agricultural and environmental weeds are being targeted and
they include wild radish
(crops), blue heliotrope
(crops and pastures), gorse
(pasture and bushland), Emex
(crops and pastures), blackberry
(bushland), French broom
(bushland), cape tulip
(pastures), bitou bush
(coastal bushland) and bridal
creeper (bushland).
The
project also looks at the redistribution
of agents which have successfully established and undertakes
ongoing monitoring
of agents after release to see how well they are working.
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