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Alternative stable states explain unpredictable biological control of Salvinia molesta in Kakadu

Author

Listed:
  • Shon S. Schooler

    (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Long Pocket Laboratories)

  • Buck Salau

    (Water, Heritage, and the Arts, Kakadu National Park, Jabiru, Northern Territory 0886, Australia)

  • Mic H. Julien

    (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Long Pocket Laboratories)

  • Anthony R. Ives

    (University of Wisconsin)

Abstract

Weed control in a state of flux In most years, the invasive mat-forming weed salvinia is successfully controlled in the river courses of Kakadu National Park, Australia, by the salvinia weevil, introduced as a biological control agent in the 1980s. In some years, however, control is incomplete. This has now been attributed to a well-known but not fully understood ecological phenomenon — alternative stable states. When these occur they pose severe problems for ecosystem management, but most studied examples are of strongly stable states that switch only rarely after major perturbations. In the salvinia–weevil example, however, frequent changes in water availability cause shifts between weakly stable states in which control is either effective or not. A better understanding of how these shifts occur could allow intervention to keep the system in the controlled state.

Suggested Citation

  • Shon S. Schooler & Buck Salau & Mic H. Julien & Anthony R. Ives, 2011. "Alternative stable states explain unpredictable biological control of Salvinia molesta in Kakadu," Nature, Nature, vol. 470(7332), pages 86-89, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:470:y:2011:i:7332:d:10.1038_nature09735
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09735
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    Cited by:

    1. William A Brock & Stephen R Carpenter, 2012. "Early Warnings of Regime Shift When the Ecosystem Structure Is Unknown," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-10, September.
    2. Garai, Shilpa & Pati, N.C. & Pal, Nikhil & Layek, G.C., 2022. "Organized periodic structures and coexistence of triple attractors in a predator–prey model with fear and refuge," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 165(P2).
    3. McCann, Michael J., 2016. "Evidence of alternative states in freshwater lakes: A spatially-explicit model of submerged and floating plants," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 337(C), pages 298-309.

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