Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-09-27T14:45:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinealmeidadovale.pdf: 810537 bytes, checksum: 3c0b5d13937779867eb8513036f432c2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Diamantino Mayra (mayra.diamantino@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-09-27T15:15:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinealmeidadovale.pdf: 810537 bytes, checksum: 3c0b5d13937779867eb8513036f432c2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-27T15:15:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 carolinealmeidadovale.pdf: 810537 bytes, checksum: 3c0b5d13937779867eb8513036f432c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-19 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Ao longo dos anos humanos tem transportado espécies de forma proposital ou despercebida para fora de sua área natural. Espécies introduzidas podem trazer prejuízos ambientais e econômicos e são a segunda principal causa de perda da biodiversidade, sendo apenas superada pela supressão de ambientes. Os primatas sempre mantiveram uma relação muito estreita com os seres humanos facilitando com que fossem transportados para fora de seus limites naturais. A espécie Callithrix penicillata ocorre tipicamente no cerrado e é relatada como invasora em diversos estados do país, suas populações introduzidas tem se tornando um problema para a conservação devido a seu alto potencial de ocupação, predação de fauna nativa competição com congêneres nativos e hibridização. Para iniciar ações de manejo é preciso conhecer os locais já invadidos e os possíveis de invasão. Neste sentido a modelagem de distribuição potencial (MDP) baseada nos modelos ecológicos de nicho, tem se demonstrado uma maneira rápida, confiável e com baixo custo para identificar áreas com maior probabilidade de ocorrência de uma espécie. Neste estudo utilizamos a modelagem de distribuição potencial (MDP) para identificar áreas com maior probabilidade de ocorrência de uma espécie, através do software Maxent (Máxima Entropia). Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal conhecer o potencial de invasão da espécie Callithrix penicillata no território brasileiro. E como objetivos específicos conhecer a distribuição atual do sagui C. penicillata e confrontar com aquela encontrada na literatura, conhecer as áreas mais suscetíveis à invasão e discutir o problema que a introdução dessa espécie vem causando nas regiões onde é uma espécie invasora. O valor encontrado foi de AUC=0.966 para dados de treino e AUC=0.919 para os dados de teste, com valor da curva bem próximo a 1. Pelo teste Jackknife, observamos que a variável mais correlacionada a distribuição foi a sazonalidade da temperatura (AUC = 0,86), coincidindo com outros estudos que demonstram que variáveis climáticas influenciam a distribuição de primatas. As regiões mais apontadas como susceptíveis a invasão foi a Floresta Atlântica da região Sudeste seguida pelo Sul. A Floresta Atlântica por possuir alto nível de endemismo, e as regiões Sul e Sudeste por terem maior concentração demográfica, contribuem para que a invasão biológica dos saguis se torne um fator preocupante. / Over the years humans have transported species purposeful or unnoticed out of its natural range. Introduced species can bring environmental and economic damages and are the second leading cause of biodiversity loss, being surpassed only by suppressing environments. Primates have always maintained a very close relationship with humans facilitating them to be transported out of their natural limits. The Callithrix penicillata species typically occurs in the cerrado and is reported as invasive in several states of the country, its population has made becoming a problem for conservation because of its high potential for occupation, native wildlife predation and competition with native hybridization counterparts. To initiate management actions we need to know the locals already invaded and possible invasion, thus the potential distribution modeling (MDP) based on ecological models niche, it has proved a fast, reliable and cost to identify areas with greater probability of some sort. In this study we used the potential distribution modeling (MDP) to identify areas with higher probability of occurrence of a species through the Maxent software (Maximum Entropy). This work aims to know the invasion potential of the species in Brazil. And the following objectives know the current distribution of C. penicillata marmoset and confront with that found in the literature, know the areas most susceptible to invasion and discuss the problem that the introduction of this species has caused in the regions where it is an invasive species. The value found was AUC = 0.966 for training data and AUC = 0919 for the test data with the value very close to curve 1. At Jackknife test, we found that the most correlated variable distribution was seasonality temperature (AUC = 0, 86), coinciding with other studies showing that environmental factors influence the distribution of primates. The most frequently mentioned site susceptible to invasion was the Atlantic Forest of the Southeast region followed by the South. The Atlantic Forest for having high levels of endemism, and the South and Southeast regions to have higher population concentration, contribute to the biological invasion of marmosets are become a concern.

Orientador: Louis Bernard Klaczko / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Insituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T02:57:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Araripe_LucianaOrdunha_D.pdf: 1442005 bytes, checksum: 69889cecab16cb4c8feae92d4eb04c7e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: A espécie Zaprionus indianus expandiu sua distribuição geográfica recentemente, a partir da invasão do continente sul-americano. O primeiro registro data de apenas seis anos, e acredita-se que a origem seja sul-africana. Hoje, indivíduos dessa espécie são encontrados numa amplitude latitudinal de 35o, do Uruguai a Belém (Brasil). A chegada de Z. indianus no Brasil apresenta uma oportunidade rara de se estudar um evento de invasão desde seu início. O estudo de características fisiológicas, morfológicas e genéticas de populações brasileiras pode ajudar a construir hipóteses para o sucesso de Z. indianus nas etapas de invasão, além de indicar o potencial para evolução e diferenciação fenotípica. Um aspecto fisiológico estudado nesta tese foi a condição reprodutiva em machos que foram submetidos a extremos de temperatura ao longo de seu desenvolvimento. O estresse térmico causa esterilidade nos machos e a investigação dos limites (superior e inferior) da curva de fertilidade relativa à temperatura, complementa os dados de viabilidade na caracterização do potencial de ocupação de áreas novas por espécies cosmopolitas. Quanto à morfologia, um aspecto estudado foi o dimorfismo sexual no número de cerdas abdominais em uma população africana. Dimorfismo sexual para este caráter foi observado em várias espécies em estudos anteriores, embora padrões diferentes tenham sido encontrados. Nesta tese o padrão observado em Z. indianus foi comparado com o de outra espécie cosmopolita, Drosophila melanogaster. Um terceiro ponto abordado nesta tese foi a investigação de 10 populações brasileiras quanto à variação fenotípica (tamanho e forma da asa). Além das diferenças entre populações, uma abordagem interessante é o quanto de variação está presente dentro de cada população. Ainda, é importante saber o quanto dessa variação é herdável para estimarmos qual a capacidade evolutiva da população. O estudo revelou a ocorrência de alta variabilidade fenotípica dentro e entre populações, além de variação genética aditiva suficiente para promover a evolução de caracteres relacionados à forma da asa / Abstract: The species Zaprionus indianus has recently expanded its geographical distribution with the invasion of the South American continent. The first record dates of only six years, and the origin is probably the South Africa. Nowadays, individuals of this species can be found in a latitudinal range of 35o, from Uruguai to Belém (Brazil). The arrival of Z. indianus in Brazil presents a rare opportunity of studying an event of invasion from its beginning. The study of physiological, morphological and genetic traits in Brazilian populations may contribute to generate hypothesis for the success of Z. indianus in the stages of invasion. Also, it may indicate the potential for evolution and phenotypic differentiation. One physiological trait studied in the current thesis was the relationship of fertility and the temperature of development. Extreme temperatures cause sterility in males and the study of the limits (upper and lower) of the fertility curve complements the data on viability for the characterization of the potential of cosmopolitan species to occupy new areas. One morphological character studied was the sexual dimorphism for the number of abdominal bristles in one African population. A significant sexual dimorphism for this trait was observed in several species in previous studies, though different patterns have been found. In the current work the pattern observed in Z. indianus was compared to the pattern for another cosmopolitan species, Drosophila melanogaster. The third approach of this thesis was the study of the phenotypic variation (size and shape of the wing) present in 10 Brazilian populations. Besides the differences among populations, an interesting approach is the amount of variation present within each population. Also, it is important to know the proportion of this variation that is heritable, which allows an estimate of the evolutionary potential of the population. This study revealed the occurrence of high phenotypic variability within and between populations. In addition, enough additive genetic variation exists to promote the evolution of traits related to the shape of the wing / Doutorado / Genetica Animal e Evolução / Doutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular

Comprendre la relation entre biodiversité et fonctionnement des écosystèmes est une question centrale de l'écologie moderne. Cette problématique est d'autant plus importante dans le contexte général des perturbations anthropiques sur la biodiversité et les écosystèmes. Les invasions biologiques représentent l'une des causes principales de perte de diversité taxonomique et de modification des écosystèmes. Ceci est particulièrement le cas dans les écosystèmes aquatiques d'eau douce qui sont soumis à de nombreuses introductions d'espèces non-natives de poissons qui peuvent modifier la structure des communautés et altérer les interactions biotiques entre espèces. Les interactions trophiques et les réseaux trophiques qu'elles forment sont à la base des liens entre la structure même de la biodiversité et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Par conséquent, identifier les impacts des espèces non-natives sur la structure trophique des communautés est crucial pour estimer comment le fonctionnement des écosystèmes et les services qu'ils rendent peuvent répondre aux invasions biologiques. Dans cette étude, 18 lacs de gravières ont été sélectionnés et leurs communautés piscicoles quantifiées durant deux années consécutives afin de tester les effets des invasions biologiques sur les patrons de diversité fonctionnelle et la structure trophique des communautés piscicoles. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié le rôle des facteurs environnementaux sur la composition et la structure des communautés de poissons. Nos résultats ont démontré que la structure des communautés de poissons différait de manière significative entre lacs et nous avons notamment observé que les lacs gérés principalement à des fins halieutiques présentaient une plus forte richesse taxonomique. Nous avons également démontré que les espèces natives et non-natives étaient dominantes dans des lacs avec des caractéristiques environnementales différentes, alors que les pratiques de gestion jouaient davantage un rôle sur structures des communautés. Dans l'ensemble, cette étude a permis de démontrer que la composition des communautés piscicoles évoluait de manière prévisible le long d'un gradient environnemental associé au niveau de maturité des lacs et des pratiques de gestion associées. Dans un second temps, nous avons quantifié l'importance de la variabilité intraspécifique des traits fonctionnels au sein d'une espèce modèle, le black-bass (Micropterus salmoides). Plus précisément, nous avons échantillonné l'ensemble d'une population and nous avons démontré que la variabilité des traits fonctionnels entre les individus était forte et pouvait affecter les estimations de diversité fonctionnelle. De plus, le très faible chevauchement de niches fonctionnelles et isotopiques entre les différentes classes d'âge indiquaient qu'elles doivent être considérées comme des entités fonctionnelles distinctes. Nous avons également démontré l'existence d'une corrélation entre les traits fonctionnels et les valeurs isotopiques du carbone et de l'azote, suggérant ainsi un lien entre spécialisation trophique et les différences de traits fonctionnels au sein des différents stades de vie. Dans un troisième temps, en intégrant la variabilité intraspécifique des traits fonctionnels à l'échelle de la communauté, nous avons examiné les structures fonctionnelles des différentes communautés piscicoles le long d'un gradient d'invasions. Nos résultats ont démontré que les entités natives et non-natives de poissons différaient significativement en terme de traits fonctionnels et que le " niche partitioning " était le mécanisme principal permettant la coexistence des espèces natives et non-natives ayant des traits fonctionnels similaires. / Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a central question in modern ecology. This question is particularly crucial in the general context of human perturbations on both biodiversity and ecosystems. Biological invasions are considered as one of the leading causes of the ongoing taxonomic diversity crisis and the modification of ecosystems. This is especially true in freshwater ecosystems since the widespread introductions of non-native fish can modify recipient communities notably by changing the biotic interactions between species. Trophic interactions represent the linkage between the structural characteristics of biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems, describing the network of species and the energy links between them. Identifying the impacts of non-native fish species on the trophic structure of recipient communities is therefore crucial to estimate how ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services might respond to biological invasions. In the present study, fish communities from 18 gravel pit lakes were selected and monitored during two consecutive years to test the effects of biological invasions on functional diversity patterns and the trophic structure of fish communities. We first investigated the environmental determinants of fish community composition and structure in these gravel pit lakes. Our results demonstrated that fish community structure significantly differed between lakes and we notably found that lakes highly managed for angling hosted higher levels of taxonomic diversity. We also found that native and non-native species were dominant in lakes with different environmental conditions, while management practices play a critical role in shaping fish species composition. Overall, these findings demonstrated that fish community composition followed a predictable shift along an environmental gradient linked to the natural maturation of gravel pit lakes and the associated human practices. Second, we quantified the importance of intraspecific variability in functional traits in a model species, the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). We sampled a whole population in a private pond and found that functional trait variability among individuals within the same population could affect estimates of functional diversity. Moreover, the extremely low overlap for both functional and stable isotope niches between age-classes indicated that different age classes within a species should be considered as distinct functional entities. We also demonstrated the existence of a significant correlation between functional traits and stable isotope values, suggesting the existence of a linkage between trophic specialization and differences in functional traits within each life stage. Third, incorporating intraspecific variation in functional traits at the community level, we examined the functional attributes of fish communities in the studied lakes. Our results demonstrated that native and non-native fish significantly differed in terms of functional traits. We also demonstrated that niche partitioning was the principal mechanism allowing the coexistence of native and non-native fish with similar functional traits.

My PhD thesis is focused on study of plant-soil interactions. Chapter 1 is focused on general introduction to the interactions between plants and soil biota in terms of relationships between soil organisms and aboveground biomass as well as root biomass. Chapter 2 is focused on food interaction of Folsomia candida and soil microscopic fungi (Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium expansum, Absidia glauca, and Cladosporium herbarum). Fungi were grown separately on Petri dishes or on different litter type (oak, alder and willow) separately as well. Laboratory experiments showed that food preference was more influenced by different litter types than fungal species. In chapter 3 was studied long-term production of hybrid sorrel and its effect on the composition of the soil meso and macrofauna, basal soil respiration, microbial biomass and composition of cultivable fraction of soil microscopic fungi in comparison with oilseed rape and cultural meadow. There was found that long-term production of hybrid sorrel affects the composition of soil fauna, while the microbial activity of the soil was more affected by agriculture practices, especially tillage. In chapter 4 was studied the effect of native (Salix viminialis and Phalaris arudinacea) and introduced (Reynoutria sachalinensis, Silphium perfoliatum and...

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). They cause millions in damage annually to agriculture, and likely negatively affect native wildlife species. Using camera traps, I monitored 36 forest patches within the MAV to assess the effects of swine invasions on native wildlife species richness. I also modified the double-observer point count technique into a new method for estimating swine abundance with camera traps. Feral swine suppressed native vertebrate richness by 26% when compared to uninvaded patches. I validated the new double-observer technique by determining if it could detect an abundance-area relationship in wildlife populations and estimate a known decrease in abundance following swine removal. This technique was sensitive enough to detect the increase and decrease in abundance and estimated the number of individuals removed from the population relatively accurately. This technique may be useful in the future to manage feral swine populations.

An intensive sampling of all ant species encountered on 6 Hawaiian Islands: Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai took place between 1988 and 1996. Species presence and absence was recorded at each site. Using remote sensing, variables were added insitu and used throughout my analysis. Species accumulation curves suggest that sampling was comprehensive. There is a significant trend between island area and species richness which validates the Theory of Island Biogeography for invasive species. Islands were found to be significantly nested by area, order, and tourism. Cluster analysis shows a link between elevation, land-use and island, and species presence. Predictive models can be built to predict spread of particular ant species as they continue toward equilibrium.

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Invasive species represent a major challenge through their consequences on<p>biodiversity, human health and economy. Their effects are especially important on fragile and<p>unique insular biotas such as the Galápagos Islands. Ants in particular are keystone species<p>implicated in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity and they can be dramatic invaders. In<p>the Galápagos Islands, the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata is considered a high-impact<p>invasive species, though it remains surprisingly poorly studied. The objectives of this work<p>are to document the invasion of S. geminata in the Galápagos Islands by 1) updating its<p>distribution; 2) determining its reproduction and dispersal strategies and reconstruct its<p>invasion history throughout the archipelago and 3) evaluating its impact on the native fauna<p>(focusing on ants and arthropods communities and endemic land tortoises).<p>First, we added 66 new records of S. geminata in the Galápagos since 2008. It has<p>now been recorded on seven islands and 11 islets in a wide range of habitats, including<p>nesting sites of 24 endemic and/or endangered vertebrate species, for which it constitutes a<p>potential threat.<p>Secondly, by combining Bayesian clustering methods, coalescent-based scenario<p>testing using microsatellite data and historical records, we determined that genetic diversity<p>of populations of S. geminata collected in Galápagos Islands is significantly lower than the<p>genetic diversity of populations from native areas (Costa Rica). The Galápagos populations<p>form three clusters corresponding to an island or groups of islands. They appear to be the<p>result of a single introduction in the first half of the 19th century, probably from mainland<p>Ecuador, which acted as a bridgehead population to two subsequent introductions within the<p>archipelago, corresponding human colonization fluxes in the archipelago.<p>We sampled ants in all main habitats of Santa Cruz Island. Introduced ant species<p>were largely prevalent, and S. geminata was the dominant species and was associated with<p>low evenness of ant communties and lower abundance of native ants. We found that<p>Galápagos’ ant communities are determined by the vegetation type and altitude, but found<p>only little evidence for competitively structured assemblages, except in disturbed areas.<p>The arthropod diversity was investigated in two agricultural sites of Santa Cruz Island<p>by combining three complementary sampling techniques. More than half of the species were<p>either endemic or native, but introduced species constituted the majority of the catches.<p>Solenopsis geminata was by far the most abundant and common species.<p>Finally, we investigated the mortality of Cheloidis land tortoise’s eggs and hatchlings<p>in an area infested by S. geminata on Santa Cruz Island with regard to the abundance of fire<p>ants and the duration of incubation. Egg survival was negatively associated with longer incubation times but we found no direct relation between ant density and tortoise mortality<p>despite a high abundances of fire ants in the vicinity of the majority of the tortoise burrows.<p>Our work allows addressing ecological and genetical aspects of the invasion of S.<p>geminata in the Galápagos Islands. We analyzed our results in the light of an ecoevolutionary<p>framework presenting different invasion scenarios and discussed S. geminata<p>as an invasive ant. This provided us with information useful for the study and management of<p>this invasive species in the Galápagos Islands.<p>/<p>Les espèces invasives constituent un défi majeur à cause de leur impact sur la<p>biodiversité, la santé humaine et l’économie. Leurs effets sont particulièrement importants<p>sur les environnements insulaires fragiles et uniques comme les île Galápagos. Les fourmis<p>en particulièr sont des espèces clé de voûte du fonctionnement des écosystèmes et de la<p>biodiversité. Elles peuvent de ce fait devenir des envahisseurs spectaculaires. Dans les îles<p>Galápagos, la fourmi de feu tropicale Solenopsis geminata fait partie des espèces invasives<p>à haut impact et cependant elle a été étonnamment peu étudiée. Les objectifs de ce travail<p>consistent à documenter l’invasion de S. geminata dans l’archipel des Galápagos: 1) en<p>mettant à jour sa distribution; 2) en déterminant ses stratégies de reproduction et de<p>dispersion et en reconstruisant l’histoire de son invasion dans l’archipel et 3) en évaluant son<p>impact sur la faune native (particulièrement sur les communautés de fourmis et<p>d’arthropodes et sur les tortues terrestres endémiques).<p>Tout d’abord, nous avons ajouté 66 nouveaux relevés de S.geminata aux Galápagos<p>depuis 2008. À ce jour, la fourmi a été observée sur 7 îles et 11 îlots, et ce dans une grande<p>variété d’habitats. On la trouve également sur les sites de ponte de 24 espèces de vertébrés<p>endémiques ou en voie de disparition, qu’elle menace ainsi potentiellement.<p>Ensuite, en combinant des méthodes bayésiennes de regroupement et des<p>comparaisons de scénarios en se basant sur des séquences microsatellites et des données<p>historiques, nous avons montré que la diversité génétique des populations de S. geminata<p>des Galápagos est significativement inférieure à celle des populations des zones d’indigénat<p>(Costa Rica). Les populations des Galápagos - réparties en 3 groupes correspondant à une<p>île ou un groupe d’îles – sont le résultat d’une introduction unique ayant eu lieu dans la<p>première moitié du 19ème siècle. Elles proviennent vraisemblablement de l’Equateur<p>continental et constituent une population “tête de pont” pour deux introductions ultérieures au<p>sein de l’archipel. Ces mouvements correspondent aux flux de populations humaines.<p>Nous avons échantillonné les fourmis dans tous les principaux habitats de l’île de<p>Santa Cruz. Les fourmis introduites sont largement prévalentes. Solenopsis geminata<p>constitue l’espèce dominante et se trouve associée avec une faible équitabilité des<p>communautés de fourmis ainsi qu’avec une diminution de l’abondance des fourmis natives.<p>Nos résultats indiquent que les communautés de fourmis des Galápagos sont structurées<p>par le type de végétation et l’altitude, alors que les assemblages de fourmis ne sont pas<p>structurés compétitivement, à l’exception des zones perturbées.<p>Nous avons investigué la diversité arthropodienne de deux sites agricoles de l’île de<p>Santa Cruz en combinant trois méthodes d’échantillonnage complémentaires. Plus de la moitié des espèces collectées étaient soit endémiques, soit natives. Les espèces introduites<p>ont toutefois constitué la majorité des individus collectés. Solenopsis geminata était de loin la<p>plus abondante et la plus commune des espèces récoltées.<p>Enfin, dans une zones infestées par S. geminata sur l’île de Santa Cruz, nous avons<p>mis en relation la mortalité des oeufs et juvéniles de tortues terrestres Chelonoidis avec<p>l’abondance des fourmis de feu et la durée d’incubation des oeufs. Le taux de survie des<p>oeufs est négativement corrélé à leur durée d’incubation. Cependant, malgré de très hautes<p>abondances de fourmis de feu à proximité des nids de tortues, nous n’avons pas trouvé de<p>relation directe avec leur mortalité.<p>Pour conclure, ce travail aborde les aspects génétiques et écologiques de l’invasion<p>de la fourmi de feu tropicale dans les îles Galápagos. Nos résultats sont analysés au sein<p>d’un cadre éco-évolutif présentant différents scénarios d’invasion. Nous discutons également<p>de S. geminata en tant qu’espèce invasive. Nous espérons apporter des informations utiles<p>dans le cadre de l’étude et du contrôle de cette espèce invasive aux Galápagos. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Thesis (PhD (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: Climate change and biological invasions are major components of global change induced by human activity and are considered major drivers of global biodiversity decline in terrestrial ecosystems. These drivers interact synergistically and render ecosystems vulnerable to invasion by invasive alien species. Grasses are a group of invasive plants that easily respond to global changes and alter native plant community structure and ecosystem processes, such as fire frequency. To date there have been few studies that assess the ecological drivers and effects of invasive grass species on arid and semi-arid ecosystems of South Africa. Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is a widely distributed invasive alien perennial grass from North Africa and the Middle East, valued by horticulturalists worldwide. It spreads along the edges of roads on the outskirts of most towns, and is common on mine spoil in many areas throughout South Africa. Occasionally, it escapes into natural vegetation along drainage lines or after fires. This grass can be a costly problem for agriculture and biodiversity conservation as it is unpalatable and increases fire risk. Understanding its distribution and invasive dynamics will contribute to better management and control practices. The main objective of this study was to understand the ecology and invasion processes of P. setaceum across South African environmental gradients, and use it as a model to understand the synergistic relationships between biological invasions and other global change (climate and land use) scenarios. This study provides the first assessment of how P. setaceum overcomes different invasion barriers in South Africa as an emerging invader, in comparison with other parts of the world where it has already become problematic. A number of management and control options for this grass and other similar perennial grasses result from this study. Specifically, the study provides comprehensive understanding of: 1) the distribution and habitat preferences of P. setaceum in arid and semi-arid parts of South Africa, 2) environmental resources and habitat conditions that promote its invasive potential, 3) growth and reproductive performance across environmental gradients, 5) the response of an arid ecosystem to P. setaceum invasion and fire promotion, and 6) the predicted future distribution of this grass in South Africa under scenarios of climate change and spread. The study has found that road-river interchanges are ideal sites for P. setaceum growth and that these sites should be targeted for management and control of this species. P. setaceum was found to persist under diverse biome environments, which is attributed to local adaptation. Disturbance was found to be a major factor promoting fountain grass invasion into semi-natural areas away from roadsides. Major clean-ups of this grass should focus on disturbed areas, especially in the fertile parts of the fynbos region where the grass has high climatic suitability. Management and control should also focus on areas with high nutrients and extra water, as these areas facilitate growth and reproduction. The dynamics of P. setaceum invasion and spread makes it a good model for management of similar emerging invasive perennial grasses in similar ecosystems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Klimaatsverandering en biologiese indringing is grootskaalse komponente van mensgedrewe globale veranderinge, en kan ook gesien word as prominente drywers van die huidige afname in globale biodiversiteit van terrestriële ekosisteme. Hierdie drywers werk saam in sinergie, en laat sodoende ekosisteme kwesbaar vir indringing deur uitheemse indringerplante. Grasse is ‘n groep indringerplante wat maklik reageer ten opsigte van globale veranderinge en verander inheemse plantgemeenskapstruktuur en ekosisteem prosesse, soos byvoorbeeld veldbrand frekwensie. Tot op hede is daar wynig studies gedoen wat die ekologiese drywers en effekte van indringergras spesies in droë en semi-droë ekosisteme van Suid-Afrika assesseer. Pronkgras (Pennisetum setaceum) is ‘n wyd verspreide meerjarige uitheemse indringergras, oorspronklik vanaf Noord-Afrika en die Midde-Ooste, en word waardeer deur tuinboukundiges wêreldwyd. Dit versprei al langs padrande aan die buitewyke van meeste dorpe, en is algemeen op ou mynhope in verskeie dele van Suid-Afrika. Somtyds ontsnap hierdie gras langs dreineringskanale of na veldbrande, en beland so in die omringende natuurlike plantegroei. Hierdie gras kan ‘n duur probleem word vir landbou asook biodiversiteit bewaring omdat dit onsmaaklik is vir diere, en dit verhoog veldbrand risiko. ‘n Beter begrip van pronkgras verspreiding en indringingdinamika sal bydra tot verbeterde bestuur en kontrole praktyke. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om die ekologie en indringing prosesse van P. setaceum regoor Suid-Afrikaanse omgewingsgradiente te begryp, en dit dan te gebruik as ‘n model om die sinergistiese verhoudings tussen biologiese indringing en ander globale veranderinge (klimaat en grondgebruik) te verstaan. Die studie verskaf die eerste assessering van hoe P. setaceum verskillende indringing hindernisse in Suid-Afrika oormeester as ‘n opkomende indringer, in vergelyking met ander dele van die wêreld waar dit al klaar problematies is. Hierdie studie verskaf uiteindelik ‘n aantal bestuur en kontrole opsies vir hierdie en ander soortgelyke meerjarige grasse. Die studie verskaf spesifiek ‘n deeglike verstaan van: 1) die verspreiding en habitat voorkeure van P. setaceum in droë en semi-droë areas in Suid-Afrika, 2) omgewingshulpbronne en habitat toestande wat hierdie plant se indringing potensiaal verhoog, 3) groei- en voortplantingsvertoning oor verskillende omgewingsgradiente, 4) die reaksie wat ‘n droë ekosisteem toon teenoor P. setaceum indringing en veldbrand verhoging, en 5) die toekomstige verspreiding van hierdie gras in Suid-Afrika onder voorspellings van klimaatsverandering en verspreiding. Die studie het gevind dat pad-rivier tussengange ideale liggings is vir P. setaceum vestiging, en dat hierdie liggings dus geteiken moet word vir bestuur en kontrole doeleindes. P. setaceum toon volharding onder diverse bioom omgewings, wat toegeskryf word aan plaaslike aanpassing. Daar is gevind dat versteuring ‘n groot faktor is in die verhoging van pronkgras indringing in semi-natuurlike areas weg van padskouers. Grootskaalse pronkgras uitroeiing projekte moet fokus op versteurde gebiede, veral in die vrugbare dele van die fynbos streek, waar hierdie gras hoë klimaatsgeskiktheid toon. Bestuur en kontrole programme moet ook fokus op areas met hoë nutriente inhoud en ekstra water, aangesien hierdie areas groei en voortplanting vergemaklik. Die dinamika van P. setaceum indringing en verspreiding maak dit ‘n goeie model vir die bestuur van soortgelyke opkomende meerjarige indringergrasse in soortgelyke ekosisteme.