One of the main reasons we are losing our biodiversity so quickly is the complete lack of understanding of how it all works by those government departments whose job it is to know. In South Australia the government department charged with saving our biodiversity is the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation. Let me start this article by quoting their policy on african daisy.
quote
Policy
African daisy (Senecio pterophorus)
Background
African daisy (Senecio pterophorus) was first recorded in S.A. at Port Lincoln in 1932. It spread rapidly on Lower Eyre Peninsula until about 1960, and to the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island. By 1965 it was reported at Millicent, and is now common over all areas receiving over 500 mm annual rainfall with the exception of Kangaroo Island where it has almost disappeared. It occurs in areas receiving as little as 250 mm. The plant has a shallow root system, and although dense patches establish in some areas with less than 500 mm rainfall, in a good season, they die out after a dry summer.
Discussion
African daisy is a pioneer plant that occupies bare ground after disturbance of the soil or vegetation (e.g. by fire, logging or clearance of undergrowth). It may become dominant and very conspicuous in the first years after disturbance. If left undisturbed the plant gradually thins out and will not replace itself. It can occur in well managed, established pastures and cereal areas, but is not a major problem in these situations.
In many cases the best way of controlling African daisy is to do nothing, as it is short lived, and once other vegetation returns, it disappears. It creates an environment unsuitable for its own seedlings.
African daisy is easily controlled as a seedling by grazing by goats or sheep; no ill effects on these livestock have been reported in Australia.
It appears that native organisms which feed on native Senecio species are able to exploit African daisy.
There is no evidence that African daisy is spreading or is likely to spread to uninfested areas. African daisy will continue to occur in generally uninfested areas that are disturbed by fire or clearing.
In all areas with on-going control programs African daisy is well established. Enforced control programs relying on herbicides often delay the establishment of more desirable vegetation. There is therefore little value in continuing enforced control programs in S.A.
Restrictions on the sale and transport of African daisy will not be necessary if enforced control is stopped.
Declaration
No sections of the Natural Resources Management Act, 2004, apply to African daisy.
end of quote.
Our Discussion
"African daisy is a pioneer plant that occupies bare ground after disturbance of the soil or vegetation (e.g. by fire, logging or clearance of undergrowth). It may become dominant and very conspicuous in the first years after disturbance. If left undisturbed the plant gradually thins out and will not replace itself."
This holds for 80% of our indigenous vegetation. I could say the same thing about nearly every endangered species of plant. They are endangered because the trigger that encouraged them to germinate, flourish, flower, seed and replenish their soil seedbank no longer occurs. That is what "Forest Succession" is all about. Here we are being told to let the african daisy replenish fully its soil seedbank and it will then disappear. When an event occurs that triggers our small plants (that make up 80% of our biodiversity) to germinate, this bloody african daisy infests the area and our little plants cannot thrive and replenish their soil seedbank. They are now gone forever.
"It may become dominant and very conspicuous in the first years after disturbance."
This is while it is overgrowing our little indigenous plants.
"There is no evidence that African daisy is spreading or is likely to spread to uninfested areas. African daisy will continue to occur in generally uninfested areas that are disturbed by fire or clearing.
So every time a suitable event occurs which our little plants need, this thing will infest that area.
What hope does our biodiversity have if our own Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation encourages us with this stupidity?