Investigation of the impact of Arundo donax in Mexico and evaluation of candidate biological control agents

Abstract

The arrival and spread of non-native species into new environments is a serious threat to ecosystems, that is the case of Arundo donax L. (Poaceae Arundinoideae), a perennial grass native to the western Mediterranean to India. Arundo donax was introduced to North America from the Iberian Peninsula within the last 500 years and is now a widespread and invasive weed in the Rio Grande Basin, (the border line between Mexico and the United States) and in almost all the basins in Mexico. This plant is extremely invasive and damaging, affecting especially water supplies. In many parts of Mexico, precipitation and inflows periodically decline and result in a drought, for this reason water conservation programs have to consider the inclusion of control programs of this plant. In Mexico, A. donax is managed by cutting the stems, which is ineffective because of prolific asexual reproduction from an extensive rhizome system, and by using herbicides. However, evidence of serious harm to health and the environment of chemical control indicates that the herbicides are not desirable for it use in shorelines of water bodies where Arundo's infestations are established.