Title: Prolonged summer flooding switched dominance from the invasive weed Lippia (Phyla canescens) to native species in one small, ephemeral wetland
Abstract: Lippia (Phyla canescens, Verbenaceae) is an invasive perennial forb from South America that is now widespread throughout the Murray Darling Basin in Australia, threatening the biological values of internationally significant wetlands (Ramsar sites) and the productivity of the grazing industry. Lippia dominance is believed to be favoured by the altered flood regimes associated with river regulation, namely a reduction in the frequency and duration of flooding. This has lead to a widespread belief that restoration of a more ‘natural’ flood regime may assist in Lippia control. However, few data are available to support this notion. This study suggests that one or more prolonged floods delivered by environmental water allocation may provide one tool to assist in the control of Lippia where densely dominant native perennial species can recover from the wetting regime. The authors are conducting further studies to uncouple relative effects of inundation and competition on Lippia growth and survival to seek further management implications. [Price, J., Gross, C. L. and Whalley, W. (2010). Prolonged summer flooding switched dominance from the invasive weed Lippia (Phyla canescens) to native species in one small, ephemeral wetland. Ecological Management & Restoration, 11: 61–63. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2010.00514.x ]