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Invasiveness Assessment - Velvet cotoneaster (Cotoneaster pannosus) in Victoria

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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.

Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here.

The following table provides information on the invasiveness of Velvet cotoneaster.

A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:

Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1 MB)
To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

Common Name: Velvet cotoneaster.
Scientific name: Cotoneaster pannosus

Question
Comments
Rating
Confidence
Establishment
Germination requirements?For propagation of cotoneaster species, seed is recommended to be sown in autumn, or stratified over winter and then sown under glass in spring (Griffths 1992). Therefore there is a seasonal component to the germination of cotoneaster species.
MH
MH
Establishment requirements?The species is reported to invade shaded habitats such as damp sclerophyll forest (Carr, Yugovic & Robinson 1992). The species is therefore considered to be able to establish under at least moderate canopy.
MH
MH
How much disturbance is required?The species is reported to invade relatively intact habitats such as damp sclerophyll forest and riparian vegetation (Carr, Yugovic & Robinson 1992).
MH
MH
Life form?Other; large shrub (Carr, Yugovic & Robinson 1992).
L
MH
Allelopathic properties?There are no reports of allelopathy for this species, however C. salicifolius has been reported to have allelopathic potential (Morita, Ito & Harada 2005).
M
L
Tolerates herb pressure?Unknown.
M
L
Normal growth rate?Not specifically known, however Cotoneaster species in general are known to be fast growing (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).
MH
M
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Hardy to Zone 7a, tolerant of temperatures to –17°C (Dave’s Garden 2007).
Reported to thrive in drought soils (Weber 2003). Therefore the species is considered tolerant of drought.
Unknown tolerance to waterlogging, salinity and fire.
MH
M
Reproduction
Reproductive systemReproduces by producing seed which can occur through apomixes or pollination and may be able to hybridise with other cotoneaster species (Randall & Marinelli 1996).
Cotoneaster species are capable of layering, where branches that are in constant contact with the ground can set root (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).
H
MH
Number of propagules produced?Each fruit contains two seeds (Weber 2003).
The potential fruit yield for this species is not specifically known, however cotoneaster species generally have abundant fruit crops (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000; Muyt 2001). The species is therefore considered to have the potential to produce more than 2000 seeds annually.
H
M
Propagule longevity?Unknown.
M
L
Reproductive period?Cotoneaster species are reported to live for over 20 years (Bossard, Randell & Hoshovsky 2000).
H
M
Time to reproductive maturity?Unknown.
M
L
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?Bird dispersed (Blood 2001).
Blackbirds have been reported to be a major dispersal agent in central Victoria (Rozefelds et al 1999).
H
H
How far do they disperse?The species is bird dispersed, however as the species is reported by Rozefelds et al (1999) to largely be dispersed by blackbirds, which have a territory size less than 1 ha they are not likely to disperse the seeds far (Bowman 2003). Cotoneaster species are however reported by (Loyn & French 1991) to be dispersed by Grey Currawongs, which can potentially disperse seeds many kilometres (Spennemann & Allen 2000).
H
MH


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