Darwin's barberry (Berberis darwinii)

Present distribution

Scientific name:	Berberis darwinii Hook.
Common name(s):	Darwin’s barberry

Present distribution of Berberis darwinii

Habitat:

Native to Chile and Patagonia. In New Zealand found in high rainfall areas and invades native forests, plantation pine and open hill slopes (Waipara et al 2005). Remnant forest stands, scrub, along forest and plantation margins, roadsides (FNZ). In North America it is found in humid areas near the coast (FNA). In Australia, has been found in damp sclerophyll forest (Carr et al 1992). .

Potential distribution

Potential distribution produced from CLIMATE modelling refined by applying suitable landuse and vegetation type overlays with CMA boundaries

Map Overlays Used

Land Use:
Forest private plantation; forest public plantation

Broad vegetation types
Coastal scrubs and grassland; grassland Lowland forest; moist foothill forest; montane moist forest; valley grassy forest; montane grassy woodland; riparian forest

Colours indicate possibility of Berberis darwiniis infesting these areas.

In the non-coloured areas the plant is unlikely to establish as the climate, soil or landuse is not presently suitable.

Map showing potential distribution of darwins barberry

Red= Very high	Orange = Medium
Yellow = High	Green = Likely

Impact

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Social
1. Restrict human access?	Evergreen shrub to 4m high (Webb et al 1988). Forms dense spiny thickets (Weber 2003). In New Zealand it invades native forest, pine plantations and open hill slopes (Waipara et al 2005). Remnant forest stands, scrub, along forest and plantation margins, roadsides (Webb et al 1988). Weed may impede individual access.	ml	mh
2. Reduce tourism?	Has bright orange flowers. Forms dense spiny thickets (Weber 2003). Weed may have a minor effect on recreational use and would have an effect on aesthetics.	ml	mh
3. Injurious to people?	Has spines (3-7mm) and leaves of vegetative shoots sometimes have additional spiny teeth below (Webb et al 1988). Spines at most times of the year.	mh	mh
4. Damage to cultural sites?	Evergreen shrub to 4m high with bright orange flowers (Webb et al 1988). Minor visual effect.	ml	mh
Abiotic
5. Impact flow?	Terrestrial species (Weber 2003)	l	mh
6. Impact water quality?	Terrestrial species (Weber 2003)	l	mh
7. Increase soil erosion?	Evergreen shrub (Webb et al 1988). Would not leave bare ground exposed. Unlikely to contribute to large scale soil movement.	l	mh
8. Reduce biomass?	Can be found on open hill slopes. Evergreen shrub up to 4m high (Webb et al 1988). Biomass may increase.	l	mh
9. Change fire regime?	Evergreen shrub (Webb et al 1988). Possible that the shrub may decrease fire frequency (Brooks et al 2004) although not documented for this species.	ml	mh
Community Habitat
10. Impact on composition (a) high value EVC	EVC= Valley grassy forest (BCS = V) CMA=West Gippsland; Bioreg=Highland Southern fall; CLIMATE potential=VH. Prominent understorey plant of montane forests .. once established can replace native understorey plants’ (Weber 2003). Major displacement of some dominant species within the lower strata.	mh	mh
(b) medium value EVC	EVC= Lowland forest (BCS = D) CMA=Corangamite; Bioreg=Otway ranges; CLIMATE potential=VH. Prominent understorey plant of montane forests .. once established can replace native understorey plants’ (Weber 2003). Major displacement of some dominant species within the lower strata.	mh	mh
(c) low value EVC	EVC= Montane damp forest (BCS = LC) CMA=West Gippsland; Bioreg=Highland Southern fall; CLIMATE potential=VH. Prominent understorey plant of montane forests .. once established can replace native understorey plants’ (Weber 2003). Major displacement of some dominant species within the lower strata.	mh	mh
11. Impact on structure?	Serious threat to sparsely vegetated areas of bush and scrub (Waipara et al 2005). Seedling establishment on cleared ground and in forest considerably exceeded that of native shrub and tree species. With age it becomes increasingly confined to the understorey. ‘B. darwinii only slightly reduced native species diversity and had no effect on recruitment of most native shrub and tree species’ (Allen 1991). Prominent understorey plant of montane forests .. once established can replace native understorey plants’ (Weber 2003). Major effect on less than 60% of floral strata.	mh	mh
12. Effect on threatened flora?	This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened flora.	mh	l
Fauna
13. Effect on threatened fauna?	This species is not documented as posing an additional risk to threatened fauna.	mh	l
14. Effect on non-threatened fauna?	Weed not documented to have an effect on non-threatened fauna.	l	mh
15. Benefits fauna?	Fruits are eaten and dispersed by birds and possums (Waipara et al 2005). May provide some assistance in food to desirable species.	mh	h
16. Injurious to fauna?	Has spines (3-7mm) and leaves of vegetative shoots sometimes have additional spiny teeth below (Webb et al 1988). Not documented although may cause fauna to lose condition.	ml	mh
Pest Animal
17. Food source to pests?	Fruits are eaten and dispersed by birds and possums (Waipara et al 2005). May supply food for one or more minor pest species.	ml	mh
18. Provides harbour?	Weed not documented to provide harbour for pest species.	l	mh
Agriculture
19. Impact yield?	Not a weed of agriculture.	l	mh
20. Impact quality?	Not a weed of agriculture.	l	mh
21. Affect land value?	Weed not known to affect value of land.	l	mh
22. Change land use?	Weed not known to cause a change in priority of land use.	l	mh
23. Increase harvest costs?	Not a weed of cropping.	l	mh
24. Disease host/vector?	Alternate host for Puccinia graminis and ‘provides over-wintering reservoir for infection of cereals and grasses in the ensuing spring’ (Waipara et al 2005). Provides host to major fungus of important agricultural produce.	h	h

Invasive

QUESTION	COMMENTS	RATING	CONFIDENCE
Establishment
1. Germination requirements?	Germinates in late winter or early spring (PFAF 2004). Requires natural seasonal conditions for germination.	mh	m
2. Establishment requirements?	Seedlings can establish on cleared ground and in forested areas (Allen 1991). Suggested that it establishes best in full light (McAlpine 2006). Can establish under a moderate canopy.	mh	h
3. How much disturbance is required?	In New Zealand it invades native forest, pine plantations and open hill slopes (Waipara et al 2005). Remnant forest stands, scrub, along forest and plantation margins, roadsides (Webb et al 1988). In North America it is found in humid areas near the coast (FNAEC 1993+). Can establish in minor disturbed natural ecosystems.	mh	h
Growth/Competitive
4. Life form?	Shrub (Webb et al 1988). Life form – other.	l	mh
5. Allelopathic properties?	None described	l	mh
6. Tolerates herb pressure?	Currently under investigation for biocontrol program in New Zealand. Colletortrichum gleosporioides and Phomopsis sp. are showing most promise (Waipara et al 2005). Flower and fruit production reduced by ‘goat browsing and by insect damage’ (Allen & Wilson 1992). Capable of flower/seed production under moderate herbivory pressure.	mh	h
7. Normal growth rate?	Tends to be ‘slow-growing’ (PFAF 2004). Maximum growth rate less than many species of the same life form.	ml	m
8. Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?	Requires moist soil – susceptible to drought. Can tolerate maritime exposure – tolerant to salinity. Hardy to -15C – tolerant to frost (PFAF 2004). Resprouts from base (Weber 2003) suggesting tolerance to fire. Highly tolerant of at least two, susceptible to one.	mh	mh
Reproduction
9. Reproductive system	Reproduces by seed and vegetatively resprouts from base (Weber 2003). Reproduces both vegetatively and sexually.	h	mh
10. Number of propagules produced?	‘Production of large quantities of fruit’ (Waipara et al 2005). ‘Mature flower survival to produce ripe fruit (55% in 1987 and 44% in 1989) was high’ (Allen & Wilson 1992). 10 – 20 flowers are in the axils of leaves and fruit contains 2-7 seeds. ‘Seedling density can be high’ (Weber 2003). Greater than 2000 propagules per flowering event.	h	h
11. Propagule longevity?	Seed germination rate of 94% (Allen & Wilson 1992). ‘Darwin’s barberry seeds generally don’t live in the soil for more than a year’ (McAlpine 2006). Greater than 25% of seeds survive up to five years.	l	h
12. Reproductive period?	In New Zealand it was found to persist ‘in secondary forest for at least 40 years’ (Allen 1991). Mature plant produces viable propagules for greater than 10 years.	h	h
13. Time to reproductive maturity?	‘Plants growing in high light can produce fruit within two years’ (McAlpine 2006). Produces propagules between 1 – 2 years after germination.	mh	h
Dispersal
14. Number of mechanisms?	Fruits are eaten and dispersed by birds and possums (Waipara et al 2005). Bird and animal dispersed,	h	h
15. How far do they disperse?	‘Birds consume the fruits and disperse large numbers of seeds many hundreds of metres from the parent plants’ (McAlpine 2006). Many propagules will reach 200 – 1000m.	mh	h

References

Allen, R.B. 1991, ‘A preliminary assessment of the establishment and persistence of Berberis darwinii Hook., a naturalized shrub in secondary vegetation near Dunedin, New Zealand’, New Zealand Journal of Botany, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 353-360, CAB Abstracts.

Allen, R.B. and Wilson, J.B. 1992, ‘Fruit and seed production in Berberis darwinii Hook., a shrub recently naturalized in New Zealand’, New Zealand Journal of Botany, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 45-55, CAB Abstracts.

Brooks, M.L., D’Antonio, C.M., Richardson, D.M., Grace, J.B., Keeley, J.E., DiTomaso, J.M., Hobbs, R.J., Pellant, M. and Pyke, D. 2004, ‘Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes’, BioScience,.vol. 54, no. 7, pp. 677 – 688.

Carr, G.W., Yugovic, J.V. and Robinson, K.E., 1992, Environmental weed invasions in Victoria: conservation and management implications, Department of Conservation and Environment, Clifton Hill.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (FNAEC) 1993+, Flora of North America North of Mexico, 7+ vols, New York and Oxford, viewed 05 Sep 2006 online, http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1

McAlpine, K. and Jesson, L.K. 2006, ‘What contributes to invasion success in the environmental weed Darwin’s barberry (Berberis darwinii)?’, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Trust, Research profile, viewed 06 Sep 2006, http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/research/projects/profile0008-kate-mcalpine-barberry.html PAGE NOT FOUND

Plants for a Future (PFAF) 2004, Berberis darwinii, Plants for a future database, viewed 06 Sep 2006, http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Berberis+darwinii

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2006, PLANTS Profile, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database, viewed 05 Sep 2006 , http://plants.usda.gov/

Waipara, N.W., Smith, L.A., Gianotti, A.F., Wilkie, J.P., Winks, C.J., and McKenzie, E.H.C. 2005, ‘A survey of fungal plant pathogens associated with weed infestations of barberry (Berberis spp.) in New Zealand and their biocontrol potential’, Australasian Plant Pathology, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 369-376.

Webb,C.G., Sykes, W.R., Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988, Flora of New Zealand: Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons, Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research database, viewed 05 Sep 2006, http://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Book.aspx?fileName=Flora%204.xml

Weber, E. 2003, Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds, CABI Publishing, Wallingford.

Global present distribution data references

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. (FNAEC) 1993+, Flora of North America North of Mexico, 7+ vols, New York and Oxford, viewed 05 Sep 2006 online, http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2006, PLANTS Profile, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database, viewed 05 Sep 2006 , http://plants.usda.gov/

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